• From: Cambridge, UK
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 592

Topic: Vocoder carrier signals

I've only briefly flirted with vocoders throughout the years, but the time has come to delve into them a bit deeper...

My query lies with vocal intelligiblity. Since the plugin I just bought (Klanglabs' Vokko) allows you to insert your own carrier signal, I wondered whether any of you out there can tell me which sounds make the best and most intelligible carrier signals. Don't hold back on which synths these sounds can be sourced from, and any other tips about vocoding (mics, etc.) will be equally appreciated.

Cheers y'all!

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Woody Aki's Website

2 Reply by Robotworks (edited by Robotworks 2008-10-05 15:18:38)

  • From: Lille, France
  • Registered: 2008-07-08
  • Posts: 92

Re: Vocoder carrier signals

Sawtooth, or strings, with a little reverb before the carrier input. It does the job the most often. Sing loud into the mic. A very good mic is not absolutely necessary for vocoding. Another tip for intelligibillity, try to sing the same note than the note played by the synth. Certainly because of an harmonics issue, your vocoder sound will be better if you sing the same melody in tune.

Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien

3 Reply by Woody Aki (edited by Woody Aki 2008-10-05 20:26:39)

  • From: Cambridge, UK
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 592

Re: Vocoder carrier signals

Robotworks wrote:

Sawtooth, or strings, with a little reverb before the carrier input. It does the job the most often.

Nice one. Thanks Robotworks!

Robotworks wrote:

Another tip for intelligibillity, try to sing the same note than the note played by the synth.

That I had sussed some time ago...

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Woody Aki's Website

  • Registered: 2008-07-08
  • Posts: 1,708

Re: Vocoder carrier signals

Put a compressor and (parametric) EQ after the microphone

expand your total self

Squadra Smackos's Website

  • From: Cambridge, UK
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 592

Re: Vocoder carrier signals

I suppose the Parametric EQ is there to enhance the mids and roll off any unnecessary lo-end rumble, right Danny?

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Woody Aki's Website

  • Registered: 2008-07-08
  • Posts: 1,708

Re: Vocoder carrier signals

Yeah or narrow the spectrum of the frequency for better results

expand your total self

Squadra Smackos's Website

  • From: Cambridge, UK
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 592

Re: Vocoder carrier signals

Cheers pal!

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Woody Aki's Website

  • From: Minnesota
  • Registered: 2008-07-16
  • Posts: 592

Re: Vocoder carrier signals

Yeah I never realized how much better a good microphone works until just recently (and to think i almost sold my warp factory because i thought it was toal crap.

Bankie Phones's Website

  • From: Cambridge, UK
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 592

Re: Vocoder carrier signals

What mic do you use then Bankie?

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Woody Aki's Website

  • From: Minnesota
  • Registered: 2008-07-16
  • Posts: 592

Re: Vocoder carrier signals

oh i still don't have a  good mic yet.

... a friend used a Sterling Audio line... totally different then the 20$ radioshack mic i had since i was tweenager.

Bankie Phones's Website

  • From: Belgrade
  • Registered: 2008-07-08
  • Posts: 867

Re: Vocoder carrier signals

i have recently bought zoom rfx-1000 just for it's lo-fi vocoder effect
i messed around with it and came up with this
http://www.sendspace.com/file/wfgjdy
the carrier was a stringish patch i made on sh-201 and the mic is some 2 eur desktop microphone crap
it took me 10 minutes

mekonin's Website

  • From: Montreal
  • Registered: 2008-07-08
  • Posts: 980

Re: Vocoder carrier signals

sounds good!

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TONY COPS's Website

13 Reply by HOBYA (edited by HOBYA 2008-10-20 16:04:23)

  • Registered: 2008-08-02
  • Posts: 58

Re: Vocoder carrier signals

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Talk & Slide

  • Registered: 2008-07-23
  • Posts: 76

Re: Vocoder carrier signals

Adding noise to carrier wave improves intelligibility. I did experiments with that, I studied phonetics.

Intelligibility of speech mostly depends on recognition formants, formant transients and VOT (voice onset time). If you use harmonically rich sounds you can get decent intelligibility. Remember that sounds of lower pitch have "thicker" harmonic structure, therefore, they will give more precise results.
Theoretically, you should get the best results from low pitched Saw + white noise. In my research I got best results with pure noise, but this is not very useful for music, because it sounds like whispering.

And you can just about forget about differentiating some voices, like voiced/unvoiced pairs of plosives (p/b, t/d...)
but this is not so important anyway.

Also note that critical spectral band for intelligibility lies in between 300 and 3300 Hz.