Guitar effects and Microphones

[jsetov]

So I've seen a lot of things on using guitar effects with mics, but most aren't that helpful or point me at some expensive product. So i guess my question is this; Have any of you seen any diy solutions or inexpensive products for using your stompboxes with a microphone?

[Beaker]

The problem is that guitar pedals are high impedance, while mics are low impedance ( unless it's a harmonica mic).
If you have a DI box you can run it backwards, or buy a mic impedance converter  - its just a XLR to jack converter plug with a built in transformer.
These are cheap - most are under 20 pounds/Euros/dollars.

[rocket88]

Beaker beat me to it. This is why you may see a lot of singers using the old "bullet" mics from back in the day that sound distorted and such. If you look at some live performances with Mike Patton, Jack White, and Scott Weiland just to name a few you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. This is the same reason I have a small collection of 50's and 60's bullet mics.

There are some pedals made for vocals like the EHX vocoder and voice box.

[motterpaul]

For pedals I think the TC Helicon are the best for mics - you can plug a mic and a guitar into them and it actually reads the notes you are strumming and concocts a vocal harmonies by reading what you are playing.

Mics are low impedance, but it really is not a big deal to boost impedance ($15 transformer) if you want to use effects with a mic - the reasons people don't is this - it adds noise, and most PAs have effects built in these days.

See, most mic cables are long because it helps and they can be - because low impedance is quieter. That being said, one of the first things a mic sees when you plug it into a Neve console, for example, is a transformer that boosts it 20dB, so using transformers on mics is not a big deal. The problems stem from what follows - suffice it to say it is best to use "mic" equipment with mics, and guitar equipment with guitars.

But you can definitely buy mic pedals.

[Beaker]

There is a guy in Bristol here in the UK making mics under the name Wasaphone. The transducers are recycled from old NATO army field telephones, and are housed in either flour/sugar shakers, or artillery shell casings. They sound f'ing amazing and they are cheap!

[jsetov]

Thanks for the help guys! that should give me plenty to chew on for a while!

Also, I checked out Wasaphone and was really impressed. I think i might be sending some money over to the UK in the future. Thanks for that suggestion!

[Marbles]

I tried a lot of ways to do this. Also the afformentioned Bullet mic..
The thing is: If you're rehearsing or performing on a small stage, you will have feedback issues if you use effects with it, very quickly.

Apart from that, since I saw the band 'Crocodiles' use a dd7 for vocals and thought it had to be possible, I tried a normal mic with a converter XLR to jack. Gave me extra noise plus not enough input for the effect. I had very weak delays, the effect was barely audible. So I tried other converters/ transformer plugs to get the output from my effects up to line level, tried an extra preamp in the signal etc.
All I got was noise, headaches, and annoyed friends I jammed with who thought: Oh god, WTF will he try now.

So.. when a band I like (The Black Ryder) was selling their TC Electronics VoiceTone FX pedal, I bought it. Very happy too. It's a breeze to have just one thing giving me all the effects without feedback, special mics, using up delays I could use for guitar (no such thing as too much delay pedals for guitar) . Of course my first thought was: "Pff, the things I want are too extreme and can't possibly be thought of by a company that makes voice effects", but when I moved on from those pretentious thoughts, I discovered it can get pretty wild and then some.

That's just my 2cts....