Definitely what I needed: no fancy crap. Talk boxing at first is just blood sweat and tears…a lot of tears if we count saliva too. your tips are just golden. Thanks
I’ve been a fan of Roger Troutman‘s for many years. I had a customer a talk box at one time until the horn driver went out on it. I then purchased two rock Tron banshee units. One unit is a back up unit in case my other one decides to crash. I have a Yamaha DX 27. I’ve been playing Talkbox since 2004 and I’m even on a few projects.
Ive had a home studio for years, and have also been a fan of Zapp & Roger for YEARS. For whatever reason I JUST added the Talkbox to my arsenal (wifey got me one for Christmas!) and I'm already in love with it. ✌
David, great video and approach. I might suggest a part 2 on recording/mixing the talkbox. Mics, pop filters, low pass, compression, EQ, etc. I'm finding this to be even trickier than actually "playing" it.
These are such GREAT tips! I finally picked up a talk box and have been spitting all over the place ever since ;) Getting better at is with practice--your vid is freaking golden! It adds so much character to either leads or vocalizations. Thanks for putting this together ;)
I think the open throat sound is much fuller, but I also like the way it sounds when you don't do that, too. I think they both sound good, useful for different parts and styles.
Thank you so much for your complete explanation. Just received my MXR222 and this is what I was searching for. I do have the DX-100 also (used by a lot of TalkBox-players) but my intention is to use the monophonic virtual analog synth of the Roland SP-808. Grtzzz, Roger (not Troutman 😉)
Franciscus Jackson Having owned a DX100 myself for the last 2 years, despite it being known as “the one Roger used” (why I bought mine) I have actually this week come to the conclusion that it’s entirely the wrong keyboard for me to talk box with. I’d struggled the entire 2 years with playing riffs on the thing. I chalked it up simply to me being a poor player. I recently picked up a Moog Grandmother (prior to the DX, Roger used a Minimoog, they were just terrible synths to tour with leading to him relying on the DX100) and only 2 nights ago, for shits & giggles I figured I’d make a talk box patch on it. Plugged it into my MXR & immediately on the first pass, had the best talkbox performance I’d had since first buying it. By the end of the night, I was comfortable enough to start writing & recording songs for talkbox. The VERY SHALLOW mini keys on the DX100 aren’t the best for everyone & players with bigger hands like me may struggle & discover full size keys are a better choice. Not to mention with an analog synth, the variety of tones you can get in real time, no period correct FM synth can compete with. This was such a game changing revelation for me that I’m selling my DX100 now.
Roger used many different synths. Not just the dx100. You just need a sawtooth waveform. I use my moog little phatty and you couldn't tell any difference from when I use my dx100.
David, thank you very much for this video! It's so packed with real examples I'm building a talk box today, and can't wait to try it out! Thank you, again!!
They sound different, cant say one better than the other. One, a deep and variable ambiance, (additional or side expression), the other, precise, pointed and shallow. Both with good application. As of this writing, I'm struggling with my first syllable (will try/practice percussive). Absolutely excellent so far and I haven't even finished the video. Your "Keyboard Tutorial" is more informative than the Guitar ones that I've seen so far. If I can go there and say "percussive", I'll let you know. Thanks much...John
You're good at it. I suggest you try to replace the compression driver (the speaker inside the TB) with a better one. most talkboxes you find on the market have a very poor compression driver. It's quite easy and cheap to find a replacement part in stores selling sound systems. Compression drivers are actually the speakers you can find in megaphones (not sure of the word, sorry, I'm French). Just be sure to get a 1'' version, then all you have to do is search for the largest bandwidth and power. Once you have the part, just keep everything else in your talkbox (including the outer mtel shell/box) but replace the driver. Man if you haven't tried a custom talkbox yet, you're in for a whole new world of craziness, the sound will growl into your throat right down to your stomach.
Lol this dude is such a champ I've got the rocktron banshee2 I know a lot of accomplished musicians and bandmates, but not one has got the talkbox down. This is my chance to show em up Irony being I'm primarily a singer and songwriter and I play to accompany myself. THis is a great vid duderino, thanks for the tips
Thank you bro, I just got me a microkorg and talkbox and I don't really know keyboard but I've been teaching myself and seeing this helped a lot! Keep going man 👍
I didn't catch where you explained whether you close the back of your mouth or not. I mean, opening it will make if fatter of course but I thought you want to CLOSE off the back of the mouth with your tongue so that all the sound bounces back out instead of some being lost down the back of your throat. Maybe you don't need to if the sound is loud out of that tube. thx
That was an awesome lesson! Wanted to add a top box to my guitar playing and even though you’re teaching keyboard it’s still pretty much works the same. Thank you again!
Dude this is a great tutorial! I just got an mxr and using a microkorg. So boosting highs and using a raw mono sawtooth is what I needed to know about. Dope!
The vowel sounds are called Formant. The cavity of your mouth and tongue position changes the filtering frequency of your mouth. Put your phone speaker up to your mouth while playing music and mouth words, and you will hear the formant effect.
I'm not a musician at all, just curious how those things work. Great video. Very thorough and really interesting. The second technique opening your throat sounds better for sure. It sounds rounder or something. And you're right about reverb coming from the talk box sounding awful.
Thank you a lot for this tutorial it helps a looot ! I still have one major issue though ... I can't find the right tone to use. I'"m using Ableton Live Lite, and a midi keyboard, so I think i need to find a VST that can reproduce SAW waves, and for the life of me I can't find anything. Can someone point me to the right VST to use so I can have the right sound ? Thanks a lot !
What you're dropping in your throat is your larynx, or your Adams apple. If you put your finger on your Adams apple and open your throat you'll feel it move. It gets you a more operatic singing voice as well. What helps me get there is faking a yawn.
Hey there - to my knowledge there's not really a good sound on the electro unfortunately. I bet u could easily download a simple saw tooth patch tho. You won't have access to vibrato or pitch stick on the electro which is a bit of a bummer. I love nords and def love the electro but thats one thing that sucks about it
Great video! I just picked up an MXR talk box and a crappy pawn shop keyboard (not a synth) a few weeks ago. Learning keyboard basics, but also learned that I really do need a synthesizer to get that funky, Zapp-y sound. The keyboard I picked up also doesn’t have a pitch or mod wheel, so I’m left with a lot of flat sounding, boring notes. What sort of synth would you recommend getting into? I’ve seen lots use MicroKorgs, and I know Roger used a DX-100, but synthesizers are still pretty foreign to me, so any tips to finding a good unit to talkbox with would be great! And again, super helpful video!
@TheParanormalnormal yo man! I used a yamaha reface cs for a long time. The good and bad thing about it is it doesn't save any presets, you have to dial in the sound you want every time you change something on it. For a beginner this is actually great cause it will force you to actually learn synthesis, but once you get a little more experienced you'll find that annoying. I currently use my nord stage 3 for the talk box but that's way too expensive for someone just dipping their toes in. A micro korg would also be a great option, or really anything that has 3 or more octaves and is a decent synth. Almost all synths will have a basic saw tooth sound. You should be able to find something for 300-500. Maybe less if you buy used.
Great Video and great T-Shirt Choice, David! IJust purchased one off eBay, and it will be delivered in 3 or 4 days. It will not come with the clear tube, so I plan to purchase the tube just at a local hardware store. Does the length of the tube make any difference on sound quality?
Excellent bro! I agree with you on the other tutorials. I got more from this than 10 other videos. Can you drop a little quick notes on actually “recording the talk box to tracks” tracking? Thanks
The thing you are doing is lowering your larynx. It gives the sound from the tube more space to resonate. You also said hi pass filter at 11:30, you prob meant low pass filter.
If you have trouble with the pipe falling out of your mouth, strap it to the microphone stand. That way you don't even need to use your teeth to hold it in place. The other thing is to watch the output level from the talkbox, it can damage the vocal cords. If it is not loud enough, increase the mic gain, NOT effect output.
Honestly I wouldn't recommend that. I find way more control and "vocal dexterity" by learning to hold it with your teeth. Tried strapping it when I first got into talkboxing.
@@DavidThackerMusic I use a Heil Talkbox with guitar, much like Peter Frampton and David Gilmour. Having it on a mike stand means it's one less thing to worry about when both hands are occupied.
Hi! Thanks David! Great tips. I'm a keyboard player and thinking of diving in to this. Do all talk boxes require a mic to mic the tube? I was thinking about the Talk Star. They all need a mic to mic the tube? Do any have a direct out? that I can take direct into a mixer/Pa or my interface/DAW without the use of a mic.Thanks Ron
Hey Ron- yes all talk boxes will require the use of a mic due to the nature of hpw it all works. The sound comes out of the tube and is shaped by your mouth. If you took a direct signal from the talk box you wouldn't hear any shape or words to the sound. Think of it like singing. There's no way to get a "direct line" out of your body cause the noise is coming from inside you
@@DavidThackerMusic th-cam.com/video/FneJF479gSo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ODRMTClcza828OOf Thanks David. I was curious because it looks like Mr. Talk box above has no mic. There must be a room mic then. And Talk Star is I guess super loud coming out of the tube? Thanks for your reply. Very helpful! Ron
Been wanting to get into using synth and the talk box because of twrp. Would you recommend I learn keyboard first or just have fun with a talk box and synth and figure it out by trial and error?
the best Talk Box tutorial i've seen on youtube, thanks!. A few extra questions: 1. Do you think a synth like the Korg Monologue or any other 25 key synth would be to small for talkboxing? i mean, is 25 keys enough or you think one would need 37 keys minimum? 2. Do you use the talkbox as a "monophonic" instruments or sometimes do chords/armonize melodies (i'm thinking Teddy Riley on Blackstreet "Don't Leave")? I don't know why, but i've always seen the talkbox as a monophonic instruments, unlike the vocoder, maybe because Roger tended to use a 2nd talboxer live to armonize. All the best from Chile!
Yo man, thanks! #1 - probably depends on the key that the song is in. I just bought a Yamaha Reface CS which has 37 keys and it has me slightly stressing about the number of keys, but I"m gonna give it a go as my talk box synth. I'll report back. I think if you do simple melodies it shouldn't be too bad, but if you plan on soloing it may be tough #2 - i use it monophonic. I want to play in a band with another keyboard player (or two) that talkbox and then do harmonies. I've never seen anyone use a talk box polyphonic, but then again, theres no rules so do whatchya wanna!! thanks for watching man!
@@DavidThackerMusic thanks for the quick answer, I'm about to get a Yamaha Reface DX for talkbox duties, do you think the pitcher wheel/lever on both the DX and CS will allow me to do vibrato? (Since there's no modwheel). I watched a Mootboxle video this morning where he used the pitch wheel on a Korg minilogue (similar to the one on the refaces I think) to do vibrato and it worked great. All the best!
@@felipeopazomusic Hey sorry for the late reply - I've used the Reface CS for talk box and it works great - I changed the pitch shift from an octave to a whole step cause thats what I"m more comfortable with. Also, it does have the ability to do vibrato. Not sure about the DX
Yo David Looks like the “throat dropping” is you relaxing the tongue and jaw. This is a singing technique to get that giant tongue muscle out of the way. Pretty cool that you thought it felt like what it actually was. That never happens 😏 A way to get yourself to do it on command is by starting to yawn. Pretty sure we all got that down. Right on Back to the shed
David Thacker Noiçe Lemme know if it rings true. Or not I can take it And thank u for this vid...you know what you did...talkbox is definitely hip and on the flip it’s never intuitive.
Mike Jackson (the one who did all the talk box for Jodeci) told me throw that tube that you get from the package and go to Lowe’s and get a better one . Still haven’t did it yet lol
Thanks for this tutorial! Currently trying this myself and i'm wondering how loud should you send the signal through the tube? Does the loudness matter in any way?
In my experience you need a pretty clear signal. Volume depends on the length of the tube and you mic setup etc. If it's too high of a volume, I find you get a lot of bleed from your cheeks and throat resonating!
This is sick! I’m buying a Microkorg soon and was wondering what talk box you’d recommend for live use? How would I set this up running through a PA/FOH?
I'd reccomend the mxr since it's easy to find, it has a tone, volume, and gain nob, and a lot of people use it and like it. As far as playing through a PA, it's just like regular vocals, you'll have a microphone going into the PA and you "sing" the talk box into the mic. Good luck man!
@@seantyler yeah the mxr is definitely loud enough. I use it at gigs all the time and run it thought the PA - it cuts over a 10 piece band with horns easily. And yeah I just run the hottest water I can through it out of my tap, I dont boil it too often but I have before. I put a tiny bit of bleach or soap through it as well. The MXR comes with a tube and I havent changed mine, although I know a lot of people prefer a smaller tube but I got a big mouth and am fine with the bigger diameter
Dope video man. Are you for hire for talkboxing on a record? I'm still learning on my golden throat and I'm not a super funky keyboard player so I was hoping you were down to session on a track. Thanks
Are you experiencing a volume drop in your signal with the unit in your signal chain and bypassed as compared to your volume without it in the chain? I had gotten one but took it back after finding I had a good 20-25% drop in volume with it in line.
@@DavidThackerMusic i had a feeling it was a faulty unit. Glad I sent it back. What's your band(s)? I'd love to check y'all out. if you like reggae I'm with TreeHouse! out of myrtle beach, sc. everything's "treehousetheband" if you look us up
2:17 - What is the Talk box
3:17 - Technique
8:24 - Keyboard Technique
10:42 - Tone/Patch
12:43 - How to Practice/Get Better
I've seen a lot of vid's about the Talk Box by now and I've come to the conclusion that this box surely makes people talk a lot.
That throat sound is the magic touch. Only some players have that sound. Love it!
Thanks for sharing, I‘m just starting out on the talk box and your video is exactly what I need!
Legitimately the best talkbox tutorial on TH-cam at the moment. So much helpful info here.
Glad you dug it man!
Who the hell knows now that TH-cam removed dislikes lol
@@therupoe yea its def silly they did that, but I can still see the ratio and it's 99% thumbs up :)
th-cam.com/video/h_L5v9OTSxc/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=LorenzRhode check this guy out.
What equipment are you using?
Definitely what I needed: no fancy crap. Talk boxing at first is just blood sweat and tears…a lot of tears if we count saliva too.
your tips are just golden.
Thanks
This is literally the best talk box tutorial on TH-cam. 💯
As a new talkbox owner i have to say having this video in my head before buying I was well prepared for it
I’ve been a fan of Roger Troutman‘s for many years. I had a customer a talk box at one time until the horn driver went out on it. I then purchased two rock Tron banshee units. One unit is a back up unit in case my other one decides to crash. I have a Yamaha DX 27. I’ve been playing Talkbox since 2004 and I’m even on a few projects.
this was by far the best and most comprehensive talk box tutorial I've seen so far; thank you brotha
I wasn't expecting such a informative tutorial when I searched. Subscribed!
Ive had a home studio for years, and have also been a fan of Zapp & Roger for YEARS. For whatever reason I JUST added the Talkbox to my arsenal (wifey got me one for Christmas!) and I'm already in love with it. ✌
Awesome man! Its definitely a fun one. Enjoy!!
@@DavidThackerMusic yes sir! Nice tutorial by the way.
This is the best talkbox tutorial on TH-cam - and I've watched quite a few til i ended up here. THANKS for sharing!
Johannes B. Hey thank you!!
I’m a guitarist & this is a really great instructional video my Brother!!!! Bravo 👏🏽
This is super helpful, i genuinely never found a video even address the tone
David, great video and approach. I might suggest a part 2 on recording/mixing the talkbox. Mics, pop filters, low pass, compression, EQ, etc. I'm finding this to be even trickier than actually "playing" it.
if this happens can somebody ping me 😅
These are such GREAT tips! I finally picked up a talk box and have been spitting all over the place ever since ;) Getting better at is with practice--your vid is freaking golden! It adds so much character to either leads or vocalizations. Thanks for putting this together ;)
I think the open throat sound is much fuller, but I also like the way it sounds when you don't do that, too. I think they both sound good, useful for different parts and styles.
You answered all the questions I had and gave me info I didnt realise I needed too. Thank you!
Thank you so much for your complete explanation.
Just received my MXR222 and this is what I was searching for.
I do have the DX-100 also (used by a lot of TalkBox-players) but my intention is to use the monophonic virtual analog synth of the Roland SP-808.
Grtzzz,
Roger (not Troutman 😉)
the yamaha dx is the one Roger troutman and Zapp used..... its best ever..
Franciscus Jackson Having owned a DX100 myself for the last 2 years, despite it being known as “the one Roger used” (why I bought mine) I have actually this week come to the conclusion that it’s entirely the wrong keyboard for me to talk box with. I’d struggled the entire 2 years with playing riffs on the thing. I chalked it up simply to me being a poor player. I recently picked up a Moog Grandmother (prior to the DX, Roger used a Minimoog, they were just terrible synths to tour with leading to him relying on the DX100) and only 2 nights ago, for shits & giggles I figured I’d make a talk box patch on it. Plugged it into my MXR & immediately on the first pass, had the best talkbox performance I’d had since first buying it. By the end of the night, I was comfortable enough to start writing & recording songs for talkbox. The VERY SHALLOW mini keys on the DX100 aren’t the best for everyone & players with bigger hands like me may struggle & discover full size keys are a better choice. Not to mention with an analog synth, the variety of tones you can get in real time, no period correct FM synth can compete with. This was such a game changing revelation for me that I’m selling my DX100 now.
Roger used many different synths. Not just the dx100. You just need a sawtooth waveform. I use my moog little phatty and you couldn't tell any difference from when I use my dx100.
David, thank you very much for this video! It's so packed with real examples I'm building a talk box today, and can't wait to try it out! Thank you, again!!
Best tutorial I've seen. Thanks brother
They sound different, cant say one better than the other. One, a deep and variable ambiance, (additional or side expression), the other, precise, pointed and shallow. Both with good application. As of this writing, I'm struggling with my first syllable (will try/practice percussive). Absolutely excellent so far and I haven't even finished the video. Your "Keyboard Tutorial" is more informative than the Guitar ones that I've seen so far. If I can go there and say "percussive", I'll let you know. Thanks much...John
One of the best videos on youtube! Really! Thank you for making this!
You're good at it. I suggest you try to replace the compression driver (the speaker inside the TB) with a better one. most talkboxes you find on the market have a very poor compression driver. It's quite easy and cheap to find a replacement part in stores selling sound systems. Compression drivers are actually the speakers you can find in megaphones (not sure of the word, sorry, I'm French). Just be sure to get a 1'' version, then all you have to do is search for the largest bandwidth and power. Once you have the part, just keep everything else in your talkbox (including the outer mtel shell/box) but replace the driver. Man if you haven't tried a custom talkbox yet, you're in for a whole new world of craziness, the sound will growl into your throat right down to your stomach.
Thanks for the heads up! I'll check it out. PS - is that the same thing in a leslie speaker?
Excellent video David ! Thank you very much! As you can imaging, I’m contemplating buying a talk box pretty soon haha
Lol this dude is such a champ
I've got the rocktron banshee2 I know a lot of accomplished musicians and bandmates, but not one has got the talkbox down. This is my chance to show em up
Irony being I'm primarily a singer and songwriter and I play to accompany myself.
THis is a great vid duderino, thanks for the tips
Thank you bro, I just got me a microkorg and talkbox and I don't really know keyboard but I've been teaching myself and seeing this helped a lot! Keep going man 👍
I didn't catch where you explained whether you close the back of your mouth or not. I mean, opening it will make if fatter of course but I thought you want to CLOSE off the back of the mouth with your tongue so that all the sound bounces back out instead of some being lost down the back of your throat. Maybe you don't need to if the sound is loud out of that tube. thx
When did Post Malone get all his face tats removed?
i once convinced thousands of people i was post malone at one of his concerts. video on my instagram
New name idea: Pre-Malone
@@starpulverizer227 😂
@@DavidThackerMusic hilarious
@@starpulverizer227 Haha 😂 Classic
Tom Cruise Guy right here knows how to talkbox :-D Thanks for sharing this with us Dave!
😂
Great video, starting to get motivated thanks. I mean I am using a guitar but still thought I want to try all your practice tips
That was an awesome lesson! Wanted to add a top box to my guitar playing and even though you’re teaching keyboard it’s still pretty much works the same. Thank you again!
Glad u got something out of it!
Dude this is a great tutorial! I just got an mxr and using a microkorg. So boosting highs and using a raw mono sawtooth is what I needed to know about. Dope!
Glad it helped ya man! Happy talkboxing
Yeah man real good talk box tutorial, thanks.
Roger Troutman was the shit! Favorite talk boxer… a legend
Thanks, David! Great video, great attitude.
The best Talbox video ever
Thanks you taught me a lot in a good amount of time
Great video! Really helpful for learning how to make the words sound reasonable :-)
The vowel sounds are called Formant.
The cavity of your mouth and tongue position changes the filtering frequency of your mouth.
Put your phone speaker up to your mouth while playing music and mouth words, and you will hear the formant effect.
I'm not a musician at all, just curious how those things work. Great video. Very thorough and really interesting. The second technique opening your throat sounds better for sure. It sounds rounder or something. And you're right about reverb coming from the talk box sounding awful.
Those transitions feel like they are some omnipresent force interrupting him it catches me off guard every time 😆
Excellent tutorial though.
Came for the talk box, stayed for the shirt.
😂
Great tutorial! How do I avoid key noise while recording?
Best Tutorial so far! Thanks a lot!!!!
You the man with this tutorial. Yeah the second voicing sounded better.
Thanks man! Glad ya dug it!
Great tutorial - but why did you hang your cymbals this high on your edrum set behind
great explanation man, so helpful. thanks.
Thank you a lot for this tutorial it helps a looot ! I still have one major issue though ... I can't find the right tone to use. I'"m using Ableton Live Lite, and a midi keyboard, so I think i need to find a VST that can reproduce SAW waves, and for the life of me I can't find anything. Can someone point me to the right VST to use so I can have the right sound ? Thanks a lot !
THIS was the video I needed. Thank you :)
Defs sounds different when you do the throat drop. Could be useful to do both techniques. Great video.
Thanks Mr. post malone helped me out a lot!
What you're dropping in your throat is your larynx, or your Adams apple. If you put your finger on your Adams apple and open your throat you'll feel it move. It gets you a more operatic singing voice as well.
What helps me get there is faking a yawn.
Hello David, thanks for the tuto. I see you have a Nord Electro on your left, could you advise a NE patch/sound which could work with the talkbox?
Hey there - to my knowledge there's not really a good sound on the electro unfortunately. I bet u could easily download a simple saw tooth patch tho. You won't have access to vibrato or pitch stick on the electro which is a bit of a bummer. I love nords and def love the electro but thats one thing that sucks about it
Great video, very informative.
Lol 😆 🤣 😂 man I'm watching this and my family is in the room, sounds so dirty. Lol I swear I'm not watching a dirty talk show
Practice part really help a lot😊
Great video! I just picked up an MXR talk box and a crappy pawn shop keyboard (not a synth) a few weeks ago. Learning keyboard basics, but also learned that I really do need a synthesizer to get that funky, Zapp-y sound. The keyboard I picked up also doesn’t have a pitch or mod wheel, so I’m left with a lot of flat sounding, boring notes.
What sort of synth would you recommend getting into? I’ve seen lots use MicroKorgs, and I know Roger used a DX-100, but synthesizers are still pretty foreign to me, so any tips to finding a good unit to talkbox with would be great! And again, super helpful video!
@TheParanormalnormal yo man! I used a yamaha reface cs for a long time. The good and bad thing about it is it doesn't save any presets, you have to dial in the sound you want every time you change something on it. For a beginner this is actually great cause it will force you to actually learn synthesis, but once you get a little more experienced you'll find that annoying. I currently use my nord stage 3 for the talk box but that's way too expensive for someone just dipping their toes in. A micro korg would also be a great option, or really anything that has 3 or more octaves and is a decent synth. Almost all synths will have a basic saw tooth sound. You should be able to find something for 300-500. Maybe less if you buy used.
Awesome video
I love it your honesty
Good job.
Thanks Rick!!
the title didn't lie
Hey dude! great tutorial. I've been using Talk Box for a time, I can't sing! Words are not clear. Could you give me a personal class?
Sure man! My instagram is @dthack38 if you wanna find me there and shoot me a DM or email me at davidthackerbooking@gmail.com
Great Video and great T-Shirt Choice, David! IJust purchased one off eBay, and it will be delivered in 3 or 4 days. It will not come with the clear tube, so I plan to purchase the tube just at a local hardware store. Does the length of the tube make any difference on sound quality?
Dude you rock. Much love for this
you're great at teaching man 🍻
Definitely the second one. A much fuller and richer sound
That shirt is amazing
Very helpful. I'm not a native English speaker and I'm wondering what how my accent would affect the end result.
omg, love the sly stone lyrics for the example
@@99V66 check out the Victor wooten version - I ripped doing that song on the talk box off from him!
@@DavidThackerMusic yo this rocks !!!! thanks for the rec!
What microphone would you recommend for picking up the sound? Mine is garbage haha
Excellent bro! I agree with you on the other tutorials. I got more from this than 10 other videos. Can you drop a little quick notes on actually “recording the talk box to tracks” tracking? Thanks
The thing you are doing is lowering your larynx. It gives the sound from the tube more space to resonate. You also said hi pass filter at 11:30, you prob meant low pass filter.
Nice good to know!
Great job! Thank you so much for this video.
You're amazing thank you. Second one sounded better.
If you have trouble with the pipe falling out of your mouth, strap it to the microphone stand.
That way you don't even need to use your teeth to hold it in place.
The other thing is to watch the output level from the talkbox, it can damage the vocal cords.
If it is not loud enough, increase the mic gain, NOT effect output.
Honestly I wouldn't recommend that. I find way more control and "vocal dexterity" by learning to hold it with your teeth. Tried strapping it when I first got into talkboxing.
that said, there no one right way to do it! always good to experiment
@@DavidThackerMusic I use a Heil Talkbox with guitar, much like Peter Frampton and David Gilmour. Having it on a mike stand means it's one less thing to worry about when both hands are occupied.
Hi! Thanks David! Great tips. I'm a keyboard player and thinking of diving in to this. Do all talk boxes require a mic to mic the tube? I was thinking about the Talk Star. They all need a mic to mic the tube? Do any have a direct out? that I can take direct into a mixer/Pa or my interface/DAW without the use of a mic.Thanks
Ron
Hey Ron- yes all talk boxes will require the use of a mic due to the nature of hpw it all works. The sound comes out of the tube and is shaped by your mouth. If you took a direct signal from the talk box you wouldn't hear any shape or words to the sound. Think of it like singing. There's no way to get a "direct line" out of your body cause the noise is coming from inside you
@@DavidThackerMusic th-cam.com/video/FneJF479gSo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ODRMTClcza828OOf
Thanks David. I was curious because it looks like Mr. Talk box above has no mic. There must be a room mic then. And Talk Star is I guess super loud coming out of the tube? Thanks for your reply. Very helpful!
Ron
The best talkbox tutorial... any special eq on the mic?
The second one popped. I love both different sounds but the number 2 is the biz.
This is really good. Looking at getting a TB, helpful info here.
Great video. Just one question: Do you need to mostly practice into a mic ?
I dont usually, it may be helpful at first
Been wanting to get into using synth and the talk box because of twrp. Would you recommend I learn keyboard first or just have fun with a talk box and synth and figure it out by trial and error?
the best Talk Box tutorial i've seen on youtube, thanks!. A few extra questions: 1. Do you think a synth like the Korg Monologue or any other 25 key synth would be to small for talkboxing? i mean, is 25 keys enough or you think one would need 37 keys minimum? 2. Do you use the talkbox as a "monophonic" instruments or sometimes do chords/armonize melodies (i'm thinking Teddy Riley on Blackstreet "Don't Leave")? I don't know why, but i've always seen the talkbox as a monophonic instruments, unlike the vocoder, maybe because Roger tended to use a 2nd talboxer live to armonize. All the best from Chile!
Yo man, thanks!
#1 - probably depends on the key that the song is in. I just bought a Yamaha Reface CS which has 37 keys and it has me slightly stressing about the number of keys, but I"m gonna give it a go as my talk box synth. I'll report back. I think if you do simple melodies it shouldn't be too bad, but if you plan on soloing it may be tough
#2 - i use it monophonic. I want to play in a band with another keyboard player (or two) that talkbox and then do harmonies. I've never seen anyone use a talk box polyphonic, but then again, theres no rules so do whatchya wanna!!
thanks for watching man!
@@DavidThackerMusic thanks for the quick answer, I'm about to get a Yamaha Reface DX for talkbox duties, do you think the pitcher wheel/lever on both the DX and CS will allow me to do vibrato? (Since there's no modwheel). I watched a Mootboxle video this morning where he used the pitch wheel on a Korg minilogue (similar to the one on the refaces I think) to do vibrato and it worked great. All the best!
@@felipeopazomusic Hey sorry for the late reply - I've used the Reface CS for talk box and it works great - I changed the pitch shift from an octave to a whole step cause thats what I"m more comfortable with. Also, it does have the ability to do vibrato. Not sure about the DX
Dude absolutely perfect ✌️👌 thank you so much !!!
Yo David
Looks like the “throat dropping” is you relaxing the tongue and jaw. This is a singing technique to get that giant tongue muscle out of the way.
Pretty cool that you thought it felt like what it actually was.
That never happens 😏
A way to get yourself to do it on command is by starting to yawn. Pretty sure we all got that down.
Right on
Back to the shed
Thanks for the info and advice for yawning to practice it. I'll be giving it a try!
David Thacker
Noiçe
Lemme know if it rings true.
Or not
I can take it
And thank u for this vid...you know what you did...talkbox is definitely hip and on the flip it’s never intuitive.
Great job 👏🏽
Mike Jackson (the one who did all the talk box for Jodeci) told me throw that tube that you get from the package and go to Lowe’s and get a better one . Still haven’t did it yet lol
Thanks for the video. I still don't understand how your getting such clear consonants, or any at all for that matter.
Massive repetition 🤘 play any vocal melody you want and try it 500 times, see how much better you should after 500 reps
any recommendations for good affordable talk boxes?
Thanks for this tutorial! Currently trying this myself and i'm wondering how loud should you send the signal through the tube? Does the loudness matter in any way?
In my experience you need a pretty clear signal. Volume depends on the length of the tube and you mic setup etc. If it's too high of a volume, I find you get a lot of bleed from your cheeks and throat resonating!
@@tmanF4 thanks for the reply!
You need a loud enough signal to be picked up by the mic, other than that there's really no right answer to this!
When you play w a full band, your signal will go thru the PA system, not thru what ever amp you use
Great video!!! Thank you!!
This is sick! I’m buying a Microkorg soon and was wondering what talk box you’d recommend for live use? How would I set this up running through a PA/FOH?
I'd reccomend the mxr since it's easy to find, it has a tone, volume, and gain nob, and a lot of people use it and like it. As far as playing through a PA, it's just like regular vocals, you'll have a microphone going into the PA and you "sing" the talk box into the mic.
Good luck man!
David thanks so much for the quick reply. You think the MXR will be loud enough? Also heard about boiling the tube before use. And will any tube work?
@@seantyler yeah the mxr is definitely loud enough. I use it at gigs all the time and run it thought the PA - it cuts over a 10 piece band with horns easily. And yeah I just run the hottest water I can through it out of my tap, I dont boil it too often but I have before. I put a tiny bit of bleach or soap through it as well.
The MXR comes with a tube and I havent changed mine, although I know a lot of people prefer a smaller tube but I got a big mouth and am fine with the bigger diameter
It sounds funky
Boi you ain't lyin!!
Dope video man. Are you for hire for talkboxing on a record? I'm still learning on my golden throat and I'm not a super funky keyboard player so I was hoping you were down to session on a track. Thanks
Yeah man, feel free to email me dt1152@gmail.com or hit me up on insta @dthack38
Are you experiencing a volume drop in your signal with the unit in your signal chain and bypassed as compared to your volume without it in the chain? I had gotten one but took it back after finding I had a good 20-25% drop in volume with it in line.
I haven’t experienced that
@@DavidThackerMusic i had a feeling it was a faulty unit. Glad I sent it back. What's your band(s)? I'd love to check y'all out. if you like reggae I'm with TreeHouse! out of myrtle beach, sc. everything's "treehousetheband" if you look us up
Thanks for the video.
very helpful mate....thanx
4:55 AEYOOO !!!
Good looking out, bruh.
Very exact wording on that tee. I love smooth hahahahaha
HELPFUL VIDEO!! Thank you!
Glad it helped! Happy talk boxing!