Radial Engineering Voco-Loco Mic Preamp and Effect Loop

The Voco-Loco is a foot-controlled microphone preamp and effects loop switcher that enables a vocalist or acoustic instrumentalist to incorporate guitar effects pedals into their signal path.

Connect any mic to your guitar pedals

The Voco-Loco combines a microphone preamp with a guitar pedal effects loop, allowing a lead vocalist, sax or trumpet player to add guitar pedals to their audio signal path just like an electric guitarist adds effects for soloing. Simply plug your mic into the Voco-Loco via the XLR input, connect your effects pedals using standard ¼" guitar cables, and then send the output from the Voco-Loco to the input on your mixer. Now with the touch of a footswitch you can add your favourite delay, reverb, distortion or wah-wah to any mic'd up instrument or vocal - the options are only limited by your imagination.

Voco-Loco Applications

Voco-Loco on voice

Plug your microphone into the Voco-Loco and add exciting effects using guitar pedals for echo, reverb or distortion and control the effects the way you want.

Voco-Loco with brass

Add effects to your sax or trumpet to make your solos stand out from the crowd and deliver a unique performance to the audience that they will never forget!

Voco-Loco with harmonica

The Voco-Loco lets you incorporate a chorus, overdrive and reverb to your harp solos to deliver amazing tones without having to bring an amp to the gig. The blues never sounded so good!

Features:

• Add guitar effects pedals to vocal or instrument mics
• Create exciting and unique effects as you perform
• Turn on multiple effects with one footswitch
• Works with dynamic and condenser microphones

The Radial Voco-Loco is in fact a studio quality preamp that has been carefully disguised as a foot pedal! One look at the linear frequency response, exceptional signal handling and low noise and you will recognize the studio quality that is built-in. This ensures that the dry microphone signal will be delivered to the PA system without distortion or artefact and faithfully reproduce the instrument or vocal without compromise. A carefully crafted 2-band EQ makes adjusting the tone effortless. Turning on the effects loop adds transformer isolation to reduce hum and buzz caused by ground loops, a common problem that plagues many pedal setups. Once the loop is brought back, a tone control lets you tame the effects signal and a dry-wet mix control lets you balance the signal to suit.

*48 Volt Phantom Power

Although 48 volts is often specified, truth is, it is not always present or needed. In fact most condenser microphones are designed to work from 12 volts to 52 volts, many of which will also work on a simple 1.5 volt battery. The reason high voltage is used to charge condenser mics in PA systems is that in enables the condenser microphone to be positioned 200 meters (600 feet) away from the mixing console. Considering the Voco-Loco will likely be used near the musician with a 3 or 6 meter (10′ or 20′) mic cable, the high voltage is simply not needed. The Voco-Loco actually generates 40 volts phantom, not 48 volts. We chose to do this in order to reduce a power stage which could add noise. We have tested a wide range of popular stage and studio microphones and in all cases, the results were excellent.

Specifications

Voco-Loco User Manual