From mpulver@netcom.comFri Jun 23 14:50:59 1995 Date: Fri, 26 May 1995 12:27:11 EDT From: Mark Pulver To: Erik Wiegand , analogue@hyperreal.com Subject: Re: How to build Voice Box? At 03:33 PM 5/26/95 +0200, Erik Wiegand wrote: > >Does anybody know how to build such a device? >It doesn't sound so difficult, but I think >it is important what volume the box has, how long >the tube is and so on. Basically, you said it yourself... Stuff a speaker, (most anything will do), in an enclosed cabinet, leave maybe an inch of air gap around the speaker, (really, you don't need much. You really are trying to force *ALL* of the sound pressure out of a small hole). In front of the speaker, at the centerline of the cone, stuff a 3/8" nipple (like from a plumbing supply store) in the cabinet and then stuff a good length (like 3-4 feet) of 1/2" plastic tubing on the nipple and seal it up with silicon. It's important to seal the cabinet reasonably air tight as well. Run the speaker from an amp, about 5 watts or so will do well... Now, stuff a microphone on a stand, place the TalkBox (copyright Heil!) on the floor and run the tube up the stand, using lotsa flourescent orange duct tape along the way. Tape the tube so that it's sticking out past the end of the mic about 3" or so. Grab your axe, (geetar or SH-101 will do), and play. While playing walk up to the mic, stuff the tube in your mouth. Open and close your mouth, play with the sides of your cheeks and play with the position of the tube in your mouth. It'll feel weird and clumsy, the tube will tend to invoke your gag reflex and the air pressure from the talk box will feel unnatural. At the point, what you're doing is using the sound source forced through the tube as a substitute for the normal air stream from your lungs. Your mouth cavity is still doing it's job though, so mouth away... With practice you should be able to come up with sentences and such. You can get quasi-hard consonant sounds by mangling your playing technique on your sound source. Also, it doesn't take a lot of volume outta that speaker to get some really happening air pressure. The full 5 watts is there basically to avoid distortion. One of the more popular uses of a TalkBox was Peter Framptom in the mid/late 70's. He showed off his "TalkBox Chops" on the tune "Do you feel" from the Framptom Comes Alive album. As you say, El Dyno Zap use them as well, and many more folks in the era. Oh one more thing... It's a bitch to swallow... plan on hacking in a drool cup to your mic stand. And... As an added bonus... Maybe we can get John Simonton to comment on the old retrofit that PAiA used to offer for the Pygmy! ---- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Pulver/Chicago, IL analog analog analog and umm, analog mpulver@netcom.com Voyetra 8, Xpander, P5, MKS-70, 2600, stuff