Vocoding with Voyager?

The Unknown · Post by **The Unknown** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 3:04 pm

I think it would be fantastic if it were possible to vocode with the Voyager. Maybe Bob Moog could come up with a way of doing this on future models? Anyone else agree?

parallel98 · Post by **parallel98** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:42 pm

I thought about trying this myself after reading this:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul00/a ... 32017cc467

Theoretically, w/the VX, a pitch-to-voltage converter, and an envelope follower, you can vocode w/the MMV, or any other synth that provides patchable CVs:

The Unknown · Post by **The Unknown** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 5:20 am

Having thought about trying, are you going to give it a go?

parallel98 · Post by **parallel98** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 1:06 pm

On my long list of things to try I guess, and it would require some extra gear. I eventually want to purchase a Modcan env follower for my small Modcan system, but they don't make a P2V.

s16016wb · Post by **s16016wb** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 2:53 pm

Not exactly... Vocoding has to do with harmonic spectra, not pitch. To patch together a vocoder you really need a bank of narrow-band envelope followers paired with matched bandpass filters. The more pairs of followers-filters, the more intelligible the vocoder. Its also useful to mix a little of the original signal through a highpass filter for sibilance.

What parallel98 is describing would be more like an oscillator that changes pitch with your voice through a filter that matches your voice's intensity. I've tried this, minus the pitch following. A single filter really can't handle vowel formants all that well, but is still an interesting effect on its own.

Analog vocoders are expensive and because of all the calibration involved are difficult to build. If you can get your hands on one, I suggest the Electrix Warp Factory vocoder. I've also heard good things about the MAM vocoder.

parallel98 · Post by **parallel98** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 3:34 pm

Yeah, the above SOS article in my earlier post describes all this in detail. But you still need a P2V converter, correct? I understand people who vocode on large modulars use this along w/fixed filters and env followers.

I also had the Electrix in my studio for a while and it was a great vocoder. I never understood why that company went out of business. They had great products that were relatively inexpensive.

Geoff

s16016wb · Post by **s16016wb** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 5:59 pm

Strictly speaking, the P2V is not a requirement, only if you want to track the pitch of the monophonic source as well as harmonic spectra. But it all depends on what you're after.

Vocoding plus the P2V if done with great finesse will produce an eerie singing synth voice. Vocoding a monophonic melody played from a monosynth will get a great pitch-corrected robotic sound if you go easy on the portamento and use a lot of grace notes - like Daft Punk's "One More Time" or much of the Kraftwerk stuff . Vocoding lush chords on a poly-synth gets you textures like "Mr Roboto".

Most of the vocoding you hear in pop music and electronica is done with the pitch controlled with the keyboard/strings/knobs/antennae of whatever you are vocoding.

By the way - vocoding a theremin is a unique experience