PLUGIN WEEK 2026: There’s still something slightly silly - slightly ‘daft’ perhaps we should say - but smile-inducing, about the classic ‘robot’ voice when used on a track.
Everyone from Kraftwerk to Daft Punk and Bruno Mars have explored the concept, but back in the late 1980s, the amazing sound of robot voices infiltrated RnB. It’s a sound that remains ultra-popular and is not too hard to recreate in software, Particularly when we deploy a smattering of choice plugins. But you need to consider some key things first…
The first major question to address, is whether you are actually listening to a vocoder or a talkbox.
Vocoders can be both hardware and software-based and typically rely on audio input from your microphone-based vocal or drum track. By and large, the sound of the vocoder tends to be a little bit softer, often leaning into aligning your voice with prescribed chords.
The talkbox, on the other hand, tends to adopt a harsher and brighter tone, and is visually identifiable by the plastic tube, which is placed in the side of the player’s mouth.
This is relatively essential, but also means that talkboxes can only really exist in the hardware world, and not as plugins.
There are exceptions, of course, with many talkbox plugins on the market, but these tend to be sample-based and pre-scripted, meaning that you cannot apply your own vocal or lyric to your track.
This can be fine if you just want to add the odd ‘Boom’ or ‘Baby’ as a little garnish to your production, but it’d be nice to be more flexible…
You could of course, consider going down the hardware talkbox route. This would mean the purchase of an appropriate pedal, with the MXR M222 Talkbox pedal being the current best and most affordable option.
You’ll then need a synth to provide the tone; the Yamaha DX100 has become the model of choice, but you'll need to source one through the secondhand market, as it hasn't been made since the late 80s. It's also got mini keys, which might not be the best option if you are used to a full-size keyboard.
The other downside with going the hardware route, is the long learning curve. You'll need to practice using it, to make it as comfortable an expressive instrument as possible.
To be frank, this is the tricky bit!
When ‘talk-boxing’, you effectively have to over-annunciate a vocal, without actually speaking or singing!
You also have to do this while gripping a plastic pipe with your molars.
As one professional talkboxer said in interview; ‘The tube is a slippery little sucker!’ This might be why you see so many talkboxers continually adjusting the tube, while desperately trying to deliver a lyric. It's the musical equivalent of ventriloquism, and ironically, saying a phrase like ‘Bottle of Beer’ is just as difficult!
So if you really want that sound, what are your other options?
You could of course hire a professional.
Bruno Mars hired Mr. Talkbox (the clue is in the name) to deliver the amazing sound at the beginning of 24K Magic, although to be fair, Mr. Talkbox is effectively re-creating the sound of the original master, Roger Troutman.
He was the lead member of the band Zapp, back in the 1980s, before sadly passing away in 1999. But, his creative legend lives on.
“I was just a music head. Then one of my cousins introduced me to Roger Troutman and his band, Zapp,” Mr Talkbox said in an interview with New Release Today. “He played a song called Computer Love. I was like, ‘What in the world is that?’ I asked him if there was more of that music. And, he told me that he had the record at his house.
“It deeply moved me and that’s why I started my journey with the talkbox,” Mr Talkbox concluded. “The talkbox was not easy to find and you had to know someone to get that sound.”
But, if you want to make life a lot easier, you could explore one of the talkbox plugins that are available for purchase, which will offer a few choice sound-bites to sprinkle over your track.
However, if you want to try and work with your own unique and malleable talkbox, you'll need to bring in a vocoder plugin.
When choosing a vocoder plugin, most now offer an internal synth, meaning that you do not have to use a secondary synth plugin or hardware to get the vocoder to operate. The synth signal is described as the carrier, with an inputted vocal being the modulatory signal.
For more contemporary talkbox-style sounds, it is also better to avoid plugins with a vintage flavour, in favour of something more versatile. The vintage offerings will probably sound great, but just feel too retro for modern RnB and pop production styles.
Step 1 - Setup
In our example, we are using the EVOC-20 Vocoder, which is included with Logic. Many of the parameters will be available across other plugins, so the settings should be transferable.
Having loaded your vocoder plugin onto an instrument track in your DAW, the first thing to do is to set the modulatory signal path. If you have a microphone connected, you can select this as an input and start vocoding immediately.
You will need to sing/speak at the same time as playing notes on your keyboard. Alternatively, you can select an existing piece of audio as your modulation signal, such as a recorded vocal track, but you will also need to play your keyboard in time with the vocal.
Step 2 - Settings and FX
Make sure that your vocoder plugin is set to operate in vocoder mode, rather than just behaving as a standalone synth. There will probably be a menu or setting for this in your plugin.
Many vocoders employ effects, such as chorus or ensemble, which are used to thicken the signal texture. This tends to offer vintage feel and colouration, so ensure that any similar effects are firmly switched off.
Step 3 - Timbral settings
We can now start to change the sound, bearing in mind that what we are trying to do here is recreate the talkbox sound.
Start by increasing the number of frequency bands available within the vocoder section of the plugin. The EVOC-20 offers a generous 20 bands, so we are increasing this to the maximum.
To replicate a talkbox, we are going to stretch and shift the formant frequency band, so that it highlights the upper-mid frequency range.
We can accentuate this further by narrowing the frequency band (adjusting the slider above the band graphic), and applying a degree of resonance. Important to stress that this is vocoder related resonance, and not that included as part of the synth engine filter section.
Step 4 - Envelopes
You may find that your vocoder offers two sets of envelope setting. One will relate to the vocal input, and the other to the synthesizer. In both cases, we want to adjust them so that there is a relatively short attack and release.
As each plugin will react in a slightly different way, it's advisable to adjust the settings while auditioning your sound. If you have an envelope sustain phase available (on the synth-side of the plugin) ensure that this is set to a full sustain.
Step 5 - Mono
The most successful talkbox sounds work in monophonic form, so switch your plugin to mono mode.
It is this method of utilisation that also gave rise to the common usage of hard-tune, where pitch correction software would create trill-like effects, as and when pitch adjustments do not settle. We don't need pitch correction, as our keyboard is effectively acting as an auto-tune!
Step 6 - EQ
As a final step to altering your sound, engage EQ to highlight upper-mid frequencies, and consider lessening lower frequencies with some form of low shelving.
The flavour of your outputted sound will be heavily dictated by your source synth sound, and in keeping with the tradition of the DX100, the Logic EVOC-20 provides an excellent FM wave source (like Yamaha DX Synths), which act as the perfect starting point for creating the talkbox sound - harsh, digital and bright.
It is definitely worth experimenting with the synth section, although many vocoder plugins may not offer enormous control of this element.
One final point, which might sound obvious, is that getting the perfect sound will take practice.
Playing or programming a vocoder is certainly easier than performing with an actual talkbox, but it still requires time to get to grips with it - so don't be afraid to put in the hours to get the best results.
