Digitech talker - Anybody use one? Got any comments?

[bduersch]

Hey, everybody... keeping with my tendency to think that something's cool after it's been yanked from the market and it's relatively hard to find, I've been thinking about picking up a Digitech Talker. I've always kinda wanted the talk-box type sound, but never wanted to deal with the hassle of a real talk box.

Anyway, if you've got one, how do you think it sounds? Does it sound anything like a real talk box? Are the other presets any good?

Thanks,
--B

[jay ratkowski]

I borrowed one from the old work for a weekend or so... to be honest, I don't think it's worth the money. *It can't compare to a real talkbox at all... for the sounds it gives you, you're probably almost better getting a rackmount vocoder or something similar.

[30yroldpig]

Or build your own talk box...It's easier than you may think!

[BillEarl]

I had one, and REALLY wanted to like it. I WORKED at liking it, but it just didn't sound good. The talkbox sound didn't sound like a talkbox at all, and the other settings sounded, well, wrong. *I ended up getting rid of it.

The new Heil talkboxes are very good, and just plug in like a simple pedal in your signal chain. The original ones went between your amp head and speaker, but their new one has in and out jacks like a regular effects pedal. I bought one of those and I've been very happy with it. I don't use a talkbox regularly, but it's fun to have around.

Another option: Peter Frampton is marketing his own version of the talkbox. Info is available here:

http://www.frampton.com/framptone.html

Bill

[Two hands31]

How would a talkbox work that goes before the amp? *Wouldn't between the amp and speaker make the most sense? *Or at least in the effects loop? *Oh, nevermind, I see. lol *In the effects loop would work. *lol *Although, wouldn't that work for the other type too? *

And I know of two different ways of making your own talkbox for really cheap:

1) *Putting earbud headphones in your mouth and putting your mouth near a mic (sounds good I've heard, an idea from someone on here, can't remember who though (sorry). *Please come and claim your acknowledgements. lol)

2) *Putting a bowl of equal size soundproofed around a speaker, cutting a hole in the bottom, putting a rubber tube from that hole up near a mic, and using it like any other talkbox. *Found this one on the net, can't remember where.

[BillEarl]

Twohands,

Between the amp and speaker always made sense to me, but those old Electroharmonix Talk Boxes used to blow the fuses on my amps all the time by not properly matching the load. Then, when I got my first Marshall 100 watt head I promptly blew up the speaker inside the talkbox!

The Heil box that goes in the signal chain (effects loop should work just as well, I never thought to try it!) just simulates several "distorted" or "clean" type sounds and sends them through the tube. It cuts the signal to the amp, or I believe it has an option to send the signal to the tube AND to your amp, which can make for some cool mixed sounds. It sounds really good - well, really authentic anyway!

This makes it sound like I play a LOT more talkbox than I actually do. *

Bill

[butch]

I sought out the Rocktron Banshee Talk Box for the reason that I could run it as the first pedal in the chain. The Banshee actually has a 5 watt driver built into the pedal, which simulates the "head driving the cab" effect. Although the driver raises the cost significantly, the convenience of being able to use it as a stomp box in the chain made it worth it to me. You can even use the Banshee as a headphone practice amp.

Traditionally, the talkbox runs between the head and the cabinet, allowing your mouth to manipulate the tone of the head before it hits the cabinet. Great effect, if you like getting all of your amp voltage through your fillings.

Like I said, the Banshee is more expensive than the Heil. I got lucky with mine. A store special ordered one for someone, they never picked it up. Clearance price: $85.00

Cheers,
Butch

[postofficebuddy]

so does this workj in your effects chain or does it need to be in the loop?

[GLG421]

Butch, did you get the Banshee I or Banshee II? The Banshee II, from what I understand has an effects loop built in, so you can run other effects through the talk box sequence, or still run a direct guitar signal to your amp while using the effect.

Not sure that's worth an extra hundred dollars for an effect I won't use too often.

[YaYoGakk]

You guys realize this is almost a 7 year old thread, right? haha

[GLG421]

I do now

[Variant]

I don't know much about the Talker, other than its a Vocoder and not a Talkbox, so the two really shouldn't be compared. How GOOD of a Vocoder it is, I couldn't say.

That said, I own an original Banshee and it is F'ing great, sounds just like a Heil or otherwise, plus its got it's own built in amp and overdrive so you don't need any goofy setup with your amp (hell, I don't even own an amp, I go direct), just pop it in a loop with a mic (with an XLR-to-1/4" adapter on one end) and go. My only gripe with it is, even with the drive all the way down, the amplified signal still distorts a good bit so its hard to drive a totally clean signal through it.

[postofficebuddy]

i just got the digitech one for free, and i cant work it at all other than the wah part, nothing else seems to work