hurricane hugo Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 [video:youtube] because they're just so damn cool. experiences using? tell us your story. haven't had the pleasure? post a fave vocoder song/video! http://blip.fm/invite/WorkRelease Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksoper Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 That's Chris Stack. He's really into vocoders and vocal processors. Well worth your time to dig through his Experimental Synth page. I'm also big fan of vocoders/talkboxes/computer voice synthesis. Probably my all-time favorite is Wendy Carlos' realization/arrangement of the last movement of Beethoven's Ninth. Here's a link to a piece I did for a Keyboard Corner compilation CD a couple of years ago. Gabriel Faure's "In Paradisum" from the Requiem. It features Vocaloid Prima, a modeled classical soprano as the lead vocal, and the Electrix Warp Factory vocoder/Alesis QSR for the choir. Vocaloid is extremely difficult to work with--the interface is kludgy and needs massaging to get anything remotely musical out of it. It didn't help that Prima was programmed to sing English and I needed her to sing Latin. In theory, one should be able to just type in the lyrics and she'll sing them. Nope. There's a phoneme chart that shows you the keystrokes needed to make the sounds she isn't programmed to sing. Once I figured out the "code" the work went a little faster. The Warp Factory isn't exactly an elegant vocoder, and the filter is a bit harsh for my tastes, but a good performance can be coaxed out of it. I'd love to have a Moog/Bode. Enjoy. Soundcloud- "In Paradisum" 9 Moog things, 3 Roland things, 2 Hammond things and a computer with stuff on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillplaying Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 http://experimentalsynth.com/ Just been. Thanks for the pointer. Like it. I'd pay in to hear him gig. I'm the piano player "off of" Borrowed Books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurricane hugo Posted November 1, 2013 Author Share Posted November 1, 2013 here's some dude playing with a vocal synthesis program: [video:youtube] the melody is a traditional Japanese melody. http://blip.fm/invite/WorkRelease Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Enjoy. Beautiful piece, beautifully done. Ken did you discuss this piece anywhere? How did you do the polymoogy strings and the Ondes/Theremin type sound for example? (Did you use moogs or is that simply your good taste in timbres coming through?) Digging your Widor Toccata as I type this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LjkC3eT6LA Ducks...... "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthoid Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 This is going to be an interesting thread. When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Moray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Clark Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 [video:youtube] Soul, R&B, Pop from Los Angeles http://philipclark.com Cannonball Gerald Albright Signature Alto, Yamaha YC73, Fender Rhodes, Roland Juno-106, Yamaha MX61, Roland VR-09, MicroKorg XL, Maschine Mikro, Yamaha Reface CP, Roland MKS-50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mogut Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Love this!!!! [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwm9Xc3swcg -Greg Motif XS8, MOXF8, Hammond XK1c, Vent Rhodes Mark II 88 suitcase, Yamaha P255 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Clark Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 [video:youtube] Soul, R&B, Pop from Los Angeles http://philipclark.com Cannonball Gerald Albright Signature Alto, Yamaha YC73, Fender Rhodes, Roland Juno-106, Yamaha MX61, Roland VR-09, MicroKorg XL, Maschine Mikro, Yamaha Reface CP, Roland MKS-50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 I also uses vocoder at the 3 minute mark on this one. [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrSf-1h_bUw Don't shoot the piano player. LOL! The vocoder was what tipped the scales in favor of buying the S90XS. "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Daft Punk: YES. Glasper: NO. There's a cover of "Lovely Day" on the new Glasper album and it's ruined by vocoder. I liken it to someone dropping a turd in the punchbowl. Fact is, the vocoder is played out and needs to be put back in the closet for another decade. Or maybe more. More often than not these days, it's just a crutch, and an annoying one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthoid Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 There's a cover of "Lovely Day" on the new Glasper album and it's ruined by vocoder. I liken it to someone dropping a turd in the punchbowl. Well, doesn't that just bring life to the party! When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Moray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Clark Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Fact is, the vocoder is played out and needs to be put back in the closet for another decade. Or maybe more. More often than not these days, it's just a crutch, and an annoying one. Come on. We need to introduce a little talk box love into this thread, too. [video:youtube] Soul, R&B, Pop from Los Angeles http://philipclark.com Cannonball Gerald Albright Signature Alto, Yamaha YC73, Fender Rhodes, Roland Juno-106, Yamaha MX61, Roland VR-09, MicroKorg XL, Maschine Mikro, Yamaha Reface CP, Roland MKS-50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 [video:youtube] "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 There's a cover of "Lovely Day" on the new Glasper album and it's ruined by vocoder. I liken it to someone dropping a turd in the punchbowl. Well, doesn't that just bring life to the party! I call it like I hear it. And it doesn't just ruin the song, it's lazy -- a clear attempt to stick to a formula (that IMO didn't work) on the first Black Radio album. It seems like a missed opportunity to reinterpret a classic using a voice, black or otherwise, that's fresher than one that's been vocodered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Clark Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 There's a cover of "Lovely Day" on the new Glasper album and it's ruined by vocoder. I liken it to someone dropping a turd in the punchbowl. Well, doesn't that just bring life to the party! I call it like I hear it. And it doesn't just ruin the song, it's lazy -- a clear attempt to stick to a formula (that IMO didn't work) on the first Black Radio album. It seems like a missed opportunity to reinterpret a classic using a voice, black or otherwise, that's fresher than one that's been vocodered. That's the sound of the Quartet. Nobody in that band sings, and Casey's work on the vocoder is part of the RGE sound. Sorry if, in your opinion, it didn't work. They've got a Grammy to dispute that. If your argument is that vocoders and talk boxes shouldn't be used because someone should just hire a singer as a singer that doesn't wash with me. Soul, R&B, Pop from Los Angeles http://philipclark.com Cannonball Gerald Albright Signature Alto, Yamaha YC73, Fender Rhodes, Roland Juno-106, Yamaha MX61, Roland VR-09, MicroKorg XL, Maschine Mikro, Yamaha Reface CP, Roland MKS-50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 That's the sound of the Quartet. Nobody in that band sings, and Casey's work on the vocoder is part of the RGE sound. Sorry if, in your opinion, it didn't work. They've got a Grammy to dispute that. If your argument is that vocoders and talk boxes shouldn't be used because someone should just hire a singer as a singer that doesn't wash with me. It's a sound that's played out. And everyone knows winning a Grammy doesn't justify anything. That's not my argument. I just don't hear Glasper and Casey doing anything interesting with it, or more interesting than what an amazing singer could have done. Compare it to what Daft Punk did on Random Access Memories -- it's not even close. But there's a larger problem here about what Black Radio means as a concept. I'm not even sure Glasper knows, considering he included "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on the first album. Now, it just seems to be a marketing ploy by Blue Note to sell albums. I don't blame Glasper for going the populist route -- the dude's gotta eat -- but he and the Experiment seem to now be reduced to a backing band that overdoes the vocoder and isn't really advancing R&B, let alone jazz. He's a good player, but he has yet to write a song that will go the distance. At least "Get Lucky," like "Hey Ya" and "Crazy" before it, will have some mileage. To me, that song is more "Black Radio" than anything on either of Glasper's albums of the same name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Clark Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 That's the sound of the Quartet. Nobody in that band sings, and Casey's work on the vocoder is part of the RGE sound. Sorry if, in your opinion, it didn't work. They've got a Grammy to dispute that. If your argument is that vocoders and talk boxes shouldn't be used because someone should just hire a singer as a singer that doesn't wash with me. It's a sound that's played out. And everyone knows winning a Grammy doesn't justify anything. That's not my argument. I just don't hear Glasper and Casey doing anything interesting with it, or more interesting than what an amazing singer could have done. Compare it to what Daft Punk did on Random Access Memories -- it's not even close. But there's a larger problem here about what Black Radio means as a concept. I'm not even sure Glasper knows, considering he included "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on the first album. Now, it just seems to be a marketing ploy by Blue Note to sell albums. I don't blame Glasper for going the populist route -- the dude's gotta eat -- but he and the Experiment seem to now be reduced to a backing band that overdoes the vocoder and isn't really advancing R&B, let alone jazz. How revolutionary is what Daft Punk is doing? Aren't they "played out" by going back to the Nile Rogers/Chic influence? Chromeo is killing Daft Punk on many levels. I think R&B was getting stale, and I do think Glasper is doing a fair job of breathing some life into it, IMO. Anyway, I don't mean to get into a big debate about it. The title of the thread is "Vocoder Love," yet you seem to be hating. Guess every thread has one. EDIT: Most of that Daft Punk record sounds like an old Herbie Hancock record to me. So them and Glasper are essentially drawing from the same well. Soul, R&B, Pop from Los Angeles http://philipclark.com Cannonball Gerald Albright Signature Alto, Yamaha YC73, Fender Rhodes, Roland Juno-106, Yamaha MX61, Roland VR-09, MicroKorg XL, Maschine Mikro, Yamaha Reface CP, Roland MKS-50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Please read my previous post again because I clarified my position. I don't hate the vocoder. I love what Herbie did with it, and I'm very impressed by what Daft Punk has done with it. Glasper, not at all. EDIT: Most of that Daft Punk record sounds like an old Herbie Hancock record to me. So them and Glasper are essentially drawing from the same well. No argument, but only one is clearly trying to advance its use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Clark Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 At least "Get Lucky," like "Hey Ya" and "Crazy" before it, will have some mileage. To me, that song is more "Black Radio" than anything on either of Glasper's albums of the same name. See, but that stuff all sounds like what's been on the radio for years. To me that's played out. The "Black Radio" stuff seems fresher to me. Specifically not the same, tired old stuff. You and I clearly differ on this. Both "Black Radio" records had songs that took you on a journey. The Daft Punk stuff is mostly one repetitive groove with a few gimmick-y tricks to set it apart. I think Glasper's challenge with "Black Radio" is telling terrestrial stations that they should be playing more challenging music. Instead, we get "Get Lucky" ten times a day. Soul, R&B, Pop from Los Angeles http://philipclark.com Cannonball Gerald Albright Signature Alto, Yamaha YC73, Fender Rhodes, Roland Juno-106, Yamaha MX61, Roland VR-09, MicroKorg XL, Maschine Mikro, Yamaha Reface CP, Roland MKS-50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Clark Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Anyway, D-Bon, even though there's no vocoder in this, here's an olive branch. [video:youtube] Soul, R&B, Pop from Los Angeles http://philipclark.com Cannonball Gerald Albright Signature Alto, Yamaha YC73, Fender Rhodes, Roland Juno-106, Yamaha MX61, Roland VR-09, MicroKorg XL, Maschine Mikro, Yamaha Reface CP, Roland MKS-50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurricane hugo Posted November 1, 2013 Author Share Posted November 1, 2013 robot vocals in the house! [video:youtube] http://blip.fm/invite/WorkRelease Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 If this song only featured a vocoder it would be an absolute masterpiece. [video:youtube] "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 I my 80s duo, I'm using vocoder on Bizarre Love Triangle (New Order) and She Blinded Me With Science (Thomas Dolby). In the past, I've also used it on Somebody's Watching Me (Rockwell) at Halloween Time. Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DulceLabs.com Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 Great topic. I am doing a project that deals with EVP so I am researching different ways to process the voice. I found a video about a device called the Voder.. from 1939! [video:youtube] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksoper Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 Ken did you discuss this piece anywhere? Thank you for your kind words. It was a blast to put together. Other than the notes that accompanied the cd, no, we really didn't talk about it. I got a private question or two. How did you do the polymoogy strings... I worked off the score and approached it like strings--different synths took different parts and I built it up. ...Ondes/Theremin type sound... Toward the end? Moog Voyager in two passes. Did you use moogs or is that simply your good taste in timbres coming through? Yes, and very hopefully yes. Glad to see Chromeo mentioned in this thread. I like what they're doing. I don't see the vocoder or vocal synthesis played out at all, but then again, I'm a fan. I think it's one tool in the chest that can be used for good or evil depending on the skills of the artist. When Herbie released "Sunlight" he admitted that he couldn't sing, but loved singers. The vocoder was his opportunity to cover vocal music, and I think he did it brilliantly. There's a lot of crap out there. 9 Moog things, 3 Roland things, 2 Hammond things and a computer with stuff on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthoid Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 I am doing a project that deals with EVP so I am researching different ways to process the voice. I found a video about a device called the Voder.. from 1939! Apparently it was quite popular with the country music crowd back then. http://howtowreckanicebeach.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/VODER.jpg When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Moray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Agree to disagree and all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorgatron Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Great topic. I am doing a project that deals with EVP so I am researching different ways to process the voice. I found a video about a device called the Voder.. from 1939! have you read this? http://howtowreckanicebeach.com/ http://i.imgur.com/bRD5p3O.jpg I'm about halfway through it, quite interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.