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A Merry Talk Box Christmas.

by on Dec 17, 2007

Check out this marvelous video, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” via the Talkbox. A talkbox is a device that takes the music generated by an instrument, and feeds it through a tube into one’s mouth, wherein one “mouths” or whispers the lyrics, allowing the shape of the mouth to affect the timbre of the instrument. The most famous example of this effect is Peter Frampton’s “making the guitar talk.” (This was also responsible for the vocal effects on Cher’s “Believe”…to the suggesters, it was not Autotune, a vocoder, or the Digitech vocalist.)

But this young man, Moot Booxle, takes a cue from synth talkbox masterminds Stevie Wonder and Roger Troutman (of Zapp and “California Love”), and makes a charming rendition of a Christmas fave.

So, what’s so Curbly ’bout this? Well, it’s awesome, and he made the Talkbox himself out of a horn driver and hardware materials. DIY musical instruments are the new craze!

Seriously, watch this video. I made an mp3 for my annual holiday complilation, but it’s much more interesting to watch him work the synthesizer live.

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