Vocal HARMONISER - Soft vs Hardware - which one?

Any kind of harmonizer can easily be over done. I have the TC  voiceworks and love it. I can control it with midi signals to turn on and off set key, and just about every other perameter. Still i like to also sing live a track or two for more realism. Plus remember if you use them heavy, it will always be variations of your voice. It starts to sound funny. One setting i like is where it cuts out the lead vocal and anly records the harms! very cool.

Well - now on Polish bidding service caled Allegro, you can buy TC VoiceWorks (not "Plus") for +/- 300$.
But for nowI have to deal with software, so that's the reason I ask you about your advices.

Ofcourse I don't think there will be a problem with using TC Harmony G XT as a insert effect in X1 but maybe you have experience with any software that allows to work the way this stompbox works.

Look at YouTube (search for TC Harmony G XT - 3 and 4th movie), and please, maybe you will figure something out :)

I like the VoiceWorks Plus (TC Helicon) better for adding doubling and harmonies, and it also has some pretty wild presets built-in.  I am a bit mixed on it for auto-correction: it will do the job, but you have to correct the track in pieces unless the song is all in a very simple key without accidentals (chromatics). (I know there is a chromatic mode, but using it causes VW to guess wrong sometimes.)  I think in-the-box is easier for auto-correct: VoiceWorks better for harmonies (controlled by a keyboard or, in my case, by a MIDI control track I program in Sonar).  I also record real harmonies and then use the VoiceWorks to create another set (using minor formant or random pitch changes).

Big caveat: All these devices seem to work better on some voices than on others.  I am not a great singer, but get amazing results with the VoiceWorks.  My wife is a great singer, but the unit does not track her voice well.  Who knows? Maybe my voice is less complex harmonically.

well - I've started from a question - which software harmoniser coud work the way TC does, but the topic is evolving. ;-)

OK - after testing few good or very good mics: Beta 58, AudioTechnica (pro series), finally I've decided to buy ElectroVoice PL80c.
And - it seems that this is the best micrphone for Harmony G XT and Live Touch.
- maybe it has no "brilliant and shine" tops, but it has very warm bottom.
And - in opposite to Beta and AT - I don't have to use any EQ on my mixer. It just sounds great without any correction!
- Beta 58 and AT DOT HAVE bottom at all! Don't believe "pros", who think and say that Shure is microphone for SINGING - it's microphone for SPEAKING.
With Beta and AT - I had problems - in small "setup" - just TC, guitar, mic and mixer - turn up EQ LOW to get rich soud, and your guitar starts to bruuum, or just sounds like a nasty fat something....
With EV PL80c - I don't have such problems. Great dynamics, great separation, no side-effect... you have to try it by yourself.

Back to topic: which SOFTWARE harmoniser and how to use it  to get such great effect as in even cheapest TC hardware?:
- you "give" chords to harmoniser
- you sing as you want
- harmonised voices FOLLOW your voice
- and it sounds natural

Anyone?

@ Kalle - is this realy a problem for you? ;-)

but OK. I can ask - and It'll be RIGHT PLACE:

How to make custom MIDI MAPPING in X1 Pro to controll functions of Antares Harmony Engine?
 

The prices on the Voiceworks+ have just recently dropped to around $350 used on ebay. I picked up a new one from Musicians friend which was b stock. It works flawlessly. If you haven't already picked up something, this would be my recommendation. There are settings which sound like a perfect harmony team behind my vocals, and not just a repeat of my voice. The key to this device is the volume signal coming in. It also has some basic effects i.e. reverb and delay which are a notch better than any plugin under $500.

The integration in Sonar lacks a little but you have the option of either building your own ins file or using their VST integration to operate the unit remotely.

For software I think Melodyne works about the best.  It's not automatic and with the VST version you have to do one voice at a time, but the results can be very good.

Dan

these were funn in their time

http://www.eventide.com/A...ucts/PlugIns/H949.aspx