Zapp and Rodger Troutman voice effect

vice

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can anyone tell me how make a Zapp and Rodger type effect with either Protools, Cool Edit, or Cakewalk, if possible?

Or maybe just how it's done period, i'm interested in knowing
 
Quite simple, they used a Heil Talkbox (you know the kickbox with the plastic tube that you stick in your mouth) and routed it through an analog synth - instead of a guitar which it was actually meant for. It's a vintage thing but still on the market for 150£ or so.

It's in fact hard to get that magic sound with software or even hardware vocoders.

ez
B#

ps. here's a story that explains how it works
http://www.headcrack.com/talkbox.php?c=talk
 
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Trust me, it's the only way to get exactly that sound. In the past we've also been messing around with all the gear we have (just like the guy in the story above...) It was a waste of time, except for a few other lil' tricks we discovered while experimenting. We ended up borrowing a talkbox and Zapp! we could have saved 3 days of doodling.

Anywayz, there are a few ways of getting sort of close.
You could trigger the vox via a MIDI keyboard through a Digitech Vocalist kinda device (the VST plug Voicemachine lets you do the same thing). All it does it pitches the voice to the note you're playing on the keyboard but adds some 'talkbox-sounding' artefacts. Sounds very digital though, so you would still have to route the result through a myriad of fx, add some vocoder in parallel to get that throaty 'buzzy' kinda sound and crunch everything in a compressor. It's close but then again not really...

The talkbox is worth the money trust me.

ez&out
B#
 
R2B said:

Trust me, it's the only way to get exactly that sound.
The Heil Talk Box is the one. I think he (Roger) used to run a yammy DX100 harmonica patch as the sound source. I can't say that for a fact... but I've heard similar results with this set up (and I know he did use the DX). You might be able to get away with using a Rocktron Banshee... but that's about it. Its all in the surgical tube.
 
The talk box is basically this: A sturdy metal box with a speaker inside and a hole on the top. A piece of plastic tubing fits tightly into the hole, and runs up your microphone stand. The sound comes out of the end of the tube.

The idea is this: you put the tube into your mouth, then shape the sound by moving your mouth and lips as if you were speaking. Really, nothing in the digital domain can make this sound, because the audio is being acoustically filtered, by your head!

But back in the day (when I was a poor kid living in a trailer), I used to do this:

Get an El Cheapo set of headphones (you can probably find them at a Dollar Store in the US. Break the speaker parts off of the wire thingy that goes over your head, then stick the speaker into a plastic bag. Seal it shut with a wire twistie (or use plastic wrap and seal it with a lighter). Now you've got a waterproof, small single speaker (oh yeah, you'll just need the left side for this.)

Put the speaker into your mouth - maybe between your cheek and teeth, pointing in. Plug it into your synth's headphone jack and crank up the volume. Now "talk" into a microphone and record yourself. Yee-haw! You've just built a white trash talk box for a dollar!

It won't get nearly as loud as a "real" talk box, so you'll need to be careful how you breathe. Also, the sound will be quite tinny (the same way a "reeal" talk box is). It helps to maybe EQ up the low-mids, then compress it like crazy (EQ first, then compress, so the compressor evens out the changes in tone).

Worked for me and my SK-1!

-Hoax
 
Quite simple, they used a Heil Talkbox (you know the kickbox with the plastic tube that you stick in your mouth) and routed it through an analog synth - instead of a guitar which it was actually meant for. It's a vintage thing but still on the market for 150£ or so.

It's in fact hard to get that magic sound with software or even hardware vocoders.

ez
B#

ps. here's a story that explains how it works
http://www.headcrack.com/talkbox.php?c=talk
_______________________________________

Mannn dont make that crap on that site. I was a dumb ass to do it when i did.
I got my bowl and Tape. and that crap aint work. my boy was laughin at me with a damn straw out my mouth try my best to do it.
 
NOTABLEMAGNIF said:
Quite simple, they used a Heil Talkbox (you know the kickbox with the plastic tube that you stick in your mouth) and routed it through an analog synth - instead of a guitar which it was actually meant for. It's a vintage thing but still on the market for 150£ or so.

It's in fact hard to get that magic sound with software or even hardware vocoders.

ez
B#

ps. here's a story that explains how it works
http://www.headcrack.com/talkbox.php?c=talk
_______________________________________

Mannn dont make that crap on that site. I was a dumb ass to do it when i did.
I got my bowl and Tape. and that crap aint work. my boy was laughin at me with a damn straw out my mouth try my best to do it.



I made one today and it worked! Instead of the bowl i used a massive funnel.

Beleive it or not roger troutman started building his own when he found out how it was made. Except he used a glass bowl and newspaper aparantly.
 
The Roger Troutman effect can be done with the vocoder in Reason 3.0; however, you can't use the vocoder live. You have to record your vocals. Then, use the vocoder effect during playback.
 
My boy Tony TalkBox from New Ridaz(Formerly NB Ridaz) recommended the Banshee as a good starting talkbox, he in my top 8 at myspace. He sound betta than anyone at that **** mayne. Holla at me while ya at it.
 
The Zapp/Roger effect cannot be achieved with a vocoder. It's a whole different sound. Heil and Banshee are ok for a start but a real good talkbox would be the Electro-Harmonix "Golden Throat", the SuperTalker or a custom talkbox (cheap and easy to do). People get confused between talkbox, vocoder and autotune and yet, they all sound very different and use different process.
 
talkbox yamaha dx 21

can anyone plz help me! i have a yamaha dx21 and a banshee talkbox and ive been playin it 4 about 7 months already but i dont like the sound :( i wana have a crystal clear sound just like zapp and roger or mc magic. So if any one can help, plz get at me thanks :)
 
Suggestion...

salinaspride13 said:
ha well wat type of talkbox do u suggest?? :)[/QUOTE

Go on myspace and look up "mister groove" and order one from him. Not sure if he still makes custom boxes, but he may. I bought one from him and the horn driver he uses is a huge step up from the other pedals i bought in the past.
 
talkbox through a yamaha dx100. i talkbox and trust me its harder than it looks. also i believe its a saw synth sound. look up mootbooxle, m.c. magic, and many others on youtube

heres some tips:
dont actually talk you just move your mouth & throat as if you were,
t's, p's, & s's are the the type of sounds you actually make with your mouth
or else youll just sound weird.
do not allow spit to gather it makes you sound aweful

and last learn how to differentiate between talkbox, vocoder and autotune.
 
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deeziedaboss said:
I heard that you can use the vocoder inside of fl studio 6. I have yet to figure it out!

Do you mean LIve or recorded vocals
i have used it before but only with recorded vocals
 
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