Talk box??

  • Thread starter Thread starter elenore19
  • Start date Start date
elenore19

elenore19

Slowing becoming un-noob.
Anyone ever use one of these? they look very interesting. I would love to try one.

What kind of sound are they like? and how do they really work? Do you talk through the tube and that goes to the amp? or what's the dealio?

Thanks.

-Elliot
 
basically....the tube is connected to a speaker driver, your guitar sound comes out of that driver instead of your amps speakers, the tube goes in your mouth, and while you play you mouth the words into a mic.

thats pretty much it. there pretty damn cool too...i played with another guitarist who built his own.
 
castlerock said:
basically....the tube is connected to a speaker driver, your guitar sound comes out of that driver instead of your amps speakers, the tube goes in your mouth, and while you play you mouth the words into a mic.

thats pretty much it. there pretty damn cool too...i played with another guitarist who built his own.
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Hmm, I'm still confused. So the sound goes where from the pedal? Through the tube to your mouth to the mic? or...yeah. I'm still confused.
 
elenore19 said:
Hmm, I'm still confused. So the sound goes where from the pedal? Through the tube to your mouth to the mic? or...yeah. I'm still confused.
Click to expand...

via wikipedia:

"A talk box is an effects pedal that sits on the floor and contains a speaker attached with an air tight connection to a plastic tube. The speaker is generally in the form of a horn driver, the sound generating part of a horn speaker with the horn replaced by the tube connection.

The box has connectors for the connection to the speaker output of an amplifier and a connection to a normal instrument speaker. A foot-operated switch on the box directs the sound either to the talkbox speaker or to the normal speaker. The switch is usually a push-on/push-off type. The other end of the tube is taped to the side of a microphone, extending enough to direct the reproduced sound in or near the performer's mouth.

When activated, the sound from the amplifier is reproduced by the speaker in the talkbox and directed through the tube into the performer's mouth. The shape of the mouth filters the sound, with the modified sound being picked up by the microphone. The shape of the mouth changes the harmonic content of the sound in the same way it affects the harmonic content generated by the vocal folds when speaking.

The performer can vary the shape of the mouth and position of the tongue, changing the sound of the instrument being reproduced by the talkbox speaker. The performer can mouth words, with the resulting effect sounding as though the instrument is speaking. This "shaped" sound exits the performer's mouth, and when it enters a microphone, an instrument/voice hybrid is heard."
 
Look up Frampton or go on Youtube and look up a guy who goes by the name "Talkboxmayhem". Think of it this way: normally when you speak, your vocal chords are what create your voice, while your mouth shapes the noise made into words. Basically, the talk box replaces your vocal chords, but you still have to move your mouth to change the sound. You can just use it to make weird sounds or you can make words with it. I just got one recently. They're pretty cool, but require rather a lot of practice to get it to sound good.

Technically, the only reason you need the mic is because on stage, you would need something to amplify the sound coming out of your mouth, just as if you were singing. So the signal goes guitar->talk box->tube->mouth. It's kind of a weird concept at first, but once you figure it out it makes sense.
 
thebigcheese said:
Look up Frampton or go on Youtube and look up a guy who goes by the name "Talkboxmayhem". Think of it this way: normally when you speak, your vocal chords are what create your voice, while your mouth shapes the noise made into words. Basically, the talk box replaces your vocal chords, but you still have to move your mouth to change the sound. You can just use it to make weird sounds or you can make words with it. I just got one recently. They're pretty cool, but require rather a lot of practice to get it to sound good.

Technically, the only reason you need the mic is because on stage, you would need something to amplify the sound coming out of your mouth, just as if you were singing. So the signal goes guitar->talk box->tube->mouth. It's kind of a weird concept at first, but once you figure it out it makes sense.
Click to expand...

Alright, awesome, thanks. I get it. The youtube videos helped alot.


EDIT:

Wait. So do you still sing the notes yourself along with the guitar(or whatever instrument you use)? Or do you just move the shape of your mouth?
 
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You just mouth the words. The pitch is changed by what note(s) you are playing on your keyboard or guitar and the shape of your mouth and throat transforms that sound into words. If you think about it, that's essentially how your voice works in the first place. As Mayhem explains, there are still some sounds, like the k sounds, that you will still have to reproduce to get them to sound right, but generally you are just mouthing words. It's sort of odd to think about when you haven't actually tried playing with one before, but if you get one, it'll make more sense.
 
thebigcheese said:
You just mouth the words. The pitch is changed by what note(s) you are playing on your keyboard or guitar and the shape of your mouth and throat transforms that sound into words. If you think about it, that's essentially how your voice works in the first place. As Mayhem explains, there are still some sounds, like the k sounds, that you will still have to reproduce to get them to sound right, but generally you are just mouthing words. It's sort of odd to think about when you haven't actually tried playing with one before, but if you get one, it'll make more sense.
Click to expand...

Alright, yeah, thanks. I think I get it now....I want one.
 
Jeff Beck used one live on She's A Woman when touring with the Jan Hammer Group. Being that he & jan played tit for tat Jan probably used one on his k/board.
 
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