Roland E4 Voice Tweaker First Impressions and review
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2024
- This video will give you a short review and my first impressions of the Roland E-4 Voice Tweaker. A handy little box of for autotuning vocals, creating harmonies, and generally mangling vocals.
More of a utility than anything else, I have some fun with it, push it in ways it was not designed to be pushed and generally get to know it.
00:10 Why I bought it
00:45 First impressions
01:20 Drone Tone
02:30 Looper
04:25 Scatter and Reverb
06:55 Favourite Feature
07:50 Use cases
08:25 Pushing boundaries
10:20 Is it worth it?
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Kit List : -
Roland E-4 Voice Tweaker
Model:Samples
Roland MC-101
Behringer Flow 8
Tascam DR40x
#dawless #roland #e46
Great video exactly what I was looking for plus a little more. Thanks for taking the time to make this vid.
Glad it was useful. The basics for this are quite simple and it can be a lot of fun. Hope to see you again.
This is probably the best video out there. Very easy to understand thank you ✌️
Wow, praise indeed. Not sure it deserves that much credit. Glad you enjoyed.
@@DocBolus For the price, I don't think it can be beaten. I've always used the Microgranny 2.5 to morph voice samples but this little machine is far better quality. You've definitely decided that I need one. Thank you ✌️. I already own the S1, T8 and the J6. They are all amazing little machines.
Man, I love your experiments with this! Especially with adding a non-vocal input, as I was curious about that myself. I was already wanting one badly enough and you've definitely helped convince me. Thank you!
Not sure I should be thanked for adding to anyones GAS, but I appreciate your comment. I always try and push things in ways they probably were not intended to be used. Someone else in the comments said they would probably prep up some drum loops with it and that sounds like a breat idea I am going to have to try.
Man, this thing seems so fun! I have got to get one for myself, I really enjoyed your review! 🙌🐀
Cheers man, it is a whole load of fun and I am just starting to think about what I can do with it.
Oh that's cool! I really like the sounds you pulled out of this machine in the one box setup Oo
Yep, it's a quality toy, plenty of time for me to mess about with it. Thanks for watching.
thanks for this. I received mine, but haven’t used it yet. Will def give a try now and see how I can add it into my HWJ workflow
No worries, glad it was useful. Not sure I will be using mine every time but it certainly added something I didn't have before.
Nice video. At the moment, I'm mostly interested in integrating my new E-4 to flesh out choruses of a couple of the recent rock songs I've recorded, even though this is a device aimed more at the electronic music maker. However, your manipulation of various sounds has made me interested in returning to ambient/electronic music again. Nice, experimental sounds you've created there!
Thanks glad you enjoyed and nice to hear that I have had some small part in inspiring others.
I still drag out the guitar and just got hold of an R16 so have messed around with some rocky stuff recently (not that I have a lot of time ATM) and didn't think of using this for harmonies on vocal lines, but I might just give it a go.
I’ve lately been using the T-8 from this series, it is a lot of fun! Been using it to make really chill stuff at around 95bps. You have the full octave range on the Bassline, so you can make some really high pitched chime like plinks and plonks, which is really interesting. The Delay and Reverb are also pretty cool. If you get the chance to tinker with one you should take a looksy, Doc!
I think Roland have made a strong step into this part of the market with these instruments.
Not sure I can afford any more toys ATM but all of these looked pretty cool. I think you are right about Roland making a strong step into a market that is just getting into it's stride. I think the 'hobbyist' musician is starting to look more at playing with hardware and these kind of instruments make it affordable to try some things out. The way they brought them out as an integrated range was spot on too, definitely seemed to be taking a leaf out of korgs book there.
Like yourself I just bought one on a whim. Looking to experiment as well with different ways to use this! Great video, Thanks!
Yep, was cheap enough to justify as an experimental box. Never messed around with vocal tuning and fx before so definitely fun. Someone in this thread also said you could time clock the looper which is something I am definitely going to mess around with.
Hi! Great review, enlightning...At home finally choose the Zoom V3 solution, but life´s hard and no time to push it yet...Great expectations for those like me with a peculiar, non commercial voice...Greetings from Madrid City Spain
Yeah it is a fun box and I definitely don't think my voice is commercial in any way. The key is to have fun and mess about with stuff.
I bought one of these units and if you are into creating experimental and/or ambient music and don’t have anything similar to this, then it is definitely worth it. And hooked up to a MIDI keyboard controller, the fun doubles!
Totally agree, I have been trying to stave off any GAS at the moment really trying to limit myself to stuff which adds to my sonic arsenal and this really adds something to my gear collection rather than just supplying a different way to make a very similar sound to one I can already do.
Thanks for dropping by.
This is an excellent review. Simple , straightforward and somewhat experimental. Sound gets a bit 'early Orb (Ultraworld)' at 5:10
Wow that is a compliment. Love a bit of Orb, particularly live and if you aren't going to be experimental what's the point.
Thanks for watching and don't forget to share and enjoy!!!
My Akai AX73 really needed this so I acquired one "like new" for $150 plus this is perfect for the type of vocals I record as I'm not a trained vocalist. I've been compared to David Gahan ha. I loved what you did with the looper, very inspiring. Now where's my old Gregorian Chant CD!
Cheers thanks for watching. Yep loads of fun with the looper and a big fan of plain song for sampling
Nice! Me needs....
It's a fun toy
ive seen plenty of demos on this but this demo makes me want to buy it now. ill probably use it as an auxiliary effect unit :)
Yep that's how it works for me. Always try to use gear in 'different' ways. Ample fun with this.
@@DocBolus its my next buy for sure. keep up the good work
@@FreddieShreddieTV thanks for the encouragement man
@@DocBolus likewise. ive already produced a track with this. its on my channel called 'patterns' the j-6 is in there along with the j-6 sequencing sounds from my Mac
Nice video. Can you sample vocals into the E4 from an iPad/iPhone etc?
To be honest I haven't tried but I don't see why not. As long as you can get a mono signal in you should be good to go.
thanks for this! since you said you don’t see this working in a live setup: do you think it would be fun in a jam session setup where someone plays some synth lines and someone else gets a mic and sings or speaks into it, maybe with a midi keyboard plugged in? i hoped this could be a neat way to add some vocals to the mix (despite being terrible singers)
I think that could work. My limitation on using this is that I am more of a one man band at the moment and I am just not confident enough in my voice even with this to trust it. I have used it for jamming in exactly the way you describe... (there is a video of that jam, maybe my previous video on this channel)
Not tried it with a keyboard yet but that would certainly make things a bit more tuneful in my case if I can play the line I want to be able to sing on a keyboard.
I kind of thought that for me to get vocals into my performance/jams my best approach would be to prepare them first and sample them up so that I can use a sampler to play them back, but that is just me. If there are 2 of you then using it live may work a hell of a lot better.
@@DocBolus thank you so much, this is very helpful!
No problem, happy to help
Thanks for a great review. I'm considering getting this but I don't have a microphone. Would I have to invest in a good microphone or would a cheap one do the job. Thank you.
I think a cheap one would probably do as a start point as long as you have a jack lead for it. There is no phantom power and it does have a gain control.
I use an SM58 which I have had for years but I bet there is a behringer knockoff that would do the job.
It usually comes down to a Behringer knockoff for me. Thank you..)
Snap!
Thanks for the review. You sound a bit like Beardyman circa 2011.
Not sure if that is a good or bad thing? Glad you liked it. The box is quite good fun.
@@DocBolus it’s a very good thing
Is this one has radio/megaphone voice effect? Not sure which one is better, the E4 ou VT4
This one doesn't have the radio/megaphone effect. That kind of thing can be done with some judicious EQing/Filtering though.
Better get that Mongolian Throat Singing practice in :D
If only.....
I went to India when I was about 21 and ended up looking around some Buddhist temple/cave complex. When we entered one of the caves we heard this absolutely insane synthy drone pad sound. Well we had to go and have a look.....
There in the back in the darkest corner was a little ginger guy with dreadlocks doing overtone singing against the wall to get maximum echo and reverb. Was amazing....
About 3 years later I bumped into him again at a free festival in south London.
@@DocBolus Haha, wow, that’s crazy!
I really liked this vid, as per usual you’ve made me look at kit in a different way. I thought this little unit was the least desirable of the 3, but I’m totally turned around now.
@@DocBolus was that Lewisham Peoples Day?
@@annother3350 To be honest I can't remember, it's possible. I can remember there being a side stage playing DnB which I enthusiastically bounced around for quite some time in an Elevated state if you get my drift. I just remember the complete weirdness of bumping into this guy who I had met in the middle of nowhere.
@@DocBolus Oh sure, it's a crazy coincidence!
I used to (and still do) go to all the south london free festivals -- always a good atmosphere -- there was People's day, there was the one near New Cross station which got shut down for being too popular and IMO Brixton Splash was better than Notting Hill because you didnt have to queue for drinks or the toilet -- All hidden Gems!!
The web manual annoyed me too. Luckily a pdf is now available.
Glad I'm not the only one. Even more glad that a PDF is now available.
Thanks for watching and thanks for the headsup.
Good day, can you connect the Roland E4 directly to a video camera to record both the audio and video?
That would depend on the camera. The E4 has a single minijack stereo output so if your camera has a stereo mini lack line (aux) input you should be good to go. It might work with a mic input but really the levels will probably be off and there maybe some noise.
To be honest though I tend to always record my audio separately and then sync it to the video.
@@DocBolus Ah okay, so the camera should be able to accept line level signal.
@@PasmadongKamay I would think so I don't think it would work in a mic input slot.
What type of microphone do you use with this?
I am using a dynamic SM-58. There is no phantom power and the cable needs to end with a jack!
I cant decide if i should get the e4 or the vt4. Looper on the one hand, presets on the other. E4 seems more fun and experimental. Vt4 may be more professional for life performances.
Which one would you recommend in an dawless electronic live set context? Any ideas?
I haven't played with the VT-4 but the presets for quick changes would appeal for live performance. From what I can tell unless the looper is something you need I think the VT-4 might just have the edge in live performance for specific song track sets. If your set is a more free and easy experimental jam type thing then I reckon the E4 might do the job as a more fun weirdness producing unit..
@@DocBolus The music store on my street coincidentally had an e4 in store, so I played around with it for an hour. After having a hands on experience i must say that it is fun, but the looper isn't really as precise and stage ready as i would like it to be and i felt like it couldnt do that much in the sense of polishing up the vocals themselves. Also, with the way the menus are set up and how my performances work, I dont see myself diving through them while performing, so the presets are definitely lacking quite a bit.
I am now waiting for the vt4 and the helicon perform v to be back in stock to compare them as well and make a final decision. Great video btw!
@@Vplaytg Makes sense and there is nothing like hands on experience to get an idea of what you need. I have been told the looping can be more accurate if you sync it to a midi clock, but again I haven't really tried that as I tend to use it as a sample creating device for strange noises and atmospheres.
Big kids need toys! 👍
Aye they certainly help with the whole being adultish.
Hi! Can you help me? I'm interested in buying a Roland E4, but I'm trying to figure out what I actually need to make it sound through speakers...How should I output it to an amplifier for example? Or to audio monitors? Can I do that with just one cable?
Hi it has a micro jack/headphone output. If you have active speakers you maybe able to get a cable that would plug into them but I think in reality you would need a mixer and an amp with speakers or the active speakers plugged into the mixer. What did you want to use the E4 for?
@@DocBolus thx for the answer...I just want to have some live loops (drums and synths) going on my ipad while I sing with some vocal effects. Simple compositions and covers.
@@danielguerralopes I think for that kind of setup you will definitely need a mixer. There are some relatively cheap and compact mixers on Amazon that include a bluetooth channel which might be helpful for the ipad audio
What mic did you use?
A standard SM58 I have had for years. It is my go to for quick vocal recordings.
Cool Stuff ! Your Video i mean! I have a question : is there a posibiliti to Save mywork , if i Turn it on and off the Thinge disapear…. Hrmpf, i got my E4 two days ago and i am loking for the answere since two days…. Its not conected with Laptop or PC… i want to do sth. whenn i am in nature at the See for ex. and than i want to Save mywork , IS there a posibiliti?????
HOnestly I don't think there is a way to save settings. What I do is record a session and then take samples from that.
Ok, thanks a lot! I just use it in my livesets so if i rec. a session i will have it, or maybe i rec. a loop or sth. like this…….🤯🤯🤯🤯@@DocBolus
Anyone know if there’s a Dry/ Wet mix option on the E4? I’m practically sold 😮
Nope, there is no dry wet mix. My way around this is to send a microphone signal out on an aux/monitor channel of a mixer and then return the signal to the same mixer on its own channel. Then you can mix the 2 signal dry and wet on the mixer. Its a bit of a channel heavy solution but if you are just using it to prep up samples it works.
@@DocBolus Thanks kindly for the reply. Is it possible to send audio through the USB and mix out at the same time?
@@kitespongan Yep, the mix out is also the headphone jack and I have recorded via USB and monitored through the headphones at the same time. I have also used the USB out to record isolated vocals while singing along to a mix too.
Danheim has great sounds .
Cheers, thanks for watching.
Could I plug a guitar into this?
Really good question..... Hold on a moment!!!
Back again, yes you can, it's a bit strange as it pulls some notes into place and that can give unexpected results but I can see it being quite cool, oh and I really like the sound of the harmonies.
@@DocBolus thanks, I appreciate the quick response, might order one now !
Could be worth it, not enough to break the budget and it fills a hole that exists in a lot of DAWless setups I think
Huh? It's GREAT for live use! Lock the timing down with MIDI and it's amazing! I agree the browser-based is inconvenient, but you need it to learn how to really use it.
Not got this little box out for a while so I may have to dig it out and have a go running it from a MIDI clock. Thanks for the headsup.
@@DocBolus Once it's set up right, it's pretty cool! Enjoy!
I will use it to tweak drum loops than sample it.
Superb idea, pushing things outside of what they are designed to do always gives amazing results.
@@DocBolus Most of the time I do that with vocoder. BUT I’M looking forward the day I get Roland E4 so I can try it out.
Mine stopped charging and working after 6 months of very light use. Its crap
Thanks for watching. Mine is still going though I have to say I don't use it anywhere as much as I thought I would.
just ordered one which you'll see why if you watch my videos ! crap at singing
Yep, hoping it can work wonders for me too.
People want to see vocal demonstration, people reviewing this unit on UA-cam don't even sing. Kinda pointless.
I haven't really looked to see any other reviews of the voice tweaker I just kind of picked it up. It's quite an interesting observation that no singers have been messing with it.
What were you hoping to see being done? As you observed I am not a singer, but I might be able to try something out if you want to know how it works and sounds.
I like what he did with it
@@annother3350 cheers, it's a fun sound design box.