A Talk Box consists of a speaker driver, known as a horn driver, and a plastic tube, which is connected to a mic stand, for the user to talk into. Talk Boxes feature an effects box that the tube connects to, as well as an input to connect a guitar or synth… and an output that connects to a speaker.

If you’ve ever wondered how this funky mechanic build lets us do some cool stuff with our voices, it’s time to find out!

How to Use A Talk Box

By inserting the plastic tube halfway into your mouth, you’re directing the sound of the synth or guitar into your mouth. By changing the shape of your mouth (talking without actually saying anything), you’re vocalising the sound of the synth or guitar (modulating it) into the shape of the words you’re mouthing.

This warped sound is then sent back through the Talk Box and all the way to the output!

Who Has Used Talk Boxes in Their Music?

Musicians began using Talk Boxes in the 1930s. In those days musicians started playing with throat microphones made for pilots to modulate their voices!

Upon the arrival of 1964, what we now call Talk Boxes were being recorded in live music. Pete Drake is one of the first known artists to use Talk Boxes in his track “Forever”.

And since the old days, many recording artists have also used Talk Boxes in Pop music! Most notably would have to be Bon Jovi in his track “Livin’ On A Prayer”!

What’s The Best Talk Box?

Many musicians agree that the MXR M222 Talk Box is the best Talk Box around. It’s so frequently used because of its reliability of modulating the shape of sound from your keyboard, synth or guitar with your mouth movement!

Well known for its ease of use and durability, the MXR is ready for you to unbox and get started with right away!

Check it out in action!

If you wanted to get some really pronounced vowel sounds going… with this baby, all you need do is raise the gain level and say some vowels!

If you’re after some groovy textures, there’s a full range from slightly gritty to heavy grit that brings a subtle distortion to the sound! I’m looking at you, guitarists…

With some time and practice, you’ll be mastering the MXR in a very short space of time. Imagine rocking up to a live show and all you need to do to put some music in your voice is play some keys or pluck a few strings!

Where Can I Buy a Talk Box?

There are many online stores where you can grab Talk Box.

Stores such as Thomann sell the Harley Benton Talk Box, another fantastic model with plenty of functionality for you to mess around with and create new worlds of possibilities.

Gear4Music are a top supplier of music hardware, and they’ve made no exception with Talk Boxes. You can grab the MXR M222 Talk Box right here!

How to Record A Talk Box?

To record your epic new sounds, clip the tube to your microphone stand and have the mouthpiece of it slightly higher than the mic until it feels comfortable. Once you’ve got it sitting comfortably, hit record in your DAW and lay down some epic lines!

Maybe you’re just here out of curiosity and you would rather find some downloadable vocal samples. If that’s so, you’re in the right place – again! Mixxed have thousands of samples ready to go for you to get stuck in with… for less than $3 a month!

Come and find some epic vocal, drum & percussion, synth and key melody lines, pads… everything you need to keep making jaw-dropping music is right here!