Simple Talkbox Wiring Help

[victorbignacio]

Hey guys, I'm building a simple talkbox. Just a box with input and horn driver (maybe a volume control?), and I'm planning on using a A/B Box for changing my guitar signal to my main amp, and a small practice amp going to the Talkbox. So is this wiring I found correct?



And also is it good to add a volume pot on the Horn Driver or it would be useless?
If I had to put a pot how would I wire it? I imagine it would be a Log Pot:



Thanks!

[Passaloutre]

  just use the volume control on the practice amp. That pot would need to be treated for the voltage/current/power of the speaker (how are pots rated again?).

If you need to do it, tip to 3, 2 to horn +, 1 and horn - and sleeve to ground.

[GiovannyS10]

Hello Victor! 
Hey dude, first of all you not need a AB Box for change the signal, if your amp has an output for auxiliary speakers you will able to use it to plug your talk box and turn the effect on/off using a common footswitch. If not you can easily add this output too.
The horn driver wiring is correct, and add a volume pot can be nice (Although you are able to use the amp main volume - but if you have a different volume when the fx is on or off maybe can be nice have a volume pot in your talk box for regulate it more accurately) . If you need to regulate something later - after have the project done is better you have a knob and never use than need to use and not have, got it? 
For wire correctly the volume pot just follow the steps:
1. Wire the input tip to the potentiometer lug 1;
2. Wire the pot lug 2 to the horn driver +;
3. Wire the pot lug 3 to the ground (Horn driver - or input jack sleeve).

Good luck with your project, and not forget to show us when you finish it! 

[GibsonGM]

just use the volume control on the practice amp. That pot would need to be treated for the voltage/current/power of the speaker (how are pots rated again?).

If you need to do it, tip to 3, 2 to horn +, 1 and horn - and sleeve to ground.

A volume pot could be a good idea, but as it was shown, you would need one rated for the full power of the amp's output!!!  That may be expensive...or sad when it burns up.

Since your talkbox amp is only running the talkbox - it already has a volume pot you can set       

I also use a cheap Marshall transistor amp of about 10W to run mine - I installed a switching jack to disconnect its speaker when I plug the driver in.   Since it has no OT, there isn't much danger of blowing up the output of the amp. 

[victorbignacio]

I didn't realize that I could simply use the volume on the amp! LOL

So I'll wire it the most simple way, and set the volume on the small amp itself. Might post some pictures when done 

Thanks

[pinkjimiphoton]

don't use a volume control across that circuit. you'll just let the magic smoke out and you'll cough while gagging yourself

best bet is always a small amp and an a/b switch. i use an eh 44 mag on my live board to drive my talkbox, and a simple a/b splitter late in my signal chain to switch between guitar or talkbox.

you can also switch the speaker from amp to talkbox with a simple stompswitch, BUT ya need cable from the amp to the switch and then back to the speaker... it works great, less shit to carry, BUT its a lot more hoops to jump thru (thats how the old school talkboxes worked)

for best results, use a full range driver. i use old university ones, they do around 40 to 10k which is plenty for the full output of the guitar.
many modern drivers will roll off around 1k, which severely limits what they can actually do. so shoot for the lowest frequency you can find.

make the driver at least 30 watts, too... you will likely find you can drive a surprising amount of volume into them. a lot gets lost between the tube and your throat.

[thermionix]

I'm glad the talkbox has been brought up, because I've been wondering about something for a while.  I've never tried one.  I know you need a mic/PA to use one in a live situation, but what is it like from the player's perspective when used alone?  Can you hear the "talk" effect coming out of your mouth, or is it drowned out by the noise inside your mouth, resonating throughout your head?  Does that make sense?

[GibsonGM]

I'm glad the talkbox has been brought up, because I've been wondering about something for a while.  I've never tried one.  I know you need a mic/PA to use one in a live situation, but what is it like from the player's perspective when used alone?  Can you hear the "talk" effect coming out of your mouth, or is it drowned out by the noise inside your mouth, resonating throughout your head?  Does that make sense?

Yes, you hear it, just like on Frampton Comes Alive!  But it's at a much lower level than what you might want to be jammin' to.   At least in my case, it is at a volume level like having a quiet conversation with someone.     

I also hear the original signal a bit, from the driver, but that's on the floor so wouldn't be picked up by the mic. 

[pinkjimiphoton]

on my original one it was a bit louder, but it pretty much feels like you're just talking with a tube jammed half way down your throat.

it does NOT rattle your teeth or anything like people claim. by the time it gets up the pipe, its usually pretty attenuated. ideally, to me anyways, i want it JUST a little louder than i sing so i can turn it down a bit.

tears the house down every time i use it.

[karbomusic]

it does NOT rattle your teeth or anything like people claim.

Mine does, I attribute it to the 100 Watt Bassman Head I used it with. Yes, it would literally rattle your entire skull if too loud.

[Kipper4]

" tears the house down every time i use it. "

Is there a stupid pedal trick demo for your talkbox Jimi?

[pinkjimiphoton]

lmao.... dude, i've run 'em with everything from 120 randall rgs switching between the stack cabs and the drivers, twins, 100 and 50 watt marshalls, you name it.

rattling teeth? yeah, ok, if you say so you may need to brush your teeth more if they're that wiggly just kidding

no, no stupid pedal trick, but it could be done i suppose.

not much to it. 40 watt full range driver, a piece of replacement electrical socket and some hose lol

[karbomusic]

Yea, it was only an occasional issue where for whatever reason I had to turn it up far too loud in some scenarios, it wasn't that way during normal use to be clear. I was just pointing out that running an early 70s Bassman head into a late 70's Kustom 2 inch horn driver packs one hell of a punch - enough to where you turned it down some or it literally hurt.

I still have it, it's obviously home made by me back in the late 80s or so, I'll have to break it out sometime since I plan on testing that driver with one of my LM386 mini amps. That driver is just too big these days for it to ever work in a small package. It's 4-5 inches in diameter and weighs a few pounds.

[pinkjimiphoton]

#SquackBoxTrials lol

yeah, them have some pretty excessive highs. rattle your ears more than your teeth

a 386 won't drive it hard enough to use live, but will work fine.

i find a min of 10-15 watts necessary to get enough balls for live use.

[karbomusic]

I remember your thread from a couple years ago but didn't remember the details.

[thermionix]

Cool, maybe I'll build one.  If nothing else, the telephone prank possibilties are probably worth it.  Voicemail message, stuff like that.

[GibsonGM]

I'm glad the talkbox has been brought up, because I've been wondering about something for a while.  I've never tried one.  I know you need a mic/PA to use one in a live situation, but what is it like from the player's perspective when used alone?  Can you hear the "talk" effect coming out of your mouth, or is it drowned out by the noise inside your mouth, resonating throughout your head?  Does that make sense?

Yes, you hear it, just like on Frampton Comes Alive!  But it's at a much lower level than what you might want to be jammin' to.   At least in my case, it is at a volume level like having a quiet conversation with someone.     

I also hear the original signal a bit, from the driver, but that's on the floor so wouldn't be picked up by the mic. 

Just to clarify, the level of signal I'm talking about (conversation-like volume) is what's coming out the TUBE, not the driver.

I packed the driver in spray foam to 1) hold it still and 2) dampen it so it wouldn't be audible off-stage....