The talk box is a device that allows a musician to change the sound produced by a musical instrument. It has been around since the middle of the twentieth century. The talk box was based on the same principle as the Sonovox, which used a singer’s throat to produce altered sounds through speakers. It usually involved the use of a guitar. A talk box can change the shape of the mouth on the device in some cases. Talk boxes, which are sometimes confused with vocoders, have been used extensively in both live and studio performances.
The talk box’s history can be traced back to the 1940s, when it was first used in conjunction with a guitar. The talk box was essentially a simple effects pedal that sat on the floor near the performer. A horn speaker would be placed near the performer’s mouth, with plastic tubing running from the talk box’s speaker to it. The tube is usually attached to the side of the microphone that the singer is using. The device has additional connections that allow it to connect to a standard amplifier. The performer can control the talk box with a simple on/off switch, allowing them to change the sound of both the voice and the musical instrument at will.
As the use of electric guitars became more common, the talk box was frequently used to shape the sounds produced in such a way that the tones sounded like they were reproducing words. This phenomenon of musical instruments speaking during a performance gave musical artists, particularly country and western performers in the 1960s and several notable rock and roll performers in the 1970s, a new layer of creativity.
It was only a matter of time before the talk box became a common part of the concert equipment used by a wide range of performers as the device became more common in the recording studio. The talk box had established itself as a valuable creative tool for both the studio and the stage by the 1980s. The use of the talk box began to catch on in a variety of genres, including show tunes and rap, further enhancing the device’s reputation.
Despite the fact that computer technology has changed the way music is recorded today, many performers still use the talk box. The talk box is an excellent way to add interesting riffs to musical compositions, to enhance the vocals produced by singers in a musical group, and to add another element that helps to make a good song even better. To the delight of audiences everywhere, Sonovoxes and talk boxes are both used to produce additional musical layers in some performances.