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There's a weird device they used to get those Satanic-sounding call letters in radio jingles, especially the old ones from the 70s and 80s.
I'd be careful before trying this yourself:
The Truth Behind "The SonoVox"
By Frederick Vobbe, December 27, 2002
On our last edition we had some fun listening to jingles that used a Sonovox. The Sonovox made its premier in jingles starting with Pams Series 18. Here is the secret to how it really works.
There are two methods behind using a Sonovox. Musician Peter Frampton used the "tube" method, and it's done by feeding sound up a flexible plastic tube. At one end you connect up the driver element of a horn speaker. It may be necessary to use a funnel, or a device with a large opening that completely covers the transducer (or driver element), and transitions down to the size you need for the tube. A musical instrument is played, picked up by a microphone, and then the audio is fed to the driver element. You put the other end of the tube in your mouth and then "mouth" the words. The sound travels up the tube and comes out inside your mouth, and it appears that the instrument is talking.
This method does have a disadvantage. How many of you have tried to talk clearly while trying to hold a big cigar in your mouth. It's hard! And sometimes does not give you good clear results. So here is another method.
Find two transducers, the devices that are screwed in or mounted to the wall, and are advertised to "make your wall a speaker". The first thing you need to do is modify the mounting plate, as this will be held up against your throat. When I made mine, I used a flat oval plastic piece that measured 3" by 1.5", and was 3/8" thick. I mounted these transducers on a dog collar, and to use the Sonovox I strapped on the collar and positioned the plastic pieces so they were either side of my throat. The transducers were connected to the output of a small guitar amp, as you need about 20 to 30 watts to power both transducers. Again, audio is fed to the amp, and you speak the words. The transducer takes the place of your larynx.
Why the dog collar? By wearing the collar I can keep the transducers on my throat while I play the keyboards, or the instrument I want to "talk". Steel guitars, bass, saxophone, and other instruments work well. The trick is, us only one instrument, and make sure that the instrument plays only when you want the words to be spoken. If you say "hi there" in two beats of 4/4 time, and there is music trailing, it will sound clumsy. Also, I had to build my transducers from scratch.
Also, a good directional microphone helps, as you don't want to pick up any sounds of the devices. You want only the sounds that would naturally come from your mouth or nose through normal speech. OK. Now you know how to build a sonovox.
Last edited by Taz on Feb-27-2003 at 04:28
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