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Well, let’s talk about the 10 best vocal harmonizer pedals in 2021!
Vocal Harmonizer pedals are great for singers looking to create additional vocal harmonies in their live performances, which are perfectly in tune with the lead vocal.
These vocal harmonizer pedals are suitable for solo singers and bands, where either, there aren’t any backing singers or the other band members cannot sing.
Vocal Harmonizer effects pedals, also known as vocal harmony pedals are widely used by the majority of current music industry artists looking to recreate their studio recording sound, within their live performance.
We realise that singer/musicians can be highly critical about the sound quality of their vocals, particularly for a solo singer, who cannot afford the privilege of hiding behind a lead guitar part. Vocal Effects Pedals give singers that extra vocal edge, adding to the overall live performance.
Therefore, each of the voice harmonizer pedals we have provided, give the ability for the user to make detailed adjustments and tweaks to the overall vocal sound.
Some of the pedals featured, also integrate with the singer’s secondary instrument (guitar, keyboard) to follow the chords played, accounting for key changes.
We have meticulously researched all of the most up-to-date processors to feature within this list, therefore without further ado, here are the best 10 vocal harmonizer pedals in 2021.
Best Vocal Harmonizer Pedals And Vocal Harmony Processors
Boss VE-2 Vocal Harmonist Pedal – Editors Pick!
Main Features/Benefits
- Great sounding (See Demonstration)
- Easy to use
- Integration with Instrument (XLR, 1/4 Jack)
- Auto ‘Harmony’ Key tracking ability
- Battery-Powered
- Can be used without an instrument (Harmony function enabled)
Disadvantages
- Slightly heavier than other
- Not got as many features as other pedals (However, don’t get me wrong, this is an ace vocal harmonizer pedal.
Summary
The Boss VE-2 harmonizer pedal combines the sounds of Boss/Roland VE range, providing a high quality, studio-like vocal sound for your live performance (Take a listen to the demonstration video below).
The Boss VE-2 pedal is highly portable and easily stored, being only 600g in weight and relatively small in size.
Alongside the physical aspects of this pedal, making it a great choice due to its portability, it also has the ability to be used entirely on battery power.
A battery-powered stompbox is especially helpful in the live show environment. Whether or not you are busking on a street corner, or playing a staged show, mains plug sockets can be rare to come by, often being reserved by the excessive amount of pedals used by the lead guitarist and bassist.
Now, let’s get to the vocal harmony pedal’s usability features. There are two main pitch settings to keep harmonies synchronised with your lead vocal.
The pedal naturally listens to the chords that you’re playing with your guitar or keyboard, and it can also be manually set to a specific key. Combining these two features will give you the most reliable results.
However, if you have a song which includes a key change, we advise that you do not input the specific key. The Auto-Harmony function is a great addition to this pedal, as we know full well that technicalities should be left to the side once you hit the stage… That’s the time to give your performance!
Also, take a look at our full Boss VE-2 Review here.
For a real look, please refer to the demonstration video below.
TC Helicon VoiceTone H1 – Vocal Harmony
Main Features/Benefits
- 2 Key controls – Guitar/Instrument or Key/Scale
- Don’t need an instrument to use
- Up to 2 harmony voices at any time
Disadvantages
- No Pitch Correction
- No other vocal effects compared to other pedals
Summary
The VoiceTone H1 is one of the cheapest Vocal Harmonizer Pedals, however just because it’s lower in price doesn’t mean it’s lower in quality. In fact, this pedal gives some great sounding vocal harmonies, as you can hear on the demonstration video below.
The user has access to three turnable knobs, giving the ability to choose the songs musical key for the pedal to use, alongside the precise vocal interval for the backing harmony accompaniment. The final knob controls the volume level of which the accompanying harmonies can be heard, relative to the lead vocals.
The main disadvantage of this pedal, against its competitors, is that it’s still as expensive as other pedals on the market, which have more functions.
Also, considering the price, although it is more than half the price of some harmonizer effects pedals featured here, through paying the extra money, you can get an all-in-one vocal solutions processor which could save you money in the long-run, if you were considering purchasing each vocal effect separately.
For a real look, please refer to the demonstration video below.
Boss VE-20 – Vocal Harmonizer Pedal with 1 Year Free Extended Warranty
Main Features/Benefits
- All-in-one Vocal Solution (Harmonies, Delay, Doubler, Creative Effects, Phantom Power )
- Great solution for someone after a single pedal (less gear to carry) for live shows
- Battery Operated
- Real-time pitch correction
- 38-second (mono) loop recording
Disadvantages
- Been around for nearly 10 years, hardware is slightly outdated
- Doenst automatically detect musical key changes
- Doesnt come with power adapter (purchased additionally) – Boss VE-20 power adapter
Summary
The BOSS VE 20 Vocal Performer is not primarily a vocal harmonizer, it’s essentially an All-in-One vocal stompbox, and being designed and produced by Boss, you know it’s high quality.
Being 1.6kg it’s not the lightest pedal in the world, but it more than makes up for it in its ability to add multiple layers of vocal harmonies, add creative vocal effects such as distortion, strobe and radio effect.
It allows singers to also use real-time pitch-correction, which is highly important, to make sure the vocal harmonies are in tune with the lead vocal.
The BOSS VE 20 provides additional features, being an incredible autotune pedal for vocals. This pitch correction function is highly important, to make sure the vocal harmonies are in tune with the lead vocal.
Also allowing 38 seconds (mono) of looped recording, which is useful for singer-songwriters looking for a creative, innovative way to build up the instrumentation, layer by later to their live song, directly in front of their crowd.
The pedal includes Phantom Power, so it is able to power condenser microphones, such as the Rode NT2A.
For a real look, please refer to the demonstration video below.
TC Helicon Harmony Singer 2
Main Features/Benefits
- All-in-one Vocal Solution (EQ, Compressor, De-Esser, Gate )
- Great solution for someone after a single pedal (less gear to carry) for live shows
- Battery Operated
- Nearest semitone pitch correction
Disadvantages
- Cannot be used without an instrument plugged in, to follow chords.
- Doesn’t include autotune, as other pedals do.
Summary
The TC Helicon Harmony Singer 2 is a harmonizer pedal, devoted entirely for singer/songwriters and singers in bands which is very easy to use. For this pedal’s harmony functions to operate, an instrument must be plugged in so that it can follow the chord progressions.
The Harmony Singer pedal has three main turnable knobs located on the front, ‘Harmony’, ‘Level’ and ‘Reverb’. Harmony refers to the specific pitch interval you wish to set, Level refers to the volume level to which these additional harmonies can be heard, and finally Vocal Reverb.
The Harmony Singer pedal sounds extremely versatile in the way it can be used for different kinds of music, from Metalica & Iron Maiden to The Beach Boys.
The Harmony Singer 2 vocal harmonizer is different from its predecessor in it’s updated hardware and the addition of battery-powered usability. Although, if you’re worried about the batteries running out whilst on-stage, don’t worry!
It does take a 9v power adaptor plug, which is fantastic news for guitar players because it can instantly synchronize with their guitar pedal setup. The pedal has a fully automated sound enhancement function, and overall is very easy to use, as any of the best vocal harmonizer pedals should be!
The vocal harmony pedal has a fully automated sound enhancement function, at the click of a button (Tone).
This includes Equalisation, Compressing, De-Esser and a Noise Gate, all of these brighten up the vocal sound, whilst maintaining a nice level of dynamics to studio polish the live performance.
For a real look, please refer to the demonstration video below. As you can see, the tc helicon vocal harmonizer pedal is particularly impressive.
Zoom V3 Vocal Processor
Main Features/Benefits
- Multi-effects voice processor with 16 voice effects, including harmony, pitch correction, cmpression, reverb, delay and enhance
- The ability to add up to two voices to create 3-part harmonies across a full octave
- Dedicated effect buttons make it easy to switch between effects
- Can fully adjust effect correction level, ranging from mild to powerful effects
- 48V Phantom Power
Disadvantages
- This is not a pedal and needs to be mounted to a mic stand (sold separately), although you can add an optional Foot Switch or Expression Pedal.
- Not fully dedicated to vocal harmonization
- Not as small as some of the other harmonizer pedals, although the ability to run on battery power helps with portability
- Slightly audible background noise (unnoticeable in live performance)
- Need to purchase a foot-switch to use effectively on stage
Summary
The Zoom V3 is a full-featured vocal effects processor, with more than just harmonization capability. The ability to control so many aspects of the effects makes the V3 a versatile component of a vocalist’s performance and recording gear.
The processor is a great solution for someone looking for more than just harmonization. The 16 effects, combined with several ways to control the way each effect sounds, make this a versatile piece of gear for vocalists that are into recording or performing or both.
The device has a range of additional functions, including:
- Five Harmony Selection Options
- Independent Compression, Reverb and Delay Controls
- Built-in Enhancer For Increased Sound Clarity
- XLR Input for Microphones
- 48V Phantom Power Available
- 1/4″ Outputs (back panel)
- Optional Foot Switch or Expression Pedal
The V3 is created by Zoom, which has been dedicated to building musical equipment for 37 years. This longevity and focus on musical equipment has made Zoom a trusted brand used by a variety of people in the music industry.
The V3 has a versatile vocal effect toolset, with a high level of control over each effect, allowing you to shape your voice in many different ways. With
If having a wide range of vocal effects at your fingertips is what you are after, whether it’s for the studio or for the stage, than the V3 deserves your consideration.
For a good idea of what the V3 can do, take a look at the demonstration video below:
Boss VE-8 Acoustic Singer
Main Features/Benefits
- Vocal Effects including EQ, Reverb, Loop, Harmony, Distortion, Octaver, Tuning and Doubling and more
- Great Solution for Singers with Acoustic Guitars, offering effects for both VOX and Acoustic Guitar (Guitar effects include Reverb, Chorus, Resonance, Looping, Phase and more)
- 50 Banks to save effect combinations
Disadvantages
- There are so many settings, it can be slightly overwhelming
Summary
The Boss VE-8 acoustic singer is ideal for the singer/songwriter who is looking for a vocal pedal which has vocal harmonizer effects, amongst others; But also offers the user effects for their acoustic guitar that can be used in synergy with the vocal effects.
This means that you can have all of your vocal and guitar effects tare taken care of in a single unit. This one unit is up there in terms of being the ultimate solution. It has a great balance of price and functionality, which gives you a great value in terms of performance versus the cost.
All of these effect combinations can be saved in up-to 50 banks, so you can easily load.
For a real look, please refer to the demonstration video below.
TC Helicon Perform VK
Main Features/Benefits
- Stand-Mountable vocal harmonizer and effects unit (Harmony, Reverb, Echo, Pitch Correction) & Anti-Feedback button, and Added Tone button to provide Automatic EQ, Compression, Filters.
- 3 bank buttons to assign customisable vocal effect combinations
- 1/4 Inch stereo keyboard input/output and Multi-Track 4-in, 8-out USB audio interface for easy recording, being able to record dry and effect-processed signals simultaneously
- Built-in Room sense microphone to automatically detect pitch for harmonies.
- Footswitch integration for hands-free interface changes
Disadvantages
- Primarily for vocalists who are keyword players (being sat down)
- Only 3 memory banks for saveable presets
Summary
The TC Helicon Perform VK is the ideal vocal processor for pianists and keyboard players, with this device having a range of functionality. TC Helicon has really created an effects pedal that can be used both in live performances and studio recordings, with the sheer quality of internal hardware.
The interface is incredibly easy to use, and the device can be used with a 3 button, or 6 button foot pedal to allow for ease of switching between effects during a performance. If you’re looking for a unit that will get the job done and you don’t have to worry about fumbling around with overly complicated controls, then this will be a great fit for you!
Coming from TC Helicon, we’d expect nothing less than perfect, and this harmonizer pedal delivers an assortment of hundreds of effect combinations, for your choosing! When you’re buying an equipment from TC Helicon you can feel pretty safe that they quality is going to be very high!
For a real look, please refer to the demonstration video below.
TC Helicon – Play Acoustic
Main Features/Benefits
- High Quality, Sturdy Chasse, for the musician who’s taking this thing on the road.
- Room-sense Functionality to detect the music key for pitch correction (key changes)
- Pitch Correction
- Microphone Control Functionality with MP-75/56 and Sennheiser E 835 FX
- Tap Tempo
- Looping (15/30/60 second intervals)
- Vocal effects (Reverb, Delay, Harmony, Doubling, Hardtune)
Summary
The TC Helicon Play Acoustic is the ideal all-in-one effects processor for singer/songwriters who play the acoustic guitar and want an effects pedal which integrates vocals and acoustic guitar.
This device is a premium-grade vocal and guitar processor, and as you can hear from the demonstrations, offers superior sound quality. Just with pretty much any TC Helicon equipment, you can trust that it’s high quality and will last you quite a while.
For a real look, please refer to the demonstration video below.
Zoom v6 vocal processor
Main Features/Benefits
- Multi-effects voice processor with 12 voice effects and10 studio effects
- Formant Shift pedal for adjusting your vocal character in real time
- The ability to add up to two voices to create 3-part harmonies across a full octave
- Includes highly directional sgv-6 shotgun microphone(!)
- Dedicated effect and memory buttons make it easy to switch between effects
- Can fully adjust effect correction level, ranging from mild to powerful effects
- Looper for recording up to 3:30.
- 40 preset patches created by professional vocalists and audio engineers
- 100 memory locations for storing user-created patches
Disadvantages
- Not fully dedicated to vocal harmonization
- Not as small as some of the other harmonizer pedals, although the ability to run on battery power helps with portability
Summary
The Zoom V6 Vocal Processor is a highly customizable and ful-featured pedal for the performing vocalist. Like the Zoom V3, this is the ideal multi-effect vocal processor, of which harmonization is a major component. This processor is for singers who are really serious about wanting to incorporate that studio refined sound within their live performance. The V6 has many options to shape your voice in many different ways, with customization options for voice, harmony and effects that can be applied alone or together.
The processor is a great solution for someone looking for more than just harmonization. 12 voice effects, 10 studio effects, and the ability to add 2 voices to create a 3 part harmony make this a versatile piece of gear for vocalists that are into recording or performing or both.
The device has a range of additional functions, including:
- Built-in compressor for optimizing input signal levels
- Built-in Enhancer for optimizing input signal frequencies via equalization and de-essing
- Runs for 3.5 hours on four AA batteries
- Includes AC adapter
- Five Harmony Selection Options
- Independent Compression, Reverb and Delay Controls
- Built-in Enhancer For Increased Sound Clarity
- XLR Input and Output Available
- 48V Phantom Power Available
- 1/4″ Outputs (back panel)
- Optional Foot Switch or Expression Pedal
The V6 is created by Zoom, which has been dedicated to building musical equipment for 37 years. This longevity and focus on musical equipment has made Zoom a trusted brand used by a variety of people in the music industry.
The V6 has a versatile vocal effect toolset, with a high level of control over each effect, allowing you to shape your voice in many different ways.
If having a wide range of vocal effects at your fingertips is what you are after, whether it’s for the studio or for the stage, than the V6 should be given strong consideration.
For a good idea of what the V6 can do, take a look at the demonstration video below:
TC Helicon VoiceLive 3 Extreme
Main Features/Benefits
- High-quality audio processing
- Automated & reactive gain control, means no clipping
- Roomsense™ technology – Listens to music to guide harmonies and other effects in real-time
- Integration with guitar and other instruments
- Includes guitar-specific effects – (Tuner, Reverb, Delay, Umod, Distortion, Octaver, Rhythmic, Wah Wah, Compressor, EQ, Amp Modelling, Control per preset)
- Onboard effects settings adapt to backing track & BPM
- 100 audio backing track capacity
- Hundreds of downloadable vocal presets, comes with 250 factory presets
- Including Loops, Delays, Reverbs, Doubling, Hardtune, Harmonies, Filtering, Gating, Synth/Vocoder emulation, Transducer, Chorus, Flanger and more
- 4x expanded memory than the former VoiceLive 3 unit – 5 Hours in total (8 Mins per track limit)
- Allows for Audio recording, looping, automation & backing tracks
- 3-year warranty program
Disadvantages
- Rather expensive, but an investment for professional musicians/singers
- Has had some programming issues in the past on specific units, but we think the company has fixed these issues, as TC Helicon have now been acquired by Music Tribe (parent company of Behringer, Bugera, Midas, Turbosound & Klark Teknik) – However, it comes with a 3-year warranty for reassurance, so we advise buying it and testing it during practices for a few weeks before taking it on-stage.
Summary
Overall, we think that the VoiceLive 3 Extreme unit is truly fantastic for singers who are looking for one single unit that they can use for rehearsal, playing live and recording.
The combination of high-quality vocal and guitar processing, real-time effects and automation, and backing tracks make it very attractive for most singer/songwriters.
However, it is one pricey unit! But we like to think about it as a long-term investment, helping not only provide you with more confidence in your performance, but helping improve your overall sound.
It comes with a 3-year warranty, so you can rest assured that any potential technical issues can be resolved quickly and without any expense.
Therefore, if you have the budget to spend, you have nothing to lose, and one fantastic piece of kit which can transform your performance.
For a real look, please refer to the demonstration video below.
Verdict – The best Vocal Harmony pedal
We provide a list of our top 3 recommendations and our rating (out of 100) based on three price ranges – Less than $300 ($), $300-$500 ($$) and over $500 ($$$).
$ – Best harmonizer pedal under $300: Boss VE-2 Vocal Harmonist (Check Current Price). Our Rating – 95.
$$ – Best harmonizer pedal $300-$500: Zoom V6 Vocal Processor (Check Current Price). Our Rating – 92.
$$$ – Best harmonizer over $500: TC Helicon Voicelive 3 Extreme (Check Current Price). Our Rating – 88.
Conclusion
We realize that many of the pedal on our list are created by TC Helicon. That’s no surprise since they are one of the companies leading the way in voice/vocal effects for singers.
But the Zoom and Boss products provide some great options that should be given some consideration also, with both manufacturers providing products with a lot of different vocal effect options in addition to harmonizing.
The multi-effects vocal solutions these 10 products offer are certainly a must for singers looking to transform their performance. Although there are range of pricing options, for under $300 you can have a pedal for both studio/live use that has a surplus of functionality.
It really is a small price to pay for such a large sounding difference, suitable for the professional singer/songwriter or anyone that needs the advanced functionality that these units offer.
But if you have the budget to do so, it’s okay to splurge on one of the pricier units, like the Voicelive 3 Extreme.
Whatever you decide, you cannot go wrong with any of the options on this list. It just depends on what works best for you.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. We love to hear from our readers!
