Lastly, it’s always good to check for any reviews citing a flimsy battery compartment. Also be sure to read reviews for the pedal to ensure that the input and output jacks (both input/output ¼” plugs and XLR inputs) are of a high quality. You always want to purchase a pedal with a strong metal casing because of the amount of abuse most pedals undergo through regular use.
This means that you can experiment with the effects on different instruments, something that you can’t do if you purchase a synth with a vocoder included.Īpart from that, you’re going to want to look for the same thing you always look for in a pedal. Essentially anything that is amplified with a cable can be used with a pedal-based vocoder, including keyboards. The best thing about a pedal-based vocoder is that it gives you more flexibility in what instrument you can use. The reason for this is that many musicians who use digital effects that change their tone to the degree that a vocoder does most likely already has a very specific sound in mind. With current technology there really isn’t an objectively better option here, because the ability to transform audio signals while retaining a petite packaging has advanced by leaps in bounds in the last decade.įor effects of this type it’s hard to say just what you should look for.
Luckily for you, this article is going to give you all the information you need to figure out for yourself just how to select the best vocoder for your needs. There’s a variety of different options available at a staggering array of different price points.
A notable example of which would be both Cher and Daft Punk.īecause this effect is relatively underutilized in many genres it can be hard for musicians to find an option that suits their needs well. This effect is used extensively in a wide variety of pop music, both modern and older examples. Though often confused with a talk box, a vocoder is actually a device where you sing into a mic and have the ability to translate the tone of your voice to an instrument, most commonly a keyboard. It’s just the nature of artists, most of us want to be uniquely expressive because derivative work lessens the impact of what we’re trying to say.Īmong effects that you can use to add in (relatively) unique elements to your songs is a vocoder. We’re always looking for new techniques to improve the fidelity and flexibility of the music that they’re able to play, experimenting with different guitars and amps, and of course constantly looking for new effects. As musicians, we are always looking for new ways to explore the possibilities of our art.