*Boss Vocal Harmonist VE-2

Very good service from GAK ; quick and efficient and I have never been disappointed yet.The VE-2 is so simple to operate, even I can use it ( and I usually get bored/confused when there is more than one button or dial).That might be too simple for some , but I don't like to spend two hours down the rabbit hole of programming and forget to do any actual music. What that means, however, is that you might not be able to get just ' that' sound that you are chasing. But, hey, while you are wasting time fiddling about you could have written a masterpiece.The harmony settings are best used with subtlety, or you sound a bit too Nashville- but that might be your thing . However, they are more than adequate , but can be a bit harsh if pushed.The 'Enhance' feature is ... MoreVery good service from GAK ; quick and efficient and I have never been disappointed yet.The VE-2 is so simple to operate, even I can use it ( and I usually get bored/confused when there is more than one button or dial).That might be too simple for some , but I don't like to spend two hours down the rabbit hole of programming and forget to do any actual music. What that means, however, is that you might not be able to get just ' that' sound that you are chasing. But, hey, while you are wasting time fiddling about you could have written a masterpiece.The harmony settings are best used with subtlety, or you sound a bit too Nashville- but that might be your thing . However, they are more than adequate , but can be a bit harsh if pushed.The 'Enhance' feature is great - dont know how it works , but it is great. Also recommend leaving the 'Unison' on all the time with the dial 3 o ' clock-ish. It just thickens things up nicely, which gives you confidence , without losing character in your voice ( I do mean your voice, mine sounds like a bag of spanners in a washing machine).Just those two features are worth buying the pedal for.The actual pedal is great , you can't miss it and you don't get a puncture wound if you're not wearing shoes.Still not sure about the reverb/delay FX . They are OK , but nothing particularly earth shattering . But, it's 200 quid which, in Brighton , is about half the price of two knitted biscuits and an individually curated flat white.Buy one: it's a lot of fun and very useful

As advertised, but not for me

I lead worship services on guitar and have 20 years as a professional classical singer. Because I occasionally lead a service by myself, I thought this might be a useful tool for adding some richness to a song. I found on simple, single-key pieces, it chose well about 85% of the time, which is probably fine. If the piece was more complicated, it would often scramble and choose a sour note, or just struggle to stay in tune, singing the minor third in a major triad, for example. It also seems to think singing the flat seventh of any chord is a reasonable choice, and sometimes it isn't.If you're a singer-songwriter doing mostly three- and four-chord songs where it's more about the writing than anything else, this could be a very cool piece of equipment in your ... MoreI lead worship services on guitar and have 20 years as a professional classical singer. Because I occasionally lead a service by myself, I thought this might be a useful tool for adding some richness to a song. I found on simple, single-key pieces, it chose well about 85% of the time, which is probably fine. If the piece was more complicated, it would often scramble and choose a sour note, or just struggle to stay in tune, singing the minor third in a major triad, for example. It also seems to think singing the flat seventh of any chord is a reasonable choice, and sometimes it isn't.If you're a singer-songwriter doing mostly three- and four-chord songs where it's more about the writing than anything else, this could be a very cool piece of equipment in your arsenal.If you're looking for spot-on perfection in performance, this isn't worth it. You won't be happy and it won't do what you want it to do.If you're considering using this in a band context, stop considering that immediately :). The natural differences between tuning for multiple instruments will just make any mistake the box makes harsher and will ruin whatever you're trying to do.That said, there's probably a performance art piece or experimental use for it by plugging in an electric guitar but not amping it and telling the box you're singing one thing, then having it try to harmonize with you. Could be very trippy and cool.I am saying I'd recommend it, because I would... if you're a four-chord singer/songwriter.

Boss is BOSS!!!!

This vocal effects pedal is great! It has everything right under your toes. I am a busker (street performer) primarily so I am almost always alone with just me an my guitar. Having the ability to add an extra voice or two in some of the songs makes it interesting for my audience and for me. It works all day on 4 -AA batteries (which my seller was kind enough to include a set!). It automatically sets the key for the chords the guitar plays but it does not color the guitar tone at all. The indicator lights work well in bright light and in low light so you can always see where it is set. Best of all, it from Boss so you know it is high quality. I've added some photos of my busking rig to show what I mean about it's ease of use. It does not have a tuner (which is great ... MoreThis vocal effects pedal is great! It has everything right under your toes. I am a busker (street performer) primarily so I am almost always alone with just me an my guitar. Having the ability to add an extra voice or two in some of the songs makes it interesting for my audience and for me. It works all day on 4 -AA batteries (which my seller was kind enough to include a set!). It automatically sets the key for the chords the guitar plays but it does not color the guitar tone at all. The indicator lights work well in bright light and in low light so you can always see where it is set. Best of all, it from Boss so you know it is high quality. I've added some photos of my busking rig to show what I mean about it's ease of use. It does not have a tuner (which is great because I don't need more tuners built into everything!)

Class little pedal

Size: The pedal is dead small so very easy to take with you to gigs or stash away in the drawer when you aren’t using it.Features: The built in reverb/echo/delay is great and very adjustable. The memory function is great. Easy enough to switch to a saved setting, although I do wish the actual button was bigger so I could switch to another memory mid song. Sometimes you want different harmonies on different sections. The bypass pedal is great. Very easy to tap whilst playing.Auto-Harmonist: I bought this pedal specifically for this function. The harmonies definitely sound more natural and fit in with the song better because it follows the chords you are playing. But, I tend to use unconventional chords and I felt that the harmony struggled sometimes. Without the ... MoreSize: The pedal is dead small so very easy to take with you to gigs or stash away in the drawer when you aren’t using it.Features: The built in reverb/echo/delay is great and very adjustable. The memory function is great. Easy enough to switch to a saved setting, although I do wish the actual button was bigger so I could switch to another memory mid song. Sometimes you want different harmonies on different sections. The bypass pedal is great. Very easy to tap whilst playing.Auto-Harmonist: I bought this pedal specifically for this function. The harmonies definitely sound more natural and fit in with the song better because it follows the chords you are playing. But, I tend to use unconventional chords and I felt that the harmony struggled sometimes. Without the auto-harmony it was more difficult to keep the harmonies in tune. If you stray even slightly, it sounds terribly out of tune.Variety: I liked being able to switch between whatever harmonies I wanted. Unison, a third above or below etc. I did find however, it always sounds best when you use two harmony lines instead of one. The flaws are too obvious when just using one. You have to be so so precise.I found that less is more with this device. I balanced the sound very much in favour of my lead vocal with the harmonies reasonably quiet in the background to compliment the lead. Overall I’m very happy with the purchase and would recommend it as it gives your performance that something extra.PMT were great. Delivered right on time and very quickly. Not issues whatsoever.

Good But Could Be Better

Overall, the VE-2 is a great unit for acoustic/solo performers who want a bit more 'lush' to their sound who don't want to get bogged down in loops/patches/programming. Compared to metal stomp boxes, the rubber footswitch is great, as well. However, the VE-2's main drawbacks are:1. No ability to switch harmony setting w/out purchasing a Boss footswitch. (They absolutely should've designed the pedal w/ a switch to scroll settings, i.e. split the long footswitch in half - one side turns it on/off, the other scrolls).2. Certain notes get wobbly/shaky from time to time.3. Doesn't let you combine both "Low and Higher" harmony setting. It has a few combo settings, but for some reason, they left this one out.4. Footswitch - even if you use a footswitch, you apparently ... MoreOverall, the VE-2 is a great unit for acoustic/solo performers who want a bit more 'lush' to their sound who don't want to get bogged down in loops/patches/programming. Compared to metal stomp boxes, the rubber footswitch is great, as well. However, the VE-2's main drawbacks are:1. No ability to switch harmony setting w/out purchasing a Boss footswitch. (They absolutely should've designed the pedal w/ a switch to scroll settings, i.e. split the long footswitch in half - one side turns it on/off, the other scrolls).2. Certain notes get wobbly/shaky from time to time.3. Doesn't let you combine both "Low and Higher" harmony setting. It has a few combo settings, but for some reason, they left this one out.4. Footswitch - even if you use a footswitch, you apparently have to use two, as the first one will only change 'variation' and not settings. Uncool.

Love it: simple and sounds great.

Enhances your voice with compression, dressing, eq, adjustable delay and reverb. Phantom power and battery or adapter. Sounds great straight into a powered speaker from your favorite mic. The harmony is work well (best to use just a touch).

Not working for me

I'm sure this works for many people but I could not get usable results. I flatpick chords in patterns rather than strum and I use quite a few 'interesting' chords. The harmoniser was struggling to identify suitable harmonies.I didn't like the sound of the harmony voice, it sounded unnatural, not like a second 'me', a bit muddy. I would have been prepared to persist in tweaking the EQ and compression on the harmony if the pedal had a way of easily splitting the original from the harmony so it could run into separate mixer channels, just having the single blended output meant there was little I could do.I tried the 'enhance' feature and was quite surprised that it had a dramatic effect, including adding a lot of gain. It gave a much brighter tone and I wasn't ... MoreI'm sure this works for many people but I could not get usable results. I flatpick chords in patterns rather than strum and I use quite a few 'interesting' chords. The harmoniser was struggling to identify suitable harmonies.I didn't like the sound of the harmony voice, it sounded unnatural, not like a second 'me', a bit muddy. I would have been prepared to persist in tweaking the EQ and compression on the harmony if the pedal had a way of easily splitting the original from the harmony so it could run into separate mixer channels, just having the single blended output meant there was little I could do.I tried the 'enhance' feature and was quite surprised that it had a dramatic effect, including adding a lot of gain. It gave a much brighter tone and I wasn't convinced it was needed, I've been quite happy with my mic and PA giving a natural sound with a little help from EQ on the mixer, I had hoped for something more subtle.I wouldn't use autotune when performing but I tried it out of interest. It was weird, it seems to add a separate autotuned track rather than replace the original and the two are not in perfect sync. Maybe I was doing something wrong but I have seen other reviews saying the same.So I'm sure it's fine for some people, especially if you are using strummed chords in predictable arrangements (C/Am/F/G etc) but not for me. A shame

Review of BOSS VE-2 Vocal Harmonist Pedal

What an excellent little machine this is. Works straight out of the box and instantly adds depth and interest to anything you’re singing/playing. It encourages you to get your chords and singing absolutely in tune (otherwise its harmonies are a bit ‘off’), but once you’ve used it for a little while you’ll discover you’re getting better at all aspects of your performance. It’s very impressive how it knows which harmonies to add, even in a song that changes key often. Haven’t used the key selection knob on this, I always use the auto-key by putting my guitar through it. A seriously impressive piece of kit for the lone performer.My only wish would be that it could add a harmony over an octave above. I sing with a bass voice, so I get another bass voice 3rd above me. ... MoreWhat an excellent little machine this is. Works straight out of the box and instantly adds depth and interest to anything you’re singing/playing. It encourages you to get your chords and singing absolutely in tune (otherwise its harmonies are a bit ‘off’), but once you’ve used it for a little while you’ll discover you’re getting better at all aspects of your performance. It’s very impressive how it knows which harmonies to add, even in a song that changes key often. Haven’t used the key selection knob on this, I always use the auto-key by putting my guitar through it. A seriously impressive piece of kit for the lone performer.My only wish would be that it could add a harmony over an octave above. I sing with a bass voice, so I get another bass voice 3rd above me. I wish it could give me a ‘female’ voice 1 octave + 3rd above, but then, this is an entry-level vocal processor so I can’t have everything, I guess.

Review of BOSS VE-2 Vocal Harmonist Stomp Box

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome on stage my new backing vocalists, Vic and Eddie, the Stompbox brothers...I've always looked a bit askance on "vocal effects" but when you make the transition from performing as part of an ensemble to being a solo performer something has to give... Particularly in my genre where vocal harmony is so much an integral part of many tracks. So it was time to bite the bullet and see if a vocal harmony stompbox could cut the mustard. My plan was to get one then run it through one set of batteries in familiarisation, rehearsals, letting some buddies mess with it and potentially a live set or two. At that point I'd know if it was a keeper or not and could decide if I wanted to buy in the other bits and pieces to use it right or pack it ... MoreLadies and gentlemen, please welcome on stage my new backing vocalists, Vic and Eddie, the Stompbox brothers...I've always looked a bit askance on "vocal effects" but when you make the transition from performing as part of an ensemble to being a solo performer something has to give... Particularly in my genre where vocal harmony is so much an integral part of many tracks. So it was time to bite the bullet and see if a vocal harmony stompbox could cut the mustard. My plan was to get one then run it through one set of batteries in familiarisation, rehearsals, letting some buddies mess with it and potentially a live set or two. At that point I'd know if it was a keeper or not and could decide if I wanted to buy in the other bits and pieces to use it right or pack it away for either return or an eventual departure to CraigsList. Short answer, the VE-2 is a keeper.Let's start with the thing most of us get this for, the harmonies:When they are working at their best they sound awesome, tracking a guitar input or a preset key extremely well and sounding clear and natural. If you're a tenor guy or a lass you're pretty much set for anything you might be singing. However if, like me, you're a baritone, be careful. The lower harmonies do get a bit robotic in the lower part of your range - but that's usually fine because if you're using this as a bari you probably will be using the upper harmonies most anyway. Another caveat for baritone and bass voices is that the lower-pitched your vocal range the more sensitive the device is to the slightest inaccuracy of your singing pitch. I vaguely remember something about the math of the fourier transform that makes this almost inevitable but to me it's just another example of the shocking injustice that has all the best tunes for adult male voices written for tenors. Seems the decent gear is built for tenors too!The reverb and delay:There's really nothing much to say about this feature. Does "exactly what it says on the tin" and does it well enough.The enhancements:The built in EQ/compression surprised me with its quality. Other than standalone units patched into the desk and being handled by a decent engineer you're not going to get much better, its single preset seems to work well for most voices - provided you *want* compression on your vocals, of course.The pitch correction, on the other hand, YUCK! Do not touch this with a bargepole. Not only is it a "feature" that really ought to be accomplished with actual vocal skill, it sounds really screwy - doubling over your voice rather than actually "correcting" anything. I tried deliberately singing a little off key and I could clearly hear both in the mix, making the vocal deviation more strident and obvious. With any kind of chops as a vocalist you should never need this and if you *do* need it, it does the exact opposite of helping. If that light is ever green, you're doing it wrong.The build quality is first-rate, like everything else carrying the Boss brand. It's solid as a rock.So, what are the negative points? Only one, really. I wish it had the option to double up an octave harmony with one of the others. The only combination of two harmony voices featuring octaves is 8Up+8Down. You can do 3Up+5Up but not either 3Up+8Up or 5Up+8Up. As a bari, I'd rarely use the 8Down voice at all but I suspect a lass might notice the lack of 3Down+8Down and 5Down+8Down in the options as much as I do the higher ones.Other notes:DO take the time to set up the memory presets for your setlist, because bending down to the floor to change settings doesn't look good on stage. A band member other than the frontman can surreptitiously adjust their stompboxes for the next track while the frontman gabs at the audience. The frontman or a solo performer can't do this without it being obvious and awkward. 3 presets plus "as set on the dials" is probably enough for an hour-long set given you won't be using the harmonies on every song but adding a footswitch for cycling the memories is a must. Long-press-to-bypass then press-and-hold-to-cycle (which takes the box *out* of bypass when you release to select the current preset) just takes too long, takes too much of your attention - it *will* break the "flow" of your performance.

Still The Boss

The Boss VE-2 Vocal Harmonist combines the quality, reliability and ruggedness that the Boss brand has been famous for over the last 40 years. This foot operated effects unit allows harmonies to be added in real time that match the singer's voice either directly via an XLR input from the microphone or by setting the key of the song and letting the VE-2 'listen' to the vocalist and intuitively match the vocal with a range of selectable harmonies. 'Voices' can be set to be low, lower, high, higher or any combination to give 12 possible harmony sounds. Combine this with the built in reverb and delay and with a bit of pre-planning you can have 3-part harmonies that rival The Beach Boys or any worthy boy band. I play in a cover band and in a couple of different duos and ... MoreThe Boss VE-2 Vocal Harmonist combines the quality, reliability and ruggedness that the Boss brand has been famous for over the last 40 years. This foot operated effects unit allows harmonies to be added in real time that match the singer's voice either directly via an XLR input from the microphone or by setting the key of the song and letting the VE-2 'listen' to the vocalist and intuitively match the vocal with a range of selectable harmonies. 'Voices' can be set to be low, lower, high, higher or any combination to give 12 possible harmony sounds. Combine this with the built in reverb and delay and with a bit of pre-planning you can have 3-part harmonies that rival The Beach Boys or any worthy boy band. I play in a cover band and in a couple of different duos and this pedal provides another level of enjoyment and makes us sound like real pros. Live performance or in the studio, the VE-2 works with the reliability and simplicity that has made Boss the go-to brand that all the others try to copy. I've tried other voice harmony pedals such as the TC Helicon H1 and although this pedal is very good it doesn't match the Boss VE-2 for features, value and quality. Both these pedals retail for around $250 but the Boss VE-2 is THE BOSS without a doubt.