Radial Voco-Loco Mk2 Mic Preamp & Effects Loop Switcher for Voice or Instrument

Radial Voco-Loco Mk2: Put a Pedalboard on Your Voice

The Radial Voco-Loco Mk2 is a foot-controlled microphone preamp and effects-loop switcher that lets a vocalist, saxophonist, or trumpet player run guitar effects pedals on their microphone, exactly the way an electric guitarist kicks on a delay or fuzz for a solo. It combines a studio-grade mic preamp, a transformer-isolated effects loop, and footswitch control in one road-ready box, bridging the gap between a delicate microphone signal and the instrument-level world guitar pedals expect. For the singer who has always wanted the sonic playground guitarists take for granted, the Voco-Loco Mk2 opens the door without a rack of studio gear.

Why a Guitar Pedal Will Not Just Work on a Mic

A microphone puts out a tiny signal measured in millivolts on a balanced XLR line, while a guitar pedal is designed for a much hotter, high-impedance instrument signal on an unbalanced 1/4-inch jack. Plug a mic straight into a stompbox and you get almost no signal, a huge noise penalty, and the ground-loop hum that erupts when balanced and unbalanced gear meet. The Voco-Loco Mk2 sits between those two worlds as a translator: it amplifies the mic up to instrument level, converts the connection, isolates the loop, and then brings the processed signal back and hands it to your PA as a clean feed.

A Studio-Grade Preamp in Disguise

Beneath its footpedal exterior, the Voco-Loco Mk2 is a genuine studio-quality microphone preamp built on an integrated op-amp with a class-A FET input. It delivers up to 52 dB of gain with a flat 20 Hz to 20 kHz response, 100 dB of dynamic range, and total harmonic distortion under 0.005 percent, so the dry voice or horn reaches the PA without coloration or artifact. The Mk2 improves on the original with additional gain and more robust phantom power to feed even demanding condenser microphones. It generates 40 volts of phantom rather than 48, a deliberate choice that removes a noisy power stage while still powering the wide range of stage and studio condensers musicians actually use.

Transformer-Isolated Effects Loop

Turning on the effects loop routes your voice out to your pedalboard and back, and Radial wraps that loop in transformer isolation to solve the problem that ruins most mic-plus-pedal experiments: hum and buzz from ground loops. The transformer galvanically separates the pedal chain from the balanced mic path so noise has no route to travel, letting you chain delay, reverb, distortion, chorus, or wah on a microphone and hear only the effect, not the hum. A 100k-ohm loop impedance is set to drive real guitar pedals properly, so they respond just as they would on a guitar.

Shape It: EQ, Effects Tone, and Dry/Wet Mix

Because effects on a voice can quickly turn harsh, the Voco-Loco Mk2 gives you three tools to keep them musical. A 2-band EQ shapes the dry microphone signal so the natural voice or instrument sits right first. A dedicated effects tone control then tames the returning wet signal, rolling off the brittleness pedals can add. Finally, a dry/wet mix control blends the clean and processed signals in any proportion, so you can add a subtle shimmer or a fully drenched effect and place it exactly in the performance. It is the difference between a gimmick and a usable, expressive tool.

Built for the Stage, Controlled by Foot

Everything about the Voco-Loco Mk2 is built for live performance. A single footswitch engages or bypasses the entire effects chain hands-free, so a singer can drop into an effected passage and step out of it without ever leaving the mic. The locking XLR input keeps the microphone connection secure through an energetic set, an input pad handles hot signals, and a 180-degree polarity reverse plus ground lift solve phase and noise problems in any venue. The unit runs on its included 15V supply and also accepts 9V or 18V power, all wrapped in a 14-gauge steel chassis that shrugs off stage abuse.

Who the Voco-Loco Mk2 Is For

The Voco-Loco Mk2 is for the lead vocalist who wants delay, reverb, or distortion under foot control; for the sax and trumpet player looking to make a solo leap out of the mix; for the harmonica player chasing amp-style grit without hauling an amp to the gig; and for the producer who wants to run a vocal or horn through hardware pedals in the studio. If you own great effects pedals and have always envied how easily guitarists use them, the Voco-Loco Mk2 finally puts that world under your microphone.