How does a talkbox work?

[Corbic]

Hey all, I was just listening to some Jeff Beck and Peter Frampton, and I was wondering how the talkbox worked. Not like the inner workings of it, but rather how you would hook it up to stuff to work. I've heard it needs a seperate PA/guitar amp, but I wasn't to sure. Thanks!

-Corbic

 

[Sludgenutz]

Re: How does a talkbox work?

Generally it is an amplified midrange speaker, enclosed in a solid box...the clear tube running from the box physically transmits the tone from the speaker box to the user's mouth...where the complexities of the human anatomy are transformed in the oral cavity.......and then.....allowed to be picked up by a vocal microphone and amp.

 

[Corbic]

Re: How does a talkbox work?

So you need a mic for it to work? I was thinking of eventually getting one of these to use in my fledgling band once we can play a bit better, but my vocals aren't too great. Horrible even :laugh2:

 

[Sludgenutz]

Re: How does a talkbox work?

So you need a mic for it to work? I was thinking of eventually getting one of these to use in my fledgling band once we can play a bit better, but my vocals aren't too great. Horrible even :laugh2:

A mic with its own PA!:yell:

 

[joelap]

Re: How does a talkbox work?

So you need a mic for it to work? I was thinking of eventually getting one of these to use in my fledgling band once we can play a bit better, but my vocals aren't too great. Horrible even :laugh2:

I had one... the fun really wears off after the first week or two. It's a pain to set up and I even had the easier to use Rocktron Banshee model. Sounds great but gotta use it sparingly otherwise people will be like "alright enough already".

You're going to need, if you get the banshee, a microphone, a mic stand, mic cable, then a PA to transmit the talkbox sound. If you get a heil talkbox, you'll need another amp too. Lots of work for an effect that'll be using sparingly... but if you want to give it a shot and got a PA and everything... go for it!

 

[Rich_S]

Re: How does a talkbox work?

Originally, talk boxes took the speaker out from you amp, or a separate amp, and ran it through the tube. Then, you used a vocal mike to pick up the sound and amplify it through the PA. I believe the Rocktron Banshee has its own amp - when you switch it on, it turns off the guitar signal to your amp and amplifies the guitar on its own, through the tube. You still need a vocal mike to amplify that to the audience.

IIRC, the new cheapy Danelectro talkbox goes one further. It has a little condenser mike attached near the top of the tube. The pedal amplifies the sound, and runs it through the tube, then the mike picks up that sound and the mike signal runs back through your guitar amp. No PA needed. Of course it probably works better with a clean guitar amp. I wouldn't want to run that little condenser mike into a full-tilt Mesa Recto, for example.

If you're a guitarist that sings backup (or lead for that matter) then the mike/PA requirement isn't a big deal... your vocal mike is there already. Actually, one of the slickest things I ever saw was Joe Perry's setup (Rocks era). He had his talkbox driver in a sack on his back, and could move around the stage, using any mike available, sharing Tyler's, etc. Sweet Emotion - just too cool.

 

[matt99camero]

Re: How does a talkbox work?

Why do people say you need another amp to use the Heil? I use mine with my Hot Rod Deluxe just the way Rich talks about in the first paragraph in the above post and it works the same way he describes that Banshee works.

 

[cvansickle]

Re: How does a talkbox work?

The Banshee works fine for me. I mic it with a Shure SM57, and use the Shure windscreen to eliminate extra breath noises. The windscreen foam helps to absorb some spit too!

The mic cable runs into one side of a dbx graphic eq, so I can pump the upper mids and take off the top end fizziness that is native to the Banshee. From there it goes into a PA channel. Sometimes I'll push the Banshee's front end with an overdrive to give it more guts.

I use the talk box for "Sweet Emotion," "Rocky Mountain Way," "Hair of the Dog," "Those Shoes" and lately I've been working on Jeff Beck's "She's a Woman."

 

[tone4days]

Re: How does a talkbox work?

I use the talk box for "Sweet Emotion," "Rocky Mountain Way," "Hair of the Dog," "Those Shoes" and lately I've been working on Jeff Beck's "She's a Woman."

no frampton ?!

 

[martinsixstringcustoms]

Re: How does a talkbox work?

no frampton ?!

Guess you better "show them the way", Bill

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: How does a talkbox work?

You can build a talk box super cheap and it sounds just as good. All you need is a small compression horn like the ones used for external pa systems. Remove the bell housing and the center part and you will be left with the compression driver. The compression driver will have a tube from it that looks like a champagne flute. Make sure it is epoxyed to the driver. Next take the top from a RX bottle and drill a hole in it and put a threaded tap through it with rubber washers on either side. Then heat some plastic tubing in boiling water and thread it over the tap and leave yourself a couple feet tubing. Epoxy the top of the RX bottle to the top of the compression driver. Then just hook the hot and cold leads to a small practice amp and use a vocal mircrophone to mic your mouth. Done!

Snowdog