Best Vocal Effects Pedal

With the TC-Helicon EQ Effects Pedal, you can blend up to two voices if you wanted. If you’re the lead and/or backup singer, this will add a lot of depth to your overall singing performance on stage.

But even if you’re not playing to a crowd, there’s enough in the package to keep solo artists just as happy. For starters, the device can be hooked up to a computer. There’s a USB port located behind the pedal, of which additional presets will modify your existing voice.

If you wanted your vocals to come out as a bellowing bluegrass blues musician, this is the tool to do just that. All jokes aside, even the squeakiest voices you’ve ever heard (such as what’s seen on Alvin and the Chipmunks) can be mimicked.

Presets like this are great for many genres, whether they be heavy or near totally computer-generated. If you like to play electronic music, hooking it up to your microphone can create on-the-spot loops of sound effects that you sent to a mic or computer.

Additionally, you can use this pedal with a keyboard, so long as you okay with the mono output. Since most live musicians will play in mono anyway, this shouldn’t be too big of an issue for most.

Recommended or Not?

This product is recommended for musicians that like to layer their voice for dramatic effect during live performances.

Buyer’s Guide

Here are some additional tips to assist you in choosing the right vocal effect pedal for your music.

How to Choose the Best Vocal Effect Pedal?

Choosing the right vocal effects pedal isn’t hard at all. While there might be a lot of brands sold on the market today, they mostly function for the same purpose, which is to make your voice sound better when singing or talking through a microphone. Some of them have built-in speakers for this, while others do not.

What choice you make should ultimately be up to you, although things such as the type of instrument you’re playing could make a big difference of how well-suited you are to the purchase. Furthermore, understand the music genre you’re playing it with. Does it call for changing your pitch to a large degree, or do you need an effect pedal for cleaning up the tone of your natural-sounding voice? And most importantly, are you willing to practice with the control if you’re not familiar with eh way vocal pedals work?

What you intend to do with the Vocal Effects Pedal?

Know what you plan on using your vocal effects pedal for before checking out. If you’re a musician, it’s likely that you already have some ideas on what you want from the machine. But not everyone does. Maybe it was recommended to you because of constructive criticism of your voice. Or maybe you simply want to play around with the pedal to see if you can come up with a sound that’s a little better when heard by a live audience.

If you’re recording music, then you might not need an effects pedal, although are being built specifically to highlight the instruments that are already in a recording studio. With a vocal effects pedal, you can change the tone and pitch of your singing to make it similar to the music you hear played on the radio, or even layer your voice twofold to give it more resonance.

Most advanced musicians will recommend them to others, especially people that are playing but feel as if something is missing to their performances but don’t fully know what.

Understanding your Level of Expertise

If you’re a beginner, having a vocal effects pedal can do wonders to your music. Even if playing at home, this will make things sound much nicer than what’s it would when coming directly out of a microphone (your voice, to be exact).

Outside of pitch and tone, reverb presets can bring depth to your singing, adding a dramatic effect to key areas in tracks that may make the entire song appear different or more refined. Of course, all of these things will take practice, and having a vocal effects pedal that gives easy-to-understand instructions with the device is crucial to how well-taken it will be.

If you want one but don’t understand a thing about the way that they work, ensure the brand you’re looking at has good customer service that will help you with any questions about their product.

Alternative Uses for Vocal Effects Pedals

You don’t have to limit yourself to using a vocal effects pedal for music. Many people like to have them around for all sorts of purposes, from making entertainment during evening events for friends at home to singing in a karaoke bar.

Some people even live stream with them online, plugging the pedals directly into their console or computer to alter their voice. The possibilities are endless, so you can get creative with the way you use the effects pedal. Some musicians may also try effects pedals alone, which can all clarity to notes that might sound unique to playing through a standard amplifier.

Whichever way you choose to use a vocal effects pedal, you can have fun doing it by the number of options they possess to change the melodies that you create.

Common Issues with Vocal Effects Pedals

Vocal effects pedals aren’t perfect, as with any instrument. Some experienced musicians will often open up their devices to improve their soldering, although this is something that most won’t have to do.

Don’t this out if you’re inexperienced. Instead, always abide by the warranty of your device before attempting to change anything too early in the device’s lifetime. However, one of the most common issues with vocal pedals is their tendency to go off when played at random periods.

This could happen for any number of reasons, and a player’s other instruments that are used in tune with it could be the root of the problem. Always check to ensure that you have a proper hookup before playing anything, particularly if you’re going live.

Another common issue is durability and spacing on the controls, you might be difficult for some to see without leaning over and putter their face close to the pedal. If you have had problems with this while using other pedals, make sure that the one you’re interested in can be controlled easily.

Look at photos and videos of the pedal if you need to, observing the way others manipulate the controls (and how quickly they do it). The third problem could also be cracking and distortion when using the pedal.

This is more common among musicians that play vocals very loud, although this might be unavoidable in situations where lots of instrumentation are being used. In such a situation, you may not be able to hear yourself when talking through the mic, forcing you to amp up the volume to hear your vocals.

If this does happen, try to set the gain of your voice (if possible) to a level that allows you to be heard but outputs little distortion. And don’t play music in stereo if there’s a large crowd listening to you, whether it be indoors or outdoors.

Where You Play

Vocal effects pedals can be used virtually anywhere, from your home to outside with lots of people in attendance to your music. If you are playing music at home, look for pedals that have a headphone out slot on the box itself.

You could check out the effects of your headphones, this way, which might be necessary for people who cannot let others heard their music due to noise pollution. Or maybe you’re playing at a small gathering with friends or family. These situations are great for pedals that are small and easy to transport.

Remember, some of them have speakers and dimensions that require that the device be carried. On a side note, transport should always be done in protective luggage, whenever possible. If you don’t have one, consider buying a piece for your pedals (especially if you own or use several during a performance.)

If you’re playing guitar in a live studio, try to get a high-quality pedal that has many different effects. Some of them can be quite confusing initially, especially for beginner players. But more effects also means a higher ability to tweak and clean up your voice, which could work in some recording studios.

Conclusion and Our Best Picks

Do you know what vocal effects pedal is the right one for your music? If you’re still having trouble decided on what to try out first, you could make a random pick. But the better option would be to stick to what’s recommended the most.

Out of the ten that were evaluated in the reviews above, the Boss VE-20 Vocal Performer Multi-Effects Pedal and TC-Helicon EQ Effects Pedal are the best from the bunch. They’re built to last and come with enough presets and vocal options to make both novice players/singers and experienced musicians happy.

However, don’t settle for those if you’re mind is already made up on another product. Each of the vocal effects pedals shown has advantageous qualities, which will allow you to sing with better clarity. And if sounding clearer isn’t important, go for what can alter your voice the most to match your playing style and/or genre. Then when you’re ready to choose, get ready to hear your music (and yourself) in a way that’s unique to what you’ve created before.