Review: Zoom V6 Vocal Proc

Pitch and Harmony Effects

The input signal is optimized with a convenient combination of compressor and enhancer (EQ/de-esser) for further processing of the vocal effects. There are 12 different voice effects to choose from: Pitch-Correct, Unison, Octave Up, Octave Down, Child, Deep, Talkbox, Vocoder, Whistle and Robot. With the Adjust knob, you can control a given parameter, which varies according to the effect. Unfortunately, the Vocoder does not allow you to use an external carrier signal or to play the internal carrier via MIDI. The Pitch Correction works either chromatically or in a selectable key. The appropriate key can be controlled with its own slider, because Zoom consistently uses direct access on the V6 and, unlike competing products, does not use menu control. This KEY control is, not without reason, placed exactly between the two sections VOICE and HARMONY. HARMONY adds harmony voices to your voice - adapted to the selected key. With five buttons, you can activate the other voices to add to the root note, which will accompany you vocally in a fifth/sext and a third above and below the sung note. The harmony voices can be added continuously to your voice.

Hall, Delay & Co.

In the EFFECT section, you will find reverb, delay and chorus as well as distortion, telephone effect and beat box. The latter emphasizes transients and makes short tonal sounds more powerful. This is especially useful for beatboxing, i.e. the reproduction of drum grooves with the voice. Basically, only one effect can be selected at a time, so Beat Box cannot be combined with delay or reverb.

As an exception, there is a combination of delay and reverb, a very common configuration for vocal tracks. Like the VOICE section, EFFECT also has an Adjust-knob that adjusts a given parameter of the selected effect. Although the effects are stereo, this can only be enjoyed over headphones, as the V6‘s line output is mono only.

Foot Pedal and Microphone included

The final touch is the large foot pedal with which you can directly modify the formants and thus the vocal characteristics without changing the pitch. This is a novelty in portable vocal effects and allows both subtle and drastic changes in the vocals. You can make your voice more feminine or masculine with a foot movement, but you can also morph your voice towards Mickey Mouse or Darth Vader. Too bad that the pedal cannot be used for other purposes such as vibrato. Also included is a vocal microphone specially tuned for the V6, called SGV-6, which has a hypercardioid polar pattern that precisely targets the singer and blocks out ambient noise. This is practical and completely adequate for stage use.