I had the pleasure of sitting down with TC-Helicon and talking about their amazing products and new music. Check out their site to read the interview alongside tons of other extremely talented artists.


By Egle Padeginskaite
(Source: http://www.tc-helicon.com/en/artists/ellen-hinton/)
There are many types of talents out there, but one that shines brightest is Ellen Hinton, who does not hide behind layers of studio processing and wins over the crowds just by her own pure and divine voice and acoustic instruments.  

A blend of soul pop and folk vocals is what makes Ellen a unique artist. We are proud to learn that Ellen is a huge fan of TC Helicon’s products and is using VoiceLive Play GTX as part of her gear, so we could not wait to sit down with her and have a little talk about how she uses it. Evidently she first learned of the VoiceLive Play GTX by using TC Helicon’sVoiceJam App. “I like that with VoiceLive Play GTX you can have more control over your sound, tone and effects. This way the sound is more consistent wherever I play, especially when the sound setup and acoustics aren’t ideal. For the most part, you can just tell the sound guy to “keep the signal clean” and I’ll take it from here.“

Ellen, how do you use VoiceLive Play GTX?
My setup is on the fly hands- on control. When I perform live I use my presets that I’ve saved to my favorite settings. I also use the Switch-3 foot pedal which allows me to quickly switch between effects.
 

What’s your main use for it? And when do you use it? dailyDiscovery1
I use the vocal processing/effects throughout my set. It makes it easier for me to control my own reverb, delay, and other  effects. I love the looper and I usually close my set with “Titanium” or another song using the loop pedal function. I normally use the vocal processing for all my shows. I use the looping throughout, intertwined with songs in my set list.

Do you see it as a separate instrument – or more as an extension of your voice?
I definitely see it as an extension of my voice. It gives me the flexibility that you can’t normally have with just a basic setup. The Voicelive Play GTX for me is like an all in one band.

Do you improvise with it – or do you spend a lot of time planning the kinds of loops and effects you’re going to use for a song? 
I pre-plan my loops for shows. If I’m doing a video, I experiment and improvise with new presets and settings.

Do you make your own presets? Or do you tweak the ones that are already there? What are your favorite effects/sounds?
Most of the presets that I’ve created are modifications of ones that I like. I’m a big fan of many of the standard presets. Some of my favorites are: Summer 69 and Marble Walls. I’m currently working on a video using Wet Octave 210.

Have you used it in the studio – or is that an entirely different thing for you?
I use the Voicelive looping more in the studio. I like using it in the studio because I do more experimenting and I sometimes I stumble upon new vocal arrangements that I can later adapt to my shows. When I perform live I usually have my presets and loops planned.

 

 

And what the future holds for Ellen Hinton?
This year I’ll be releasing my EP, “I’m Feeling Lucky” as well as playing more shows and festivals. I love making music that can paint a scene, tell a story, or take a snapshot of a moment. As for things to try out, I’m always trying to find creative ways to implement VoiceLive & VoiceJam into my videos and gigs, I’ll keep pushing until I raise the bar.

Follow Ellen online:
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/ellenonceagain
TWITTER: twitter.com/ellenonceagain
YOUTUBE: youtube.com/ellenonceagain