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BOSS VE-500 Vocal Performer

BOSS

collapse expand iconDescription

Packing professional sound quality and serious BOSS DSP muscle, the VE-500 delivers sophisticated harmony and pitch correction functions that automatically track the chords you play on your guitar. It also includes a powerful vocoder and core sound-enhancement tools, plus world-class reverb, delay, and modulation sounds and specialty effects like distortion, filtering and many others. And with programmable memories, you can instantly recall favorite setups for any song or style. The VE-500 is the perfect addition to the pedalboard of any singing guitarist, providing top-flight vocal processing that fits right alongside your standard guitar effects.

If you’re like most guitarists, you spend a lot of time choosing the right amps and pedals to craft your own personalized sound. But if you sing in your band as well, it hasn’t always been so easy to give your vocal sounds that same attention to detail—until now. The advanced VE-500 Vocal Performer provides everything you need to achieve impressive vocal harmonies and effects on stage, and all in streamlined stompbox that integrates seamlessly with the regular guitar effects on your pedalboard.

Filled with deep sound-shaping capabilities, the VE-500 is a professional vocal toolkit that lets you process your voice any way you like, from subtle sweetening to the dramatic, over-the-top effects heard on so many modern records. And with its newly enhanced harmony and pitch engine, you can easily expand your sound with real-time vocal harmonies and more.

The VE-500’s stompbox configuration makes it simple to integrate with any pedalboard—just plug your guitar into the instrument input to drive the harmony, pitch, and vocoder functions, and then use the Thru output to feed an unprocessed signal to your other pedals. And with the VE-500’s stereo XLR outputs, you’re able to send your processed vocal sounds directly to a PA mixer, stage monitor, or recording device.

Are you short of good backing singers in your band? The VE-500 is the perfect solution, making it easy to elevate your songs with rich, ear-catching vocal harmonies. Its automatic harmony engine is powered by advanced BOSS processing that detects the chords and key you play with your guitar, generating smooth and natural two- and three-part harmonies in real time as you sing. And by working with the VE-500’s different harmony modes, you’re able to refine the harmonies as needed for songs that have more complex key structures. The harmony engine can alternately be driven via MIDI (through either the VE-500’s MIDI or USB inputs), enabling you to generate pitch-perfect live harmonies with a MIDI keyboard or DAW-based backing tracks.

The VE-500 contains wide-ranging effects with deep editing parameters for crafting nearly any vocal sound imaginable. In addition, highly flexible routing options are available for processing live and harmonized vocals together or separately. Use the Enhance section to polish your voice with essentials like compressor, de-esser, and EQ, then tap into the two dedicated Reverb/Delay sections for everything from subtle coloration to lush, expansive clouds of ambience. Four independent FX engines are available as well, and each contains an enormous selection of effects types. Spice things up with a little chorus, flanger, or tremolo, add some secondary reverb or delay, or take things over the top with distortion, radio voice, ring mod, slicer, filtering, and more—the sky’s the limit. 

Another killer VE-500 feature is its powerful vocoder function, which is derived from BOSS’s unique and innovative VO-1 Vocoder pedal. By vocalizing into the connected mic as you play, you can transform your guitar’s tone with electronic voices and an array of all-new colors for modern music styles. It’s even possible to replicate traditional talk box sounds, providing instant access to classic "talking lead guitar" tones without having to use a talk box rig and mouth tube.

The VE-500 also includes a dedicated pitch correction section, which is guided via guitar or MIDI just like the harmony function. You can employ it for transparent pitch stabilization, which is especially useful if you’re not such a great singer but still need to contribute some lead and/or backing vocals to your band’s sound. It’s also possible to switch in alternate modes that provide the heavily effected sounds heard on modern hits, including hard pitch correction, electronic tonalities, and even robot-voice sounds.
Open Box BOSS VE-500 Vocal Performer Effects Stompbox Level 1
Open Box BOSS VE-500 Vocal Performer Effects Stompbox Level 1
Open Box BOSS VE-500 Vocal Performer Effects Stompbox Level 1

collapse expand iconFeatures

  • Automatic vocal harmony/pitch correction powered by newly enhanced BOSS algorithms for natural sound with smooth tracking
  • Class-leading sound quality and high-powered BOSS DSP engine for processing vocals with up to nine effects at once
  • Extensive selection of effects specially tuned for vocals; Enhance section for shaping core tone, plus reverb, delay, modulation, distortion, EQ, filter and many other types for further processing
  • Versatile and creative vocoder effect for generating electronic voice and talk box sounds based on guitar input
  • Flexible effect routing options for processing live and harmonized vocals together or separately

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collapse expand iconReviews

4.67

6 Reviews

83%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend

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Best Uses

  1. Home Studio5
  2. Performances5
  3. Amateur Recording1
  4. Professional Recording1

Describe Yourself

  1. Experienced3
  2. Professional Musician2
  3. Novice1

Pros

  1. Good Audio5
  2. Professional Functions5
  3. Versatile5
  4. Good Power Output4
  5. Easy To Use3
  • Not great at tracking intelligent harmony

    3

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted3 months ago

    byDavid

    fromWestford, MA

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    I wanted this for intelligent harmonies for solo gigs. You have to sing in pitch perfect tune for it to track steadily, or else it flips pitches randomly. It doesn't react well to vibrato, nor choose the notes you want consistently. It does everything else well. Has no on/off switch.

  • I love this unit!!!

    5

    submitted3 years ago

    byJohn

    fromGallipolis, OHio

    This is a great little unit. Much smaller than my previous harmonizer which I've used for over 15 years. I was blown away by the vocal enhancement settings. While I haven't used it in a live performance yet, it has sounded great when I'm practicing at home and then rehearsing with the band. I highly recommend this unit if you need to add harmonies to your vocals. It tracks the guitar signal going into it and matches the harmonies appropriately. Singing a major chord, then making it a minor and the unit responds correctly.

  • Great tool for vocals

    5

    submitted4 years ago

    byRich G

    fromAllentown pa

    Being familiar with boss gear, I found the programing process easy. There's enough parameters to go down the rabbit hole as deep as you want!

  • What fun creating new personas with this box!

    5

    submitted5 years ago

    by'Cao

    fromColorado

    I knew going in that there would be some menu diving, which can get a bit involved, but looking at that as a learning experience makes it worthwhile. I can create vocal personas beyond my own singing voice. It's a fun tool to have in my selection of gear.

  • This solved my vocal issues

    5

    submitted5 years ago

    byDave "DD"

    fromKnoxville, TN

    I have been amazed at how easy it has been to get my voice back. Stereo output makes for a fuller sound in the mix, easy editing on the fly and 32 bit quality. Great set of preset programs to begin with. Out of the 50 presets very few are just special effects. I use about 15 of the presets and have made 4 or 5 variations in the user section. You can use the visual edit capabilities of the computer, but I really like the core of most of the sounds. I also use the VE-8 for acoustic sets and this for the rock songs.

  • Great Unit for Guitar/Singers Pedalboards

    5

    submitted6 years ago

    byRyan

    fromUSA, AZ

    I've been having a lot of fun with this. It's extremely powerful with loads of different effects and I feel like I'm just scratching the surface. I got this for a few acoustic gigs I have coming up. I wanted a little reverb and compression to add to an otherwise dry vocal signal. The vocoder feature is by far the most fun to play with. There is a YouTube video about the specific effects that helped me get up to speed with it and learn to use the editor on the computer. Check that out if you're on the fence about it (search Boss ve 500 FX demo). The Good: Powerful, lots of stack-able effects, Harmony works well for simple songs, Stereo out. The Bad: Price, the UI is complex on the unit (creating patches on your PC solves this), Can be a little overwhelming with all the options.

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collapse expand iconQ&A

Have a question about this product? Our expert Gear Advisers have the answers.

  • asked byMark

    fromMandeville, LA

    Does the VE-500 have a built in guitar tuner?

    Does the VE-500 have a built in guitar tuner?

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    Yes, it does.
  • asked bySoulness

    fromGatlinburg Tennessee

    Will the harmony change with a piano plugged in in place of a guitar?

    Will the harmony change with a piano plugged in in place of a guitar?

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    I believe it will. It's not designed for a guitar.
  • asked byARG

    fromPalm Springs

    How many voices will it support if im using the midi control with a keyboard?

    How many voices will it support if im using the midi control with a keyboard?

    Open Reply - Thomas
    I’m very sorry. Your question is not clear. Please call us at 855-770-3373
  • asked byDennis

    fromNew Smyrna Beach Florida

    Does itv work with a keyboard instead of a guitar?

    Does itv work with a keyboard instead of a guitar?

    Open Reply - Thomas
    Yes
  • asked bydon

    fromYuma, AZ

    can i program a harmony line in my DAW, and then as i sing the lead melody, the VE-500 will harmonize those notes?

    can i program a harmony line in my DAW, and then as i sing the lead melody, the VE-500 will harmonize those notes?

    Open Reply - Thomas
    We need a little more information to better help you. Please give us a call at 855-770-3373
  • asked byRich

    fromWarrenville SC 29851

    Does the boss ve-500 come with the power adapter? Even the open box units?

    Does the boss ve-500 come with the power adapter? Even the open box units?

    Open Reply - Thomas
    Yes, it does
  • asked byLeo

    fromBlairsville p.a.

    Does the Boss VE- 500 operate with a phantom mic input? Can I use my condenser mic?

    Does the Boss VE- 500 operate with a phantom mic input? Can I use my condenser mic?

    Open Reply - Ronald
    It does not have phantom power you would need an external phantom power supply.