GEAR REVIEW
HEADRUSH VX5 VOCAL PROCESSING PEDAL WITH AUTO-TUNE BY ANTARES | Eric Dahl
• Antares Auto-Tune pitch correction
• Speed, Preset / Edit, Humanize & Volume controls
• Full color display with Menu
• 99 factory presets – 250 total presets
• Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Compression & Flavor FX
• Key selectable intelligent harmonizer
• Stereo 24-bit audio interface
• A / B and Talk mode
• XLR Mic preamp
KEY FEATURES
• + 48V phantom power option
• USB MIDI connectivity
• ¼” Guitar In and Through input / output
Vocal enhancement pedals have been around for many years, even in their simplest form— but thankfully for live and recording musicians, they have evolved. HEADRUSH has just released its latest vocal processing pedal, the VX5, featuring Auto-Tune by Antares software. When HEADRUSH first reached out to WM about covering this vocal tool, we were intrigued.
The word“ Auto-Tune” is a polarizing term in the music business, and there are certainly purist musicians who are not fans of the software. What HEADRUSH has accomplished with the VX5 is remarkable: they’ ve packed a rack’ s worth of studio vocal effects into a convenient, portable footprint that anyone could use on a praise team, on stage, or in the studio.
The VX5 is much more than just an Auto-Tune device— it is also a fully adjustable harmonizer and multi-effects unit for vocals. Alongside the Auto-Tune, Harmony, and FX selector buttons, two other important controls stand out: the
Speed and Humanize knobs. These let you determine how quickly the effect responds and whether it sounds more naturally human or more robotic.
Under the FX menu, you can select Compressor, Flavor, Chorus, Reverb, and Delay. The HEADRUSH VX5 includes 99 factory presets, with space for a total of 250 presets. This allows you to combine Auto-Tune with harmonies and your favorite FX— tweaked to your liking— and save them for quick recall during live performances or recording sessions.
In the Reverb menu, you’ ll find Hall, Big Room, Chamber, Ambient, and yes— Church. You can also dial in the exact percentage of the effect you want blended into your vocals.
For Chorus, the options include Basic, Smooth, Deep Chorus, Heavy Slow, and Robot Voice. One of my favorite features on the VX5 is“ Flavor,” which simulates unique vocal textures
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