Talkbox Techniques

• The talkbox is an orally controlled instrument effect unit used primarily in conjunction with keyboards and electric guitars. The sound of a talkbox is commonly associated with R&B keyboard players Roger Troutman, Stevie Wonder and Teddy Riley, and rock guitarists Peter Frampton, Slash and Jerry Cantrell. You can produce classic talkbox sounds a variety of ways.

Breathing

• A talkbox does not require breath to work--the shape of the player's mouth guides the sound. In fact, singing, speaking or breathing audibly can interfere with the signal from the talkbox and change its sound significantly. For the purest talkbox output, breathe as softly as possible. Even whispering can be audible on a recording, so some players recommend holding your breath while you are playing notes and breathing during the pauses. Another method entails breathing slowly and quietly through your nose.

Enunciation

• To make a talkbox speak discernible words, you must enunciate clearly. Break down each word into component syllables. Clearly articulate all consonants and exaggerate mouth shapes for all vowel sounds.

Roger Troutman Sound

• Roger Troutman got his signature sound by connecting the talkbox to a Minimoog analog synthesizer or a Yamaha DX100. To emulate his sound, connect a talkbox to an FM, analog, or analog-modeling synth in monophonic mode. Pick a sound with a fat high frequency combined with sharp low frequency range, and ride the modulation wheel to achieve his signature slinky sound.

Harmonization

• Troutman and others have used a harmonization technique in which they sing into the talkbox mic. Because the talkbox affects the instrument's timbre but not its pitch, it's possible to sing a harmony vocal into a microphone while those same phonemes change the shape of the talkbox signal and by extension the timbre of tones coming from the keyboard. This mixes the wet signal from the talkbox with dry vocals, creating a hybrid sound. A classic example of this talkbox technique is the Zapp & Roger hit, "So Ruff, So Tuff."

Pitchbend

• GF Works recommends that keyboard players use pitch bend in combination with the talkbox to articulate the attacks of specific notes with quick slides, rather than using it as a catch-all transition similar to portamento.

Wah Pedal Effect

• For a talkbox wah effect, a guitarist plays wah-style comping and uses mouth shapes to create the "wow" sound. This effect is less physically demanding than a true wah, which requires repeatedly modulating the sound using a foot pedal. Using this effect while playing slow arpeggios sounds like a combination of a wah and a flange.

Finger-tapping Effect

• For some guitarists, finger-tapping is an expressively flat technical exercise. Playing so fast makes it difficult to give attention to articulation. Talkbox adds timbral variation and a wide range of expressive possibilities to finger-tapping solos.