Roger's Sound (Talk Box)

[MisterGroove]

If anyone would like to discuss in detail about the whole talkbox sound address them here in this thread so we can get a good conversation going about it. Here questions not answered about it on this forum can be answered for you.

Also, here is a talkbox sample I made with me on the talkbox using Roger's Dx100 patches as a talkbox clarity lesson... you see some folks wanting to do the talkbox thing don't sound clear and their is a solution to that I can let you in on easy. But listen to it, it's using Roger's SUPERMAN as the lesson starter.

It's only used as a example only... so if you have any questions about it let me know here...

http://s49.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3T88FRJ0W3LQY0R73GDXWRI0FT

 

[50cal]

that shit is clear,Let us know your setup.like you said you use a radio shack amp,but what kind of talkbox? what size tubing? your amp settings,

 

[MisterGroove]

I use a Radio Shack 40watt PA Amp... you don't need alot of watts for talkboxing but make it be between 40w-60w, some go over board with 100w,200w and blow their boxes when all that isn't necessary... you need just enough to push that sound from your keyboard into that box hard enough to give you the loudness factor.

I personally use these settings on the PA AMP:
MIC 1: 6
MIC 2: 6
Phone/Aux: 0
150Hz: +10
1kHz: +2
6kHz: -8
Master Volume: 7

I keep the Yamaha Dx100 volume at: Max... but I will adjust these settings as according to the sound I wanna get from my talkbox. I use a Y audio connector so I can use both MIC 1 and MIC 2 inputs at the same time which is connected to the Dx100's output.

The talkbox I'm using is one I made called the Golden Voice... it's a custom made talkbox I design to give off Roger's tone but the rest is up to your creative imagination. Here are some PA AMP suggestions:

Radio Shack 40w (@ Radio Shack)
Pyramid PA205 (@ ebay)
Acussonic AS-50 (@ Parts Express)
Optimus MPA50 (@ ebay)

Peace!

 

[50cal]

yeah I have a Fender frontman amp what settings do you recomend on that It has the
volume
gain
drive select switch
drive volume
treble
mid
bass
also a long time ago with old parameters It had master tune adj,key shift and pitch bend mode
on my tx81z It has master tune,and thats it
I use a 4 octave controler(jp8000)
with new parameters It sounding better then ever,and I see that using reg volume,and drive give a lil different tone,as well as adjusting the bass,mid, treble
Im not a keyboard player,but a few keys to the right past mid c sounds a lil to much treble and distorts,If I keep volume down on amp and or adjust eq it tames it but It also mellows the tone.
why would you want to use both mic inputs?

 

[MisterGroove]

I use both MIC 1 and MIC 2 on the PA AMP so that I can get as much output from the AMP as possible with out distorting my talkbox and yet be loud enough to control the sound like I want... I'm basically taking the 1 audio signal on the Dx100 and splitting it into 2 by using both MIC 1 and MIC 2.

When I was using the Fender Frontman 15 I would use these settings...

Normal Volume: 6.00
Gain: 0
Drive Select: OUT
Drive Volume: 0
TRE:0.50
MID:2.50
BASS: 6.50

But I gave that Fender up for the PA AMP which is very portable and small and easy to obtain the tone you're after. But when I was using the Fender it was with a Golden Throat talkbox and I had the Dx100 volume at 10.

Peace

 

[50cal]

have you ever tried to use anything besides a dx100(anything outside yamahas dx range) what luck did you have.

 

[MisterGroove]

Yes, of course I did... before using the Yamaha Dx100... I use 3 different keyboards:

Micromoog
Novation Bass Station
Korg X5D

I use 2 talkboxes prior to using my custom made one:

Heil Sound HT-1 Talkbox
Electro Harmonix Golden Throat

 

[50cal]

how did the korg sound or any of the others for that matter.also how did you like the novation bass station as a whole,I like the supernova

 

[MisterGroove]

All of them gave me the sound I wanted til I started seeing Roger using the Yamaha Dx100... then I had to have that keyboard... I didn't get my first Dx100 til 2001. But all those keyboards I've mention will do the trick just a matter of tweaking the sound patch to form Roger's patch but I'm sticking with the Dx100 and the TX81z for now.

 

[50cal]

you got a tx81z as well,you noticed there are a few differences like I think you can use different waves for all voices? what about pitch bend mode-kon on the dx100 but not the tx81z and key shift

 

[50cal]

what about patch editors or software like that fm7?

 

[MisterGroove]

I don't use patch editors cause its hard to find one for the Dx100 and the TX81z. And I have the FM7 software but don't use it much at all. I also have the Minimoog software but don't use it much either, takes up alot of space on your HD and you need a big monitor cause of the large interface it has. So I stick to what I know which is the Yamaha Dx100.

 

[BaneTheTerrible]

what tips would you give someone who is using one straight out of the box like a banshee?

(im sure that the all in one version isnt as good as the custom stuff but for ease of use i was thinking about getting this one)

Can you use a talkbox with a soft synth? If not would a poly-800 be acceptable for a good sound?

 

[MisterGroove]

My advice or suggestion to you would be to just do it the old fashion way... meaning... keyboard+amp+talkbox type of setup rig... and no software synthesizers.

The keyboard you mentioned "Poly 800" I'm not familar with it at all so I can't say to use that or not. But if it's programmable and has a good Sawtooth patch on it then you can start there with the tweaking.

The Banshee... I have been told and have heard people on it who don't sound good at all due to the fact it's hard to get the right tone out of it and the built in ampege isn't that large I think only 5 or 10 watts max. For talkboxing you need a bigger wattage value something like 40w-100w and with a 3 band EQ build in (Bass, Mid, Tre) for shaping the sound further.

 

[bumpus]

My advice or suggestion to you would be to just do it the old fashion way... meaning... keyboard+amp+talkbox type of setup rig... and no software synthesizers.

I don't see anything wrong with using software synthesizers. If you can use them to make music, you can use them to drive the talkbox.

 

[MisterGroove]

I personally don't use them... I prefer hardware over software when it comes to playing the talkbox... but I see nothing wrong with it myself it's just that I don't use software to do the talkbox thing... it's all hardware with me, 3 simple pieces (keyboard-amp-talkbox)!!!

 

[BaneTheTerrible]

"I personally don't use them... I prefer hardware over software when it comes to playing the talkbox... but I see nothing wrong with it myself it's just that I don't use software to do the talkbox thing... it's all hardware with me, 3 simple pieces (keyboard-amp-talkbox)!!!"


But it is POSSIBLE to use a talkbox with a soft synth right?

basically i was thinking on using the banshee to learn how to use it (because it seems to be a "plug and play" type set up) and then once i learned the basics on how to use it then i would jump into the hardware of it more in depth.

 

[BaneTheTerrible]

http://www.vintagesynth.com/

korg poly-800

 

[MisterGroove]

Yes, it is possible.

 

[TronikBeatz]

banshee....

the banshee is cool... if ur doing the peter framton thing with a guitar... but as far as talkboxing... i would suggest going the old school route as MisterGroove described... i own a banshee and i personally dont like the way it sounds when talkboxing... yes u can use a talkbox with a soft synth... the other day i was messing around with the banshee and Reason's Malstrom synth... got some pretty crazy sounds with it,,, but theres just NOTHING like the real thing... keybord-amp-talkbox...