TC-Helicon has announced the VoiceTone Double, which is a new model in the company’s line of vocal effects pedals.  The pedal allows singers to control vocal effects.  The VoiceTone Double enables performers to produce up to four virtual overdubs of their voice in real time, giving them control of their sound right from the stage.

“Ten effects banks offer a slightly different take on the various natural and effected doubling sounds and include pristine emulations of classic microshift, chorus and detune. The pitch and timing of overdubbed vocals can be customized to be “tight and intimate” or “loose and lively”.

I think this is a great new piece of equipment. I, of course don’t like overproduced albums or live shows, but I think if you were to use this pedal more creatively and not just for a more polished sound, you could produce a lot of cool textures. Also, the fact that the vocalist can control it from the stage themselves is great, because you can change things up on the fly. Although, it seems like if you play guitar and sing, it might be hard, because you will probably already be messing with your own guitar effects.

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As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I am going to be getting some effects pedals probably over the course of a few months as well as a double bass pedal. Now, I just have to decide which ones…I kind of want to try different things and not just get all Boss pedals like most people. For a chorus pedal I’ve been thinking about getting an Electro-Harmonix Nano Clone. It’s sort of like their main chorus pedal, the small clone, but much smaller and compact.

I’m going to be looking into other various pedals as well. I’ll probably post about those here as well.

As many people probably know by now…Nine Inch Nails has self-released, (via the internet) a new 36 track instrumental album. In a fashion similar to Radiohead’s pioneering approach, whereby the band’s website offered users a choice of paying any amount they want for the album, or nothing at all. Nine Inch Nails however, offered the entire album as a $5 download through file-sharing program bit torrent, a $10 2 CD set, 9 free songs from the album or various special edition packages ranging from $75 to $300 for an ultra-deluxe limited edition package.

According to Nine Inch Nails official website, the idea for the album was to just go about an organic writing process. The process was to sort of improvise with a variety of musical instruments, including guitar effects, bass synths, etc…The result isn’t one you’d usually expect from Nine Inch Nails. I’d say it runs the gamut of really cool textures and sounds to something you’d never really want to listen to on a regular basis. Although it should be noted that this sort of thing would’ve never been possible under a major label. So it’s cool to see Trent Reznor branching out and really doing some more weird and unique things musically.

The album also reportedly went on to pull in $1.6 million in the first week alone, as the sales go to direct to the band/Trent Reznor.

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So I’ve finally decided what I’m going to do regarding my choice between getting a double bass pedal or effects. It took me a couple days to come up with this…Buy the effects pedals used, which you can readily find and then buy a double bass pedal new. Now I just have to decide which brand of bass drum pedal.