Summary:
• Pros: The VoiceLive 3 Extreme brings the core features and layout of the original version into a cooler-looking package, boosts the available memory and supports the use of backing tracks.
• Cons: The benefits over the standard version are limited, and arguably not worth the extra expense.
• Overall: This is a great looper and multi-effects pedal, especially for gigging musicians dependent on vocals. But most of the benefits are offered by the more affordable version anyway.
Compare Prices:
• Amazon: TC Helicon VoiceLive 3 Extreme
• zZounds: TC Helicon VoiceLive 3 Extreme
Full Review
Many companies have a kind of tiered approach to their pedals. Boss doesn’t just offer the RC-300, for example. They put out the RC-3 and RC-30 too, which essentially package the same core features into different-sized units, with some of the capability shaved off as the units get smaller. Digitech’s JamMan Delay vs. the Stereo and the Express XT is another example. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that TC Helicon hasn’t stopped at the standard edition of the VoiceLive 3, their feature-packed vocal effects, guitar effects and looper pedal. The VoiceLive 3 Extreme takes things, well, to the extreme. The pedal looks suspiciously similar to the base version, however. So what’s the difference?
The VoiceLive 3 Extreme’s Déjà vu Design
At first glance, the VoiceLive 3 Extreme looks like the original VoiceLive but with a slightly cooler makeover. The Extreme edition is black where the standard version was silver, and there’s a new tattoo-like decal at the top. The Extreme version offers more than just these cosmetic changes, though. Nevertheless, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s just more of the same.
The core layout of the pedal is identical to the original. There are ten footswitches on the lower portion of the pedal. Six of them are dedicated to the key effects and looping features, and four control things like presets and modes. The top portion is the same too. There are six buttons to the left for accessing the more detailed menus. There’s also an LCD display, four control knobs in the middle, and a control knob, a “Home” button, and two additional buttons to the right.
Connecting the VoiceLive 3 Extreme
All of the ins and outs on the pedal are the same, too. This isn’t a complaint really though because there’s everything you could really need. There are stereo XLR and guitar outputs, MIDI in and out ports, spots for a footswitch and expression pedal, a 3.5 mm auxiliary input, full-size and micro USB ports, and in and thru ports for monitors, along with guitar and mic ins, and a port for the power supply.
Viewed in isolation, this is great. But all of the design elements are the same as on the VoiceLive 3, so the newer pedal doesn’t really have any advantages over the standard version in terms of layout or usability. The footswitches are all well laid out, with lights around the bases so you know which are active and whether you’re currently in the vocal, guitar or looping layer, and you have ample options for connectivity. It’s perfectly designed for live use. And getting to deeper menus and making fine changes is straightforward enough using the upper section. The ethos here seems to be that if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
Familiar Features – For the Most Part
The features on the Extreme also don’t differ that much from those on the standard version. Broadly speaking, the pedal works in “layers,” with a dedicated footswitch to change between controls for vocal effects, guitar effects and the looper. You can store one setup in each layer (so a set of vocal effects and guitar effects, and an associated loop) in a Preset. There are 250 factory presets and room for 250 more of your own.
Extreme Memory
The amount of storage space is one of the biggest differences in the Extreme version. The 4 GB storage space on the original has been quadrupled to 16 GB. This is a big bonus for loop storage, but also for storing and recalling backing tracks. You can import backing tracks from a USB stick and choose to associate one of them with a Preset instead of a loop. Then when you switch to the looper layer the pedal will go into backing track playback mode. This makes it easy to use the VoiceLive 3 Extreme as a jamming companion. It also provides benefits for playing live.
All the Effects You’d Expect
The guitar and vocal effects are the same as on the VoiceLive 3. For vocal effects, you can add delays, reverbs, “doubling” effects to increase your vocal presence, synth-like “vocoder” effects in combination with your guitar playing, harmonies, choir, stutter-y rhythmic effects, transducer effects (e.g. megaphone or overdrive like amplifier effects) and μmod (micro mod), which includes chorus, flangers and general modulation effects. For guitar, you have the option of amp modeling effects, drive, delays, reverbs, compression, wahs, octave shifting, the μmod effects and rhythmic effects.
A nice feature of the effects is that you can combine the vocal and guitar effects in a preset, and the relevant footswitches in each mode light up to let you know what’s active. This is the same when you pull up a preset, so you can see the components that make up the sound of each. Tapping pedals allows you to remove or bring in elements to suit your tastes. Of course you can shape your sound more using the dials and buttons on the upper section, but once you have each component set up how you like it, you can bring them in and out with simple footswitch taps.
Automation of Effects Changes
This is where the backing track features really shine. While you’re playing along to a backing track, you can record the footswitch-presses for the effects. Then, when you replay the track, the VoiceLive 3 Extreme will perform the exact same presses for you. This means that you can set up the backing track of a song you want to play live, go through all the effects changes you want, and then when you replay it, the only thing you have to do is start the track playing and sing or play as usual. If you’re hoping to perform live with the pedal but worry about missing a switch-press, this is an excellent feature.
Lots of Looping Potential
The looper functionality is also the same as that offered by the VoiceLive 3. There are three independent loop tracks in each memory slot, and the ability to play two of them back simultaneously, switching out for the third one whenever you want. It has everything you need on a looper, including an undo/redo function and some automatic assistance if your button-presses aren’t perfectly on time. Overall, the looping section is very useful. You can also associate a loop with a preset to call up the effects you want alongside a song section, for instance.
Does the VoiceLive 3 Extreme Improve on its Predecessor Enough?
Does the VoiceLive 3 Extreme differentiate itself from the standard VoiceLive 3 enough to justify the extra expense though. It’s undeniable that it’s a full-featured pedal with a range of great sounds, a sensible and practical layout and plenty of options for shaping your vocal and guitar effects. If you’re playing live, it boasts all of the benefits of the standard unit, and it’s easily up there with the best looper pedals to use live, alongside options like the JamMan Delay and the Boss RC-505 (another vocalist-focused pedal).
However, the limited improvements over the ordinary version are a bit of a sticking point. The backing track feature is really cool, and it’s great to have additional memory on board the unit. But, realistically, these improvements aren’t Earth-shattering? Memory is cheap these days, so including 16 GB on the standard version wouldn’t have been such a challenge.
Another example of a mediocre upgrade is that the Extreme allows you to record directly onto a USB stick. But the original still has the ability to record in combination with a DAW, using the VoiceLive 3 as an input. It might not be perfect, but you can basically do the same thing anyway. So what does the Extreme really add? One less step between playing it and getting it on a USB stick?
Conclusion
While the VoiceLive 3 Extreme is great for live use and has many cool features, most of these exist on the standard version anyway. Plus, the unique features of the Extreme version don’t really blow you away. Whether it’s worth the extra money is really up to you. For me, I’d need something more substantial to justify the additional expense of the Extreme.
Where to Buy the VoiceLive 3 Extreme
• Amazon: TC Helicon VoiceLive 3 Extreme
• zZounds: TC Helicon VoiceLive 3 Extreme
VoiceLive 3 Extreme Product Video
