How The hell does a Talk Box work?
- Thread starter mcclano
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matt99camero
New member
Re: How The hell does a Talk Box work?
I've got dunlop Heil talkbox. With my Hot Rod deluxe I plug the wire from one side of the TB into my speaker out and the other side into into the wires coming off of the speaker via a connecter. You run the tube from the TB up the mic stand and place the end of it by the mic. When you turn it on it cuts off the signal to the amp and the sound comes out of the tube only. The mic picks up the sound from the tube and it goes through the pa. You just put your mouth over it and mouth words or whatever sounds you want it to make, you don't make any sound into the tube, it takes practice getting words to come out clearly. I'm not sure about the other brands of TB's but thats the way mine works.
I've got dunlop Heil talkbox. With my Hot Rod deluxe I plug the wire from one side of the TB into my speaker out and the other side into into the wires coming off of the speaker via a connecter. You run the tube from the TB up the mic stand and place the end of it by the mic. When you turn it on it cuts off the signal to the amp and the sound comes out of the tube only. The mic picks up the sound from the tube and it goes through the pa. You just put your mouth over it and mouth words or whatever sounds you want it to make, you don't make any sound into the tube, it takes practice getting words to come out clearly. I'm not sure about the other brands of TB's but thats the way mine works.
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matt99camero
New member
Re: How The hell does a Talk Box work?
It's not to bad after you get uesd to it. Acually mine is back at Dunlop right now cause it just quit on me one night.
It's not to bad after you get uesd to it. Acually mine is back at Dunlop right now cause it just quit on me one night.
Imp
New member
Re: How The hell does a Talk Box work?
a real talk box isn't really in a pedal; its a modified amplifier..
basically you're channelling the output of a small amp into a tube, which goes in your mouth. you model this signal with your mouth, which reaches the microphone. you don't let out any air from your lungs...
the only tricky bit is chanelling the amp's output.. a funnel over the whole speaker, held with duct tape seems to be the traditional method.. leading to a length of surgical tubing
a real talk box isn't really in a pedal; its a modified amplifier..
basically you're channelling the output of a small amp into a tube, which goes in your mouth. you model this signal with your mouth, which reaches the microphone. you don't let out any air from your lungs...
the only tricky bit is chanelling the amp's output.. a funnel over the whole speaker, held with duct tape seems to be the traditional method.. leading to a length of surgical tubing
Simon_F
Super Moderator
Re: How The hell does a Talk Box work?
Rumour has it that Manny Charlton of Nazareth (remember them?) cracked some of Dan McCafferty's teeth with sheer volume when they were trying to engineer their own talk box back in the early 70s. Imagine funnelling the noise from a cranked 100w Marshall through a hose into your mouth. :scared:
Rumour has it that Manny Charlton of Nazareth (remember them?) cracked some of Dan McCafferty's teeth with sheer volume when they were trying to engineer their own talk box back in the early 70s. Imagine funnelling the noise from a cranked 100w Marshall through a hose into your mouth. :scared:
Robert S.
Super Moderator
Re: How The hell does a Talk Box work?
I saw instructions on how to make one a long time ago. You use a small signal amplifier and run the signal into a horn driver and you attach the tubing to the output side of the driver. Pretty simple stuff actually. You can then use an A/B box to route your signal between your main amp and the signal amp.
I saw instructions on how to make one a long time ago. You use a small signal amplifier and run the signal into a horn driver and you attach the tubing to the output side of the driver. Pretty simple stuff actually. You can then use an A/B box to route your signal between your main amp and the signal amp.
Imp
New member
matt99camero
New member
Re: How The hell does a Talk Box work?
AS long as the amp is under 100 watts your ok(according to the paperwork). My roommate plays one through his Blues Deville and Pro Reverb and it has always been just fine.
AS long as the amp is under 100 watts your ok(according to the paperwork). My roommate plays one through his Blues Deville and Pro Reverb and it has always been just fine.
