TC Helicon Mic Mechanic 2 - Best Vocal Effects Pedal for Live Performance?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ส.ค. 2022
- If you're looking for a great vocal sound and simplicity on stage, the TC Helicon Mic Mechanic 2 is a vocal effects pedal worth looking into.
▶️ You can check out the Mic Mechanic here (this is my affiliate link for Sweetwater):
www.jasonstallworth.com/MicMe...
▶️ Or check out all of the gear I use here:
www.jasonstallworth.com/gear/
At the time of this video, I had been using the TC Helicon Mic Mechanic 2 for about 9 months on stage. I play 2-3 live solo gigs a week so it's been used a lot since I've had it!
I figured now would be a good time to give you a full review of the Mic Mechanic 2 and also show you how to use this vocal effects pedal.
I also give you my personal settings and a few other tips on how you can use the Mic Mechanics.
And as with any authentic gear review, I share what I don't like about this pedal.
Oh, and the song you're hearing is an original acoustic song that I recently wrote. Though I mainly play 80s cover songs at my live solo shows, I like to sneak in some originals here and there.
More to come on this song, so stay tuned.
Keep it Metal,
Jason
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***Check out my latest live gear and setup tutorial here: th-cam.com/video/h3c4N250jWs/w-d-xo.html
If you hold down the tone button and hit the pedal button youll switch from normal tone to less bright. And holding the tone while moving the correction adjust how long the delay is. Holding the big button for 2sec enters a mode where can tap to set the delay tempo, Hold 2 sec on the last time you hit to get back out. And the tone button does dynamic EQ, De-esser, gate and saturation. But no Compression.
Dude, thank you for this info! I really wish there were separate controls for all of this. Or, for me, it'd be even better not to have those deeper options.
Does this work for the mic mechanic 1 too?
thanks
Jason I follow your channel for over a year now and your videos are always well done. Besides it immediately obvious you’re just a really good dude! Blessings to you my friend. ✊
Thank you, I appreciate that 🙏 🤘
Thank you, Jason, for your continued contributions, very much appreciated. Eric
You’re welcome and glad these videos help!
I appreciate your videos, I started this year watching your videos on playing gigs for beginners and now I’m out playing 2 hour sets around town having a lot of fun doing it. Your gear and performance advice have helped me take that step to get out there and do it. I think I’ll consider adding this pedal to my setup especially for that tone button. 👍
That’s awesome to hear that you’re out there doing it!
I actually haven’t used these pedals in several months. They’re great but wanted to reduce the amount of gear I’m using so I’m just using the reverb on my Mackie soundboard
I was literally waiting for someone to do a review on this. Thank you!
Awesome and glad this helped! It’s a cool pedal for live gigs!
I’ve watched several videos on this pedal before buying one, and I found your review the most helpful, thanks man👍
Awesome man, that’s great to hear!
Thanks Jason! You're video just reminded me that I have this pedal. I plugged in to the PA direct for years before trying the Mic Mechanic. I made me sound so good I upgraded to the Vocal Live and have been lost ever tweaking ever since . I'm going to dig out the old MM and get back my happy simple man's sound.
Yeah that Voice Live was a bit too complex for me! I just wanted a good sound with a little reverb and delay and the Mic Mechanic gets it done!
Been using one of these for some time now. Excellent pedal! Really fills out the vocals.
They're great! Love the reverb and the tone
I have just brought a Mic Mechanic and I found your review really helpful. Thank you 😊
It’s a cool pedal and comes in handy for live shows
I've used the Mic Mech 2 for a couple of years now and love it. Just to give the vocals a little nice coloring. Thank you for your videos. Just bought the POD GO, and its my first venture into the modeling processor realm. Your videos will help a lot.
Yeah the POD Go has been great for my live solo shows and still using it! Here’s the latest setup video: th-cam.com/video/0makwiJmmGY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=s7AedNc3I_BVo3Ek
@@jasonstallworth Awesome. Thanks again.
Really informative video. Considering investing in one of these. You've helped a lot.
They make a huge difference. I also just post a new video on getting started playing live solo gigs here: th-cam.com/video/dy0Ru6RHH9c/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for this video. I’ve used this pedal at a few acoustic gigs with my band as well as some of our full electric gigs. Definitely love the sound and ability to turn it off to engage the crowd. My bandmate upgraded his mixer so I stopped using my pedal. I recently played my first solo acoustic gig and decided to use just the onboard effects on my Mackie mixer to simplify my setup. I listened to the videos my wife recorded and my vocals sounded good, but not as good as when I have used that pedal. Definitely adding this pedal back into my vocal signal chain. And thanks for the tip on the Tone button. I hadn’t been using that feature…didn’t read the manual!!
Man, I'm all about simplifying the setup for solo acoustic shows! And I was hoping to just use my board effects, too but like you said, this pedal just sounds better.
me too. I'm keeping my EQ flat in the mixer and using the Mic mechanic for dynamics.
@@jasonstallworth
Very true Jason, I was browsing around on local adverts last night and I purchased a TC-Helicon Voice Live 2 processor, just seen a few videos on it and I will use it over the weekend and let you know how it goes,
Awesome and I’m interested to know how you like it
Awesome my bro, and great singing too, thank you from Aotearoa
🙏 🤘
I would just love a vocal pedal with chorus, Reverb and Delay with dials from 1-10. The compression feature as well is great.
There are some other options with more effects. I believe Boss VE20 and TC Helicon VoiceLive if you want more
Effects
This is a helpful video, thank you.
Awesome to hear that!
Awesome video and thank you for sharing 💙💙👍👍
🤘
respectful explanation ,liked it
🙏🏻
My Dude, you have a fantastic voice!!!!!
Thank you, I appreciate that 🙏
Thanks a lot Jason! This is great
I actually haven't used these the past few months. They're great pedals but wanted to cut down on gear...I've been playing out 2-3x a week so sometimes less can be more! Just using the Mackie ProFX10v3 soudboard reverb which works just fine
@@jasonstallworth wow! 2-3 x's a week=great...Congratulations!
I'm using their TC Helicon Vocal Harmonizer. Great tool for me as a solo guitar singer. I have a very simple set up. This pedal would enhance my performance because I don't gig very often, thus practice in earnest often, thus I'm relatively hitting notes flat. Thanks!
Yeah this pedal even without effects really enhances your vocals and makes them stand out with clarity.
@@jasonstallworthdo I need a gutair to use this pedal because I have a Kustom Speaker with a wireless mic if I use a xlr to the speaker will it correct it or do I need a gutair
Had a TC Voice Tone correct pedal back in the day and yes the 'Tone' button was worth the money for the whole thing. TC equip is pretty expensive here in the UK though.
Yeah that tone alone is worth it!
I just got the first version on this pedal. Paid 40 bucks,. Very happy with it
You got a great deal!
Anyone else noticing an axe and longsword in the background? This man is a musician and an orc slayer! Awesome! 😊 ( Thanks for your Video by the way...)
🙏🤘🤘🤘
Hi, nice video. I have one….50% slap echo, 75% hall…..Tone on,no correction…works beautifully 👍🏽
That sounds like a great setting!! Yeah, this little pedal is our secret weapon!
I'm a competent singer who likes a little echo and reverb to help me through a long performance, take the hard work out of it. This might just be what I'm looking for. The inbuilt compressor etc are just the cherry on top.
This is a great pedal. The pedal on its own brings out your voice. I definitely recommend it for live gigs.
Nice review! Thanks! Thinking about getting this after ditching my Boss VE-8… all I need is what appears to be this (don’t need no harmony) but would like to see my vocal performance a tad better!❤️🎼🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵
Yeah this pedal really brings your vocals out and just makes everything sound better. And I’m with you on not needing a harmonizing effect. I never cared for the way those sounded
Love these pedals. I have one on each of 4 mics. Hey, the correction at 7-8 O'clock doesn't hurt.......
They've come in really handy on stage on my live shows!
I've gigged with these for 10 years now and the vocal correction is actually useful and subtle. Not like a Cher-bot even cranked up. The tone button is does some de-essing and compression that sounds great and reverb is nice too.
I'm a huge fan of that tone button. That alone is a good reason to use this pedal! I do love the reverb and delay, too!
Cher-bot lol. That's auto-tune also found on some other pedals. Really aggressive pitch stepping that is. Cher just happened to like it when it came out. It soon lost it's charm.
What you referred to when it goes all spacey when you accidently held the foot switch is enabling tap tempo mode. Pressing it then pressing it again when nothing seemed to happen actually gave you a long delay tempo. To improve your delay sync as per song tempo, use that function often.
Aside from the tone button high/low voice pitch feature, new firmware also separated the Delay and Reverb if you need, where Delay is always on, and Reverb only activates when you want it to. A great pedal high on my list in addition to analog mixer FX for the backup vocals universally (only this pedal for lead singer. No mixer FX given to that mic input usually). A setup like that can give backup vocals enhancements and leave the Mic Mechanic 2 to keep the clarity of the lead singer. There is a distinct difference between lead and backup then. Not much use for the Harmony Singer in this setup scenario, as that is more of a solo singer/guitar/instrument/note/chord pedal. Mic Mechanic 2 is a very handy tool. When it comes to adding effects globally in the FX loop on a mixer with no on-board FX, a Zoom MS-70CDR pedal is the best budget option with broad effect selections and tweaking. Only if the mixer has aux send, or FX send though, then return anywhere, or as the mixer accommodates. Ease of setup and usability is all considerations toward budget allocated.
Thanks for your input. This is a cool pedal, for sure. I've also used it just for the compressor (tone function) turning the effects down and using my sound board effects. That's not a bad method either.
@jasonstallworth Absolutely, just the compressor alone has value with mixer board effects... agree.
I’m not exactly the best singer or any singer at all but this seems like something that would help me sound better when I do make my attempt sen singing. Very good demonstration!
Dude, it's a great pedal. And I encourage to sing. Start practicing daily along with playing...you'll be surprised how quick you make progress.
This is a common misunderstanding. It won't work if your not a good singer. It'll only enhance your flaws and flats. They'll be even more audible.
These pedals actually work really good for that. The flamma has another good one. I was hoping he explained the correction feature but this video is a fail.
Exactly. This is why I do not recommend using the pitch correction or any type of correction on vocals, ever.
I do not recommend using pitch correction. This can hurt you in the long run and make you think you're singing in key when you're not. I explained this reasoning clearly in the video.
In regards to being a 'fail' (in your opinion), this was not a typical product review. You can go to the manufacturer's site of any product and see how all of the features work.
Rather, I'm simply sharing how I use the product. Which, again, I clearly explained in the video.
Yes Jason I'm inclined to fully agree with you and you did tell me this 2 months ago, so yes it's been on my mind since, like I said I already have the tc helicon voice tone and one time I recorded a song and listening back to it in the car happy out listening to my masterpiece, then when I went into harmony it completely annoyed me listening to it, so then I said if thats how it sounds here in the car, what's it like going through the FOH,
So first chance I got I took the TC helicon harmony G off the pedal board, but lately I keep seeing you tube videos on the Harmony Singer, and I said if I'm to believe anyone here it's you Jason, your just like me a oneman band that wants things to work and do what their supposed to with as little tweaking knobs and Messi g about with setting etc, plug and play, I even only lately purchased the Lexicon MPX 500 rack unit and also over the last few days bought a Lexicon MX 200 supposed to be brilliant and user friendly as was the Mpx500 which is a total nightmare so both are just lying idle,
Impulse buying that's my problem 🤣 but honestly the mic mechanic 2 is an amazing unit, it took me a while to like the magic tone button, but it was said to me the sound was night and day and to leave the tone button on, so finally your quite content with just your mic mechanic 2, but do you still use a little reverb from your desk or not, I think your just after saving me splashing out over €250 🙈 thank you Jason
Yeah I just never liked the sound of those…nothing can replaces as actual person harmonizing.
Jason believe it or not, I turned up at my venue at 11:30am Friday morning just to avoid a few early morning Paddy's day parades and to ensure I would get good parking for my Van set up and sound check and everything ready prior to crowds, anyway i will be totally and completely honest here, I entertained from 4pm to 1am Saturday morning and was I hoarse after all that singing? no, why you may ask, its all because of the Mic Mechanic 2 pedal, the tone the clarity man even the delay it performed amazingly well I could hear everything so clearly, and the sound check at the beginning
I simply plugged in my mic and lead out to desk, my settings remained same as I did at home no timing of delay for every song and honestly, some songs ok I did move to 1-0-clock digital delay and back again to between tape and digital, with reverb I kept at the 9 position and used reverb also from the desk, seriously though this peadal I will never perform without it again, as for harmony, I used before but sounds so fake on stage, let your harmony be your wife, but on your own, stay to the mic mechanic 2, I just add a little bit of extra personal knowledge for you on my part, maybe you already know, but I also use the Nux floor stageman on my acoustic and this thing sounds amazing, I had my electric Tele and strat set up also yesterday but not picked up once in the whole 8 to 9 hours I sang, thanks to you my sound has changed for the better, simplicity that's the key to all issues with sound and especially vocals with the Mic mechanic 2, I have seen a you tube video where a guy says do not buy and if you want this pedal go get the first version with the mic control knob at the side, no no no as you said Jason the lads have got it right 2nd time round with Mic Mechanic 2 and what will they come up with on version 3, will they put more into this pedal, do it need it, you sold it well, you tell it as it is, and deserve a massive thank you from me, I will certainly keep you on top of the youtube I subscribe to, peace 👍🍀
Dude, thank you for your comment and sub, and all of the insight here. Yeah, I really love using this pedal. It just makes your vocals stand out but in a smooth way. I'll also have to check out the Nux for acoustic.
This is my current setup for effects: th-cam.com/video/nZ6gWd8vWMs/w-d-xo.html
I'm looking to start a power trio/blues trio with some friends. Wanting to get this to make sure mic sounds okay and the idea of pitch correction probably makes me feel a little more confident on the vocal aspect. But I with it had an FX loop for guitar FX. To add some distortion if or a high level of delay.
I don't use the pitch correction but the feature is there and can certainly help. I think this pedal would be great for a power trio
Those Pedal effects sound good Jason I don't know how to sing but I'd try those out 🆒🆒👍👍
They’re great for playing live shows, whether solo or with a full band. I encourage everyone to get out there and play in front of folks, even if it’s just a small crowd or an open mic.
@@jasonstallworth Yeah I need to do that I've done a few live performances before
@@BUTT-HEAD666 it’s time for you to get back out there, man. The seed is planted!
I love this pedal, can’t stand dry vocals. It really does make the vocals sound bigger. Of course, like any effect pedal, you have to learn how to use it properly. Sometimes more is more and sometimes less is more. 😉👍
Yeah dry vocals just don’t sound good live, no matter how great someone’s voice is! These pedals with a touch of reverb sound great
Have you tried using both pedals in series? Slap delay together with digi with longer delay time. Tone button activated on the first pedal would be the best I suppose.
Never tried that. I have two because my wife sings with me sometimes. I don't get too fancy with effects, in general. I mainly like the compressor (tone button) and like the way their reverb and a little delay sound.
They have tons of these little pedals, as well as the Voicelive 3 Extreme (which I would love to get at some point).
Im the vocalist for a melodeath band out of Illinois called Feed the Grave and I keep wanting to get a small multieffect or a couple pedals to give me some options for my vocals. Compression, delay, distortion/saturation. nothing super crazy. Have you used any of their other mic pedals? Seems like a lot of people like this one just for that Tone button, so it may be worth getting just for that, though I am not sure how it will react to growls and screams
I had the VoiceLive but it was a bit too complex for me. For my case, I just wanted something simple with a little reverb and delay and be able to turn off effects between songs to talk to the audience.
Some cool sounds from this. Obviously don't rely on the pitch correction, it actually sounds kind of cool as an effect in itself. Just be careful of feedback in live settings when cranking the volume. If the pedal gain (on the side) is at noon or higher, leaves the mic extra hot.
Yeah, this pedal actually sounds great with no effects just using the tone option. I don't use pitch correction at all...that stays at 0. Just some reverb and a little delay.
@@jasonstallworth have you encountered the crazy feedback? I play with another guitarist, and when we crank, regardless of mic and speaker position , it can become an issue. Ty
@@maziheydary6215 I’ve never had any issues at all like that. BUT I guess the part that’s irritates me is the few times when I clicked too many times or held it down trying to reset everything. Ugh…I really need to get the USB cable so reset it! My delay is crazy on one of them (I have 2, for me and my wife). And that one also has the reverb stuck on all the time, even when I click the pedal off.
Yesterday I just bought a new old stock Boss VE-20.
This Boss unit is an old model series,
Have you ever tried this Boss unit?
Seems to be user friendly so far with lots of effects and profiles.
It’s another step forward to where I’m going.
I've never used any Boss effects for vocals. I did buy the TC Helicon VoiceLive, which is their premium vocal effects pedal with all kinds of options. And I should have included that in the video but I was a bit overwhelmed by that so I sold it and got this pedal. For me, the less I have to worry about on stage, the better!
Hi Jason I use this pedal long ago and yes, is a wonderful tool to add on live performances, what it course me problem still is the side knobs / button how is your best set on those?, Cheers Metal & beers
I believe I have a newer version as there is no side button, just an on/off switch.
I do wish there were a reset button on the pedal though, so you wouldn’t have to connect it to a computer
Nice!
🤘
Jason your video was fabulous
I purchased the l1 pro 16 but I am missing the delay
Thank you for this
Would you let me know if this will work good with the Bose pro 16 ?
Dude, to be honest, I have not been using these pedals for about over a month now. I love them but I wanted to simplify my setup and now I'm just using the compression and reverb on soundboard, Mackie Profx10v3, which suffices.
But this should sound great with the Bose (I recently got the Electro-Voice 50M and love that thing!). And even though their built-in channels and effects sound good, I still connect my soundboard. Just like the feel of the knobs a little better than using the app or the digital interface
I'd be interested if you could turn on and off different parts of the pedal, I'd like to kick on and off the delay while keeping the tone on.
Yes and no. In your case, yes. The tone button has to be pressed by hand. The foot switch only turns on/off the effects. So this is actually a good thing. You have that constant tone quality when singing and speaking when you turn off the effects.
Hello again, I want to just say to you I did every gig since with the Mic Mechanic 2 and everything you say about this device is absolutely spot on, now today I have been thinking of adding to my vocal chain and purchasing the Harmony Singer, but my fear is can this be used with the mic mechanic 2, both connecting up together with the one XLR back to the desk,
what's throwing me here is MM2 has reverb and the HS has reverb and then you also have reverb on your desk🤔
I really don't want to clutter up the vocals, as the saying goes less is more, I'm in two minds here on buying the harmony singer, I would love to read what you have to say here, the desk I'm using now is the Allen & Heath FX 12 , this it'self has nice effects and sound wise it's a fabulous desk for live sound, the mic I'm now using is Shenniser E945, a sound engineer swears by this, belive me I have gone through so many mics yo find the right one, and I have finally settled on this one, I'm a baritone/tenor and this mic rocks but behind it all the making of the vocals on stage is Mic mechanic 2, so by adding the harmony singer do you think I will end up fecking up my vocals, I have the tc helicon voicetone harmony G for years but it's sitting in the studio as an ornament right now, I think the harmony here is a bit fake sounding, whereas years on I'm sure TC helicon has corrected this with the harmony singer, yeah what's your thoughts, any Info very much appreciated, hope the gigging is going super well for you since👍⭐
I'm personally not a fan of the harmonizers. I know many friends that play out and use them but I just don't care for the way they sound. And I like to keep things simple. A good compressor, delay, and reverb does it for me...and the Mic Mechanic has all of that.
from what I've read online, The noise floor would be reduced by using an XLR to 1/4" balanced connector going to the Scarlett because the TCMM2 outputs a line level signal.
but my question to you is how does it perform when using an SM7B? does the TCMM2 have enough auto-gain for proper gain staging with the Scarlett?
stay healthy and cheers from the Philippines!
I haven't tried that mic. And honestly I stopped using these pedals. They're great, but I now just use the reverb and compression on my soundboard for my live shows - one less thing to connect and carry
09/30/23: Jason, I enjoy your videos and as a signer/songwriter you have given me a few tips. I purchased the Mic Mechanic 2 and use it with my Fishman Performer. The first thing I noticed the gain on my Fishman for vocals has to be turned up very high in order to get any sound out of the unit. I works quite well and I set the Tone button to on. I am at 3/4 on the Master Volume and 3/4 on the Gain. Does yours do the same thing? I am going to call TC-Helicon on Monday to see if they have any ideas as to why it takes so much amp power.
Glad this helped. I have only used mine direct through the soundboard. And I have never noticed any difference in volume with or without the pedal.
When using with anything else, like your Fishman, and you probably already do this, but make sure your mic is going through the Mic Mechanic and MM into the Fishman.
I actually haven't used the Mic Mechanic in several months and have been just using my soundboard's compression and reverb for vocals (Mackie ProFx10v3). I still think it's a great pedal but I just wanted to cut down on the gear I bring.
@@jasonstallworth Mr. Stallworth thank you for taking the time to reply. Unfortunately you can't talk to anyone on the phone these days. You know, COVID, LOL. But I did write to them and hope to hear back from them soon.
@@jasonstallworth Also, that's why I bought the Fishman to reduce the gear I carry as well.
hi Jason thanks for the great review! Have You used it through your EV 50 ??
Yes and it sounds great. But I actually haven’t been using this pedal lately and have been using the reverb and compression on my Mackie ProFX board (I like the preamps a little better in that so I’ve been running that through one channel of the EV 50M, and one less pedal to setup…but I am planning to use the Mic Mechanic for a metal show I have coming up!)
thanks for responding I will check out the Mackie. I hope You will share some clips from the metal show.@@jasonstallworth
Yes I would agree with your logic there ie MIC mechanic TC HELICN is a Great vocal Effects for A Solo singer Entertaner it's the must have sound Effects pedal to have in your gig bag Especially when you need to perform the Johnny cash songs
This TC HELICON MIC 🎤 MECHANIC Has a Great Slap Back ReverB Vintage sound like in the classic sun studio records.
also brilliant for doing Classic
19 50
Elvis Presley And Roy Orbison
I have seen the uther TC HELICON sound Effects pedals
They do for professional vocalist but more Expensive sound Effects pedal for the Professional Singers On stage
But I am like you very happy with this terminology IE MIC MECHANIC its got just what you need I Do like all the uther Great sound Effects and you only get just 8 to choose for that's a nuf Less is better
In my understanding it even makes my MIC A lot more Yeah, louder when attached to the Bose s pro system for Street busking. When battery operated. It will even work a condenser, Mike too. Best results are using Beta 58.
God bless thanks for your video I found it very interesting And very helpful, too. You can find my Johnny cash songs on Thejamesmurray TH-cam channel
Or
Tuxedo Johnny cash God bless you dear brother 🙏 in Christ Jesus all the best 👍
🤘
Jason have you messed with any of the tc helicon voicelive play pedals? The play acoustic + switch 3 is all I use for my gigs
Man, I owned a VoiceLive for a short time and ended up selling it and getting this. I just didn't have the patience to sit down and try to figure it out. But my buddy who I sold it to loves it
@@jasonstallworth it’s worth it once you can get your own settings dialed in! Has basically all the tc pedals built in, like the exact same sounds. But I understand wanting the simplicity of the individual ones as well
Hi love your review of this pedal and well you demo it, I'm a oneman band singing and playing to backing tracks, I did have big bands under my wing a few years ago, but honestly I have to admit there's a lot to be said for Oneman and duo, less grief and tying to bring in the big bucks and keep everyone happy, notice I just said everyone, why can't I be happy, but honestly now I am finally, and my desk is the old Dynacord cms 1000 and my effects are the famous 5 /55 setting, ok grand not bad but I know I can do much much better, I recently bought the Lexicon rack processor MPX 500 effects unit, set up sang and tweaking this and that and you guessed it, drove me demented, switched back to my onboard 5/55 delay and reverb,, also before landing here I thought about tc voice live and honestly this is just a gimmick a toy, endless tweaking and fumbling around all night on stage with knobs, nothing more annoying,
something simple that gets the job done but has to be so much better than the 5 /55 setting on the Dynacord cms desk of 15 to 20 years old now, my music is completely mixed, from garth Brooks to the boss, killers, Bryan Adams, dire straits, Johnny cash, radiohead, yeah anything goes, so I want to be able to concentrate on performance, without having to feck around with settings, is this the pedal for me, is this the answer, I read somewhere too you can also buy the harmony singer, I'm just so caught up with effects now with bring afraid to spend and having to return to store again, love your show too by the way, sounds awesome!
There's a lot to be said about solo gigging and you don't have to split your pay with anyone (and yes, far less drama). I'm like you and don't care for all the tweaking.
I have a recent video playing at the Florida State Fair where I used one of those portable column PA systems for the first time: th-cam.com/video/7i6DOxD1AlU/w-d-xo.html
Hey Jason, I sing in a classic rock cover band and we do everything from Elvis to Nirvana. I've only recently joined and don't have much experience. I'm considering this pedal and wonder if you think it will work in such a variety of songs.
Yes, this pedal isn't specific to any style or genre. It just gives your vocals that extra punch and clarity with some really nice effects
Hey man great video. I’m considering getting the Bose L1 Pro 8 knowing very little about how to hook stuff up other than the fact that I do have one paddle on my guitar amp Will there be any problems with me hooking this up to the Bose? I love that stack design of the L1 but I’m a little bit paranoid because they have a jack specifically for their mixing board and I’m concerned about what will work and what will not work?
I think any pedals should work with the Bose system as I believe they have the usual XLR and instrument inputs. And if you get their external mixing board, it has the same. I'm considering getting the Bose so if I do, I'll definitely have a video on that!
My friend Andres has a good video on it here: th-cam.com/video/jmXfUQeVBFQ/w-d-xo.html
Hi Jason, greetings from the uk 🇬🇧 great video! I have this pedal, I seem to have programmed it inadvertently to be intermittent, do you know how I would re-set it? First video I’ve seen which has given me hope - many thanks
Hi Claire, for that, I believe you need that USB cable to connect the pedal to your computer and use their software to upgrade and you can also reset it to the factory settings. I actually need to do this! For some weird reason, I can't seem to get my delay timing back to where it was and my reverb is now also staying on when I click the pedal off!
But I believe doing the reset with the cable will solve these issues (kind of a pain).
@@jasonstallworth Greetings! Thank you for your advice, it worked, normal service can resume !
When you connect the output of the mic mechanic to your mixer, do you use mic level or line level?
Nice review by the way! 🙂
I just use XLR mic input just as I would connecting the mic directly to that channel
@@jasonstallworth Thank you. First I thought the output of the mic mechanic would be on line level, guess I was wrong.
Hello Jason, do you turn-off/bypass the built-in effects on your board when using the Mic Mechanic2?
Nice review by the way!
I have an effects level on the Mackie ProFx soundboard and I just have it all the way down on the channels I use this on
@@jasonstallworth Makes sense. Thanks.
Nice review, do you found this pedal to be noisy? I've read different opinions some say it is, some say its not.
I’ve heard me another person mention this but believe they found it was either a bad cable or power source. I’ve never had such issues
Hi again I know I knocked the Harmony pedals, but being honest I'm contemplating buying the harmony singer 1 or 2 after watching a few TH-cam videos, well thats where it all starts, but what's throwing me is the reverb function, I mean like you already have this on mic mechanic, and now the harmony singer has it too,
Im still singing away with just mic mechanic 2 and absolutely loving it, but now I would love if you had a video clip review on more products from tc hellicon,
Harrmony 2 linked to mic mechanic, is it the way to go or just stay with mic mechanic 2 only. I'm never happy am I, 🤔🤣
I've only used the Mic Mechanic. I did have their VoiceLive but it seemed too complicated so I parted ways with it and got this.
And I just wanted it for reverb and a little delay. I don't care for the sound of those harmony pedals. And I like to keep things simple on stage. I don't want too many buttons to click.
I'm focused more on getting better with my voice, which singing was not a natural thing for me and still have a long way to go!
Is this enough, or do you have any other more complete multieffects to recommend for live performance? thanks!
Dude i actually haven’t used this pedal the past several months (just been using the compressor and reverb on my soundboard, Mackie Profx).
But this pedal is plenty. You don’t need anything else other than adjusting the EQ on that channel.
BTW, here’s my latest setup: th-cam.com/video/8ljF5v5Pcp8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=5PptWWVt5TIsj-gd
@@jasonstallworth thank you!
Hey big man, did u manage to get ur delay settings back to factory settings after accidentally using tap delay?
Yes, I ordered the cable to connect the my computer and reset it. I also now know how to use the tap delay (which I don't use). This is the one flaw I see. I wish the delay was just a simple delay or have an easy way to switch it back to factory.
Tnx Jason for reviewing! question : is the auto gain steady? if you take a break and start singing again,does the volume stay at the same level
Yeah, I've found that it's still! This pedal has really changed things for me on stage. My only gripe is if you accidentally hold down the button the delay and reverb settings change and it's difficult to know where all of that is without connecting the pedal to a computer and resetting it. I wish there were a reset button on there, or even better, I wish that addition option wasn't there. I prefer to keep things as simple as possible, especially on stage! But the pedal sounds amazing!
How do you connect to computer to reset please ?
@@jasonstallworth How do you connect to computer to reset please ? That might help me with my feedback problem were I can control the amount of echoes with delay ?
Hello J.S., like your sympathic way of presentartion on YT. I wonder, if you dont have any problems with the "auto gaim" changing volume constantly if you play with backtracks, band, or your wife singing, when your silent.? Reg. f. Germany
I don't typically us any auto-gain other than adding a little compression to my voice. I actually stopped using these pedals a while ago. I still think they're amazing but I just wanted to simplify my setup. Here's a more recent video of my setup: th-cam.com/video/8ljF5v5Pcp8/w-d-xo.html
@@jasonstallworth thx, the micemechanic2 includes always autogain, which causes me problems. I checked your new Video at jerrys. Great! Love the EV, played it . I use the German version HK Audio in stereo, for i play with backtracks. Nice Sound, Location, & Jason
Hi Jason, I have the Mic Mechanic and I use it with the TC Helicon D1. I've just bought a TC Helicon Harmony Singer do you know where this fits? I know TC say the Mechanic is first then the D1 but do I add the Harmony afterwards? Any ideas. By the way I like your clear explanations, thank you. Brian London, England
Man, I'm not sure about that. I really try to keep my live setup as simple as possible and this only pedal I use for vocals. If you're wanting to add other effects and harmonies, I'd recommend looking into their VoiceLive product. That will give you access to everything in one pedal.
@@jasonstallworth Thanks Jason, I've never managed to use the D1 without it emitting a terrible hum. I used to minimize this using the graphic eq on the p.a. However, I was using a simpler set up today and the hum from the D1 was intolerable so I've decided to just use the Harmony Singer 2 by itself and abandon the Mic Mechanic and D1. If used subtly the HS2 can fatten up one's vocals and it's got reverb as does the Mic Mechanic. And it's worth noting that the simpler the set up the less there is to go wrong.
I've gotta check that out!
Hi Jason, which vocal effects do you like better between this TC Helicon pedal and the Evolve 50M? I have an evolve 30M but I don't really like the vocal effects like reverb, I'm thinking of adding a mixer
I’m actually with you…on don’t care for the effects for vocals on the Evolve 50M. If it’s all I had, I’d be okay but continued using the Mic Mechanic for vocals going through the 50M.
Lately, I’ve just been running my Mackie ProFX 10v3 through one of the Evolve channels and using the reverb and compressor on the soundboard. Just trying to reduce the amount of cables and setup time. And I like the soundboard because I like the knobs as opposed to using the app for my mixer. It all works together quite well!
Thanks Jason, I'll be back with an update after St Patrick's day,
and I'll make sure to switch off the effects before talking lol, I'm sure your flat to the mat for Patrick's day also, heres your first piece of shamrock 🍀 enjoy the celebration, don't forget Danny boy and the Irish rover 😉
🙏 🤘
can the original mic mechanic 1 still be updated?
If I could sing and play I would get this pedal, but I haven't mastered that yet LOL. Does the pedal also amplify? When I record with my Shure SM58 I have to have a pre-amp before the focusrite to bring it up to a decent level to record.
I've never used it in the studio and would stick to plugins for effects in the studio (otherwise you're stuck with those effects if using hardware). But I run this pedal direct to the soundboard and use the Shure Beta 58A mics and also have the SM58 for a backup. The caveat is the board is setup for mics, though.
Yes it preamps.
Hey there. So I do voiceovers (no singing) for my videos, but my voice is a bit nasal and sibilant. Could I use this to de-ess my voice and maybe give it a bit more presence? Many thanks, Jason.
This pedal could work but for voice overs, I’d recommend finding a plugin to use for your DAW when recording. This way you can make any appropriate changes after the fact.
@@jasonstallworth thanks man. I actually do have a de-esser plugin and it’s ok, but I’d rather process the signal manually before it hits the daw. Set and forget if that makes sense. The less post editing the better (plus I like shiny new machines :) lol ).
Hi Jason and thanks a lot for the video. Just one thing: can I increase or decrease the amount of the effect/s I need? I mean, let's say I set the pedal on room reverb. Now I want just a little more of that. Can I get some more by turning the knob a little bit up, like halfway room and club? If so, is it the same if I want less of that? Thank you 🙂
Yes, you can increase the amount of reverb just by turning the knob that way. That part s fairly simple. The delay works the same. And you can also set a tap delay by holding down the button; however, that's gotta kind of confusing for me!
@@jasonstallworth thank you Jason. Cool! Yeah tap-tempo is not for me either. Just keep it simple 😁 One thing: can I run a guitar overdrive pedal into the Mic Mechanic? I'd like to get some kind of a "distorted/saturated" vocal tone like this: th-cam.com/video/qsQ1846zhbY/w-d-xo.html
Thank you ☺️
Why do you need/ use TWO of these pedals at same time? (as you mentioned)? Thanks.
@@h.markhorton8188 I mentioned in the video that one is for me and one for my wife as she sings a few songs with me
@@andreamarcellini230 I guess you could do that. I’d rather hear someone use their natural distorted voice though but that’s just me. Sometimes the overuse of effects can take away from your voice. Just my opinion
Check out the flamma top reverb
I'd like to have the reverb and delay in one, which I got this pedal
Can you use ONE pedal with two or more mics with a “Y” adapter or using your mixer instead of one pedal per mic?
I'm sure you could, though I've never tried that. I guess you'd have to have the Y adapter for both input and output
Hi. Please can you help me. Just trying my mic mechanic for the first time out of the box. When connected to my amp (Maui 5). I get a loud buzz. When I adjust mic volume and amp volume to not hear the sound - the mic is not loud enough. Please any ideas what my problem is. Many Thanks Susan
Susan, I'm not sure about that as I'm not familiar with that system. I have used with with similar systems (used it with the EV Evolve at a gig a couple of months ago with no issues). All I can think of is there may be a setting on the channel you're running it into that you need to mess around with.
@@jasonstallworth Thank you for your reply. All the best.
People assume the pitch corrector is going to help them on a bad night or get them out of having to practice. And it’s actually the opposite. The pitch corrector can make a good performance better or a bad performance atrocious. If you’re having a bad night where you can’t hear yourself or can’t find your pitch, the corrector makes things more difficult because the note coming out of the monitor is different from what you’re singing. You know you’re off but you’re disoriented and don’t know if your sharp or flat. You’re chasing it and it’s chasing you and it’s all warped and warbling. That said, if you sing well, it gives a nice subtle studio polish. For anybody who wants to experiment with it, I recommend starting the show with the effect off, get oriented and find you voice and pitch without it, and then gradually dial it in.
That’s a great way to look at it as well. I actually haven’t been using this lately and just running direct through my soundboard using that compression with a little reverb. One less cable and power source to bother with
I’m having problems controlling the amount of repeats on delay, any tips to help, also its less than a year old so can I send back to Helicon ?
Dude you'd have to reach out to TC Helicon or the place you bought it. That's my only gripe about this pedal and I really wish it was simplified.
Two things you can do: buy the USB cable (Sweetwater has it) and I believe just following the instructions to download the latest upgrade will put your pedal back to factory settings
Or you could hold the button down and tap the delay you want. That's a little tricky but it can work
@@jasonstallworth Thanxs Jason, i’ll try both, I did Usb to computer but nowt happened but will try again
What cable do you use for the power? I am a newbie to this.
I was actually using this on my pedal board and powering everything with a TruTone 1SPOT. Here's a video showing this: th-cam.com/video/nZ6gWd8vWMs/w-d-xo.html
The press and hold function of the main chrome switch (the feature you don't like) is actually a very important feature. Without it you wouldn't be able to adjust the "pause" or length of delay or echo on your vocals. Press and hold the switch down until the light blinks, then simply tap the chrome switch in time to the delay you want - a short time between repeats or a long time. After that I just leave the setting alone as I like that little bit of short echo on my vocals all the time. However, if you turn off the pedal and then power it back up again, the delay setting you saved should still be there. Same holds true for clicking the switch off so the red light is no longer lit up and then clicking it back on. The last setting you set should reappear.
Thank you for this. I actually just learned about this a couple days ago!
Great info . thanks !
Richard, I’m struggling trying to adjust amount of repeats on delay, can you help ? i only want one repeat ?
@@darrenmitchell1744 Hi Darren. I like a short # of repeats as well, like one, or two at the most. I just spent a half hour fiddling with the unit just now and reading the online manual, and unfortunately the shortest # of repeats it seems to be capable of is two (after the original vocal note). The last repeat is quieter than the previous one and almost a "ghost" note, and would be buried in a live band setting. But if you're just playing acoustic or recording, yeah, I can see it being a bit frustrating. I usually set the echo knob on my Mic Mechanic pointing just at the letter "E" in the word "Tape". That seems to give the least amount of repeats as possible, and still get a decent echo effect. I also tried adjusting the feedback parameter which controls how many repeats there are, and on the lowest setting, it's still exactly the same - the lowest # of repeats is two (after the original vocal note), with the final one only being slightly audible. No different than just setting the echo knob where I mentioned above. Here's the link for the user's manual, and go to the bottom of the page titled "Operation" and look for the headline "Adjusting Echo Feedback" : www.zikinf.com/manuels/tc-helicon-mic-mechanic-2-manuel-utilisateur-en-74710.pdf
@@richardkay2000 Thanks so much Richard, someone mentioned software update and connect via usb to reset any ideas or links for this, also have you ever tried tap delay ?
It's a good bit of gear, but if you're using a desk with FX, as I do, you probably won't need it. Having said that, it does add a little 'zip' to your vocal channel. Just don't double-up on the FX -- the reverb comes from the desk or the MM, not both.
I'm with you...and I only used these for live performances. No need to use them with a DAW - you have plenty of plugins for that.
Great video! I think that that pedal is discontinued 😥
Yeah, I believe they're out of production now. Hopefully they'll bring it back
I can’t find this version anywhere in Canada.
Dude I think these may be out of production, at least for now. There are some other great vocal pedals out there though
Hi can anyone tell me how to set up a tc helicon fx pedal with a cordless microphone please. I am a newbie and not sure about receivers etc. I wanna be able to dance around stage without all the wires. Thank you so much
You should be able to just plug in the wireless into the input of the pedal.
is this fine with a condensor mic/phantom power?
I just use it with dynamic mics, live. Never tried it with a condenser mic
It has a white noise when i plug it on shure sm7b to my motu ml5, so i detached it. I only like the echo and theres no way bypass the compressor/eq.
I believe if you click the 'tone' button off that bypasses it but I could be wrong
Mic Mechanic 3 coming? I picture a duel pedal . Mic types or something 👋
I'd like to see that. It would be cool to plug two mics into it
What is the difference from Voice Tone r1? Which is the higher model?
I'm not familiar with that specific model but you can do a compare on Sweetwater's site
You are awesome dude!
🙏 🤘
Hi is this any good for a singer in a band please
I have a friend who uses this pedal with his band and he loves it
I need something to emulate that robotic autotune sound for a hip hop artist. Will this pedal help me achieve that sound?
I don't use the pitch correction on this but I don't think this would be the right pedal for that. I'm sure there are other effects pedals specifically made for that.
This pedal won’t produce that effect. You should look into the C1 Hardtune And Correction pedal or Voice Live series. They call their robotic correction “hardtune”, so you want to make sure whatever you get includes that.
Do you need an instrument for these to correct your voice?
I don’t know much about how the pitch correction works. I don’t use it. I got he pedal for the compression and reverb. It sounds phenomenal for that
@@jasonstallworth ok thanks. Love your vids 💪🏼
Do you also use the TC Helicon 2 Harmonizer?
I don't. I never liked the way harmonizers sounded. I have friends that play out for a living and they use them. I just don't care for them. I'm actually not using these pedals much anymore. My goal has been to simplify my setup so I've been using the reverb on my Mackie soundboard for vocals
Could I hook this up to a ion Bluetooth speaker? I sing karaoke into it but I want effects
You can connect it to anything as long as that device has the relevant input
@@jasonstallworth thank you
Sorry for delay, but firstly this Mic Mechanic 2 pedal, I went and bought it, not using till Friday St Patrick's Day, but at home I ran it up and out of the box your right, this is a good sounding pedal, and is by far much better sounding than the Dynacord 5/55 setting,
the effects from the mic mechanic especially the delay works really well,
the reverb I don't know, not really sure about, can the Reverb on this be edited, right now my setting is delay in the 12 o'clock position and the reverb I just have at 9 o'clock position, and pitch off and tone I'm trying to decide with tone on or off, read the manual, what that lol,
But yes your right we should read the manual,
Oh the link you sent to gig using the EV column array is a great system, what I use is the Rcf935a's and behringer 1500xp 's subs underneath, so I have everything but yes this mic mechanic I'll put to test this Friday and let you know how it goes, updating software, what is the advantage here what do you get with the latest update that's not already on the pedal,
do you think it's an idea to update before I use it live,
As I said the delay actually do sound awesome, I even hear there on your video clips, but the reverb Hmmmm, I don't know perhaps it's just me
I don’t think there’s any need to update the pedal as there haven’t been any updates in a long time.
I really like both the reverb and delay. The goal is to get a good quality sound as well as simplifying the process and this pedal does the trick.
I'm with you man, not a big fan of modern technology, just gimme a knob with 1 to 10 on it instead if hidden, phantom adjustments.
Love keeping things simple!
There is a tap delay ?
I’ve never used it but yes, it has that capability
big respect for not using the pitch correction
🙏🏻🤘
hey Jason, do you have any other tips for vocals? i bought a mic mechanic 2 and still am not satisfied with my vocal sound. what am i missing? EQ?
please reply.
thank you so much, big fan.
Matt
I’ve got some vocal tips coming soon! The vocal videos I have on n my channel are more for extreme metal vocals but I plan to have some videos for singing at these types of gigs.
If your mixer has effects, is this still worth it?
It’s not necessary and even the small board that I have has decent compression and effects. This pedal gives me that little extra edge but it’s not a ‘night and day’ difference. There are some smaller venues where I don’t use them (oftentimes less gear is best!)
@@jasonstallworth Thank you so much for your reply! You saved me money!
I just bought one and it makes noise, can you help me ?
Never had those issues so I recommend reaching out to the manufacturer. Before that, go through your connections thoroughly and test your cables and power source.
@@jasonstallworth yes you are right, it was my amplifier
But U cannot here the delay or reverb only in the distance
I hear not just fine but I also don’t overdo it. The effects are just to give your vocals a little more life, if that makes sense
01:24 click here to start the video
Or just kick back and enjoy the video. We’ve gotta get out of that whole instant gratification syndrome
So were you using it or not during your live performance?
Yes (I cover that in the video)