Talk Box Idea

[enigmur]

I want to build a talk box.

I've read up a bit on it, and have been thinking of a way to do it.

I have a stereo speaker I can butcher for it, and i'll cup around the coil and connect the tube to that.

I'm wondering if a 9v volume boost circuit would run a speaker at all?

[sfx1999]

You need a compression driver.

You could use something like the ruby to drive it I would think. A standard booster isn't enough.

[Nasse]

Yeah I think if you do a search you find lots of good info on old posts

Talking about talkboxes, I got another idea long ago but never tried it or posted it. I was thinkin those very very small loudspeakers, used on some new mobile phones and talking GPS machines. They are very small but loud anyway, and I thought it might be small enough  you can put it near your mouth and vocal mic. Perhaps they are not enough for live use at stage volumes, but might work at home studio. I have a phone that can play mp3 files, and there is such small loudspeaker inside, which can be activated, the sound comes trough small hole amazingly clear. You can sometimes buy such miniature loudspeakers at surplus shops. 

[QSQCaito]

Excuse my ignorance but, I've read quite a lot about this talkbox.. but still can't figure out how it works :/

Do you guys have a link where I could get a bit of explanation about these?? I've trying for a long time to make one, but I can't think of any ideas if I don't know how it works.

thanks a lot guys


bye bye

DAC

[Nasse]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk_box
http://www.blamepro.com/talkbox.htm

[QSQCaito]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk_box

How didn't I notice that?..

Thanks a lot

Now it's time to read a bit


Bye bye


thanks

DAC

[petemoore]

   Driver puts waveform pulses via air at the driver end of the tube, you'll need a signal and an amp to power the driver, speaker...can't recommend it, a 'compression driver' or horn driver are typical to TBoxes/
  The other end of the tube introduces the waveforms shot into the tube into an oral cavity [of varying shape and volume] these cavities are shaped and formed in movements generally related to speech, usually in an exagurated pronunciation, and 'speak' with vowel sounds only [there is no air flow to choke off for making consonant sounds, even if you could with a tube in your mouth].
  So the air vibrations caused by the driver, shot through the tube, shaped by the mouth, exit the mouth and are picked up by a close proximity microphone.
  The electronic signals which the mic outpu emits [which are analogous to the sound exiting the mouth cavity] are then amplified and sent to a speaker arrangement...[like sent to mixing board].
  So it's often like
  Guitar as source
  Split to guitar amp and TB Driver amplifier
  The amp side is normal guitar amp
  The driver side gets the 'tube air / mouth air' treatments, the resultant soundwaves exiting the mouth are amplified in the same way as if human vocal chords were producing the sound.

[GibsonGM]

It's good to research a bit, and find an old junky amp to use just for the talkbox. If you blow the speaker (which happens with them sometimes), you can fry your output transformer on a tube amp.  Careful  ;o)  I use an old Marshall SS piece o' junk, and if I kill it, oh well! 

[petemoore]

  An Lm3886 could be a good for that service.
  IIRC they're protected against bad scenarios like that.
  Most recordings have some processing going, distortion sound going into the talk box for instance, sometimes mic'ing the cab for the source.