NAMM 2013: TC-Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2 unveiled

The VoiceLive Touch 2: worth getting your hands on?
The VoiceLive Touch 2: worth getting your hands on?

NAMM 2013: Launched a couple of years ago, TC-Helicon's VoiceLive Touch has proven popular with singers (including Brett Domino) who want a decent range of vocal processing effects at their fingertips when they're on stage.

Now it's been revamped: the VoiceLive Touch 2 sports a completely reworked user interface, a supposedly unique kind of real-time control and new effects.

Find out more below or on the TC-Helicon website. The VoiceLive Touch 2 will be available in March priced at $599.99/€599.

TC-Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2 press release

The first vocal processor and looper to literally place control right at the singer's fingertips, the original VoiceLive Touch has enjoyed a meteoric rise to success - no doubt helped by influential artists such as Kimbra who has both showcased and championed its features to their full extent.

The artist pedigree is directly carried over in VoiceLive Touch 2 as feedback from professional users has been instrumental in development of VoiceLive Touch 2.

In A Nutshell

VoiceLive Touch 2 provides a complete suite of production-quality vocal effects, including Harmony. Its revolutionary new Touch Matrix interface with Slider FX™ allows precise real-time control and modulation, and the VLOOP™ Performance Looper adds exciting loop-specific effects to the mix.

The Effects

VoiceLive Touch 2 automatically takes care of vocal tone with adaptive EQ, compression, de-essing and gating. This frees the singer up to focus on the performance with hyperactive slaps and echoes, aggressive distortion and Hardtune in addition to sweetening effects like deep reverb, doubling and those uncanny TC-Helicon vocal harmonies.

  • Adaptive Tone - compression, EQ shaping and de-essing
  • Rhythmic effect creates Stutter and Chopper effects
  • From natural Pitch Correction to the infamous HardTune effect
  • Perfect Harmonies, reverbs, delays, doubling and more, much more

The User Interface

The new and large 2.5" LCD display helps build an easy-to-grasp visual image of the effects layout - and makes editing a cinch.

The Touch Matrix buttons allows one to explore adding and removing effects and tonal colors seamlessly while singing. Use the slider bar to rock, flutter and transform the sonic landscape. Each preset also has the Hit button ready to launch multiple effects with a single touch.

  • Create dramatic new sweep effects, browse presets and adjust levels with the slider
  • Jump between 36 performance functions fast in the Touch Matrix
  • Easy icon-based editing with deep editing available when needed

Looping

VoiceLive Touch 2's six-track looper offers lots of loop time and LoopAssist™ for better loops and effects like a resonant filter, stutter effect, and reverse to make one-person creations easy, unique and incredible.

  • Stereo looping of all inputs plus effects on up to 6 tracks
  • LoopAssist offers metronome and quantize for perfect loops every time
  • Loop effects include Reverse, Filter, Slow Speed, Squeeze and Squeeze Auto

In short, VoiceLive Touch 2 gives singers unprecedented creative control of their live sound with state-of-the-art vocal effects and performance looping in an intuitive touch layout. A major update of the original, VoiceLive Touch 2 gives singers even more opportunities to hone their instrument, create new sounds, and move the masses.

Feature List

  • 9 button Touch Matrix speeds editing and control
  • Ultra-responsive Slider FX for hands-on experimentation
  • Hit button switches multiple effects from basic to shake it!
  • Advanced six-track vocal looper with midi sync and realtime loop-specific FX
  • Dedicated tap tempo button matches Delay and Rhythmic effects timing to live beats
  • Tone feature includes Adaptive EQ, Compression, Gating and De-essing
  • Perfect harmonies and pitch correction via Auto Key Detection
  • Simple effects customizing with styles and icons
  • Huge, free library of song and artist presets
  • Optional 3-button footswitch allows hands-free control
  • Reverb, modulation effects and tuner for guitar input
  • Innovative mic stand-to-desktop non-skid chassis
  • High quality mic pre-amp
  • USB for audio recording and playback, preset backup and more
  • Mic Control™ compatible

Effects List

  • µMod - creates flanger, detune, chorus and pitch dive effects
  • Delay - tempo-based or timed echoes, slap, and extensive filter styles selection
  • Reverb - super clean reverbs, from bright rooms to ornate halls and giant arenas
  • Harmony - up to 4 backup singers arranged by your guitar, keyboard or bed track
  • Choir - recreates the buzz of a large singing group, superb when combined with Harmony
  • Double - a solo or group of unison singers to fatten and widen your melodies
  • Transducer - simulates radios, megaphones and distortion effects
  • Rhythm - another tempo effect that creates chopper, panning and modern stutter effects
  • HardTune - Auto tuning, pitch and gender

Available: Late March 2013*

Price: $599.99 / €599

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.