[Rmorph]

Muahahahaha To hell with usenet! If you can't get an answer on Gearslutz it wasnt worth asking the question ;-)


To clarify my setup:

I had to do some trial and error through a PA before I was satisfied with what I was getting, but eventually found something that worked with practice room PA and with minimal fuss it worked onstage as well.

Its easy to overestimate the amount of distortion it takes to make the vocal sound a whole different beast... but it's not an electric guitar - a modest touch will work more effectively than shredder settings.

I dial the RAT (IIRC) at distortion: 4, filter: 6 and match the volume to the bypass volume by checking level meter during soundcheck.. If you dont think your vocalist friend has the skill to do this himself them just warn the FOH guy to ride the faders at that point.


Responding to some of the other posts:
Feedback is a concern with any FX you stick on a vocal, simply cos the vocal is the most volatile gain versus frequency source. but its in frequency shaping (more with EQ shaping or modulations than distortion, I found) that the problems start:

Before ending up with the RAT, I had tried drastic EQ shaping, as Mike Caffrey suggested - but whether dialling down the Bass and treble, or dialling up the mids, you end up with the same problem: to keep the level consistent with the primary (unadulterated) vocal level, you are basically adding gain in a specific frequency area, and you really need to drastically shape (10-15dB) to get "grit", which is what I understand you are looking for (as opposed to a simple telephone sound).

Distortion allows you to crush the signal without increasing gain at a specific frequency: that is if the Distortion pedal has a contour dial which can roll off the buzz. The RAT filter control is great for dialling off the problem freqeuncies, as I said: but its much more mellow than some other pedals I have tried. I cant give an opinion on the DS1 but I know that has a tone control. If that works as a HF rolloff then you are set I think.

One thing: make sure it is true bypass (will send a clean signal even if the battery dies). Vocalists tend to be forgetful about battery related stuff :-)

..speaking as one ;-)