How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Tips, tricks, inside secrets, help, sources, items used on making the Cylon Centurion suit to wear. Tell us your story, how you came about collecting your parts to a Centurion, or if you own a complete Centurion costume.
Post Reply
Oxnard Montalvo
Centurion
Posts: 27
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 9:58 am

How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by Oxnard Montalvo » Wed Mar 23, 2016 3:18 pm

I've just gotten hold of a vocoder app that does a respectable Cylon voice... But for the life of me all my attempts sound awful. Can anyone shed any light on what tone of voice\accent is needed to speak into the mic?

For example I saw one of the star wars sound guys on a documentary saying that the perfect line delivery for battle droids, was to talk like the guy from the B52's!......

What does a Cylon sound like without the vocoder? :byyourcommand:



User avatar
FLIGHTLDR SERPENTINE
Squadron Leader
Posts: 510
Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2011 2:18 pm
Location: Basestar over Mt. Tamalpais

Re: How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by FLIGHTLDR SERPENTINE » Wed Mar 23, 2016 11:12 pm

There's another thread here somewhere discussing a vocoder app. Not sure about it, myself.

You pose an interesting question about what the actor's voice sounded like without the effect. I suppose, in trying, I would want to be low, pronounced and monotoned.
:cylongold: "SEARCH FOR WRECKAGE... LEAVE NO SURVIVORS..."

User avatar
GoldCylon
Founder
Posts: 6945
Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2005 3:02 pm
Location: Sacramento
Contact:

Re: How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by GoldCylon » Thu Mar 24, 2016 2:31 pm

Oxnard Montalvo wrote:
What does a Cylon sound like without the vocoder? :byyourcommand:
A human. :byyourcommand: :cylongold:

User avatar
FLIGHTLDR SERPENTINE
Squadron Leader
Posts: 510
Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2011 2:18 pm
Location: Basestar over Mt. Tamalpais

Re: How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by FLIGHTLDR SERPENTINE » Fri Mar 25, 2016 2:06 pm

LOL :bsglol:
:cylongold: "SEARCH FOR WRECKAGE... LEAVE NO SURVIVORS..."

User avatar
Red Eye
Cylon Empire VIP & BYC.net Gallery Admin
Posts: 4837
Joined: Sat May 20, 2006 10:11 am
Location: Germany
It’s my birthday

Re: How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by Red Eye » Fri Mar 25, 2016 2:59 pm

This is the man behind the Centurion voice:

Image
"There can be no survivors. So long as one human remains alive the Alliance is threatened."

Image

User avatar
137th Gebirg
Flight Leader
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 8:25 am
Location: 42 miles west of COVFEFE
Contact:

Re: How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by 137th Gebirg » Sat Mar 26, 2016 11:12 am

FWIW, the final Galactica 1980 episode "Return of Starbuck" had a Cylon named "Cy" who was malfunctioning after a crash, befriending Starbuck, and his voice started changing and becoming more human-sounding. You could clearly hear the actor's (Rex Cutter) real voice with the vocoder voice over-dubbed - only time it was ever heard sounding like that, and the voice sounded normal, with normal inflections - no monotone. That was all done by the vocoder and over-dubbed at various volume levels by a mixer.
I may appear unoccupied to you, but at the molecular level, I'm really quite busy.

User avatar
Red Eye
Cylon Empire VIP & BYC.net Gallery Admin
Posts: 4837
Joined: Sat May 20, 2006 10:11 am
Location: Germany
It’s my birthday

Re: How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by Red Eye » Sat Mar 26, 2016 12:56 pm

Don't want to play the wisecrack here, but Cyrus was voiced by Gary Owens.
"There can be no survivors. So long as one human remains alive the Alliance is threatened."

Image

User avatar
GoldCylon
Founder
Posts: 6945
Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2005 3:02 pm
Location: Sacramento
Contact:

Re: How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by GoldCylon » Sat Mar 26, 2016 1:41 pm

Glad you said it Red Eye.....LoL, but I wonder if he really meant the in the suit actor. They did speak the lines also, but were later replaced in post production.

User avatar
137th Gebirg
Flight Leader
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 8:25 am
Location: 42 miles west of COVFEFE
Contact:

Re: How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by 137th Gebirg » Sat Mar 26, 2016 10:43 pm

Oops. IMDB must have credited the suit actor. Sorry about that.

Regardless, that's the one time in BSG history, IIRC, where you can hear the voice actor's real voice in sync with the vocoder voice.
I may appear unoccupied to you, but at the molecular level, I'm really quite busy.

aussiecylon
Patrol Leader
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue Nov 19, 2013 9:24 am

Re: How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by aussiecylon » Wed Mar 30, 2016 1:42 am

Yeah, but it sounded :censored: awful. Not like Cylons are "supposed" to sound like. Just my opinion.

User avatar
137th Gebirg
Flight Leader
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 8:25 am
Location: 42 miles west of COVFEFE
Contact:

Re: How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by 137th Gebirg » Wed Mar 30, 2016 12:49 pm

Agreed, it sounded a bit "off". I think the idea there was to demonstrate Cy's "evolution" to a more understanding/sentient/human-like robotic being. This stood out in contrast particularly when a patrol of "normal" Cylons showed up at the end, who had the standard vocoder voice without the human voice underneath it. Full points for concept, but maybe left a little to be desired in execution.
I may appear unoccupied to you, but at the molecular level, I'm really quite busy.

User avatar
Sabre6
Citizen
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2016 7:39 pm

Re: How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by Sabre6 » Thu May 05, 2016 3:15 pm

Kropserkel just posted recently on their Facebook page ....
We are also very excited to be able to offer our long awaited On-The-Fly Cylon Voice Emulation System VT-3 as an optional accessory. The set up enables the user to speak as a classic Cylon with Vocoder matched emulation with a portable power unit, an amplified speaker system, and head mounted microphone for an additional $550 US.
Images of the Kropserkel Cylon can be seen on our webpage at http://www.kropserkel.com/cylon.htm


I can't afford it yet but something to add to my list for Santa.

User avatar
Red Eye
Cylon Empire VIP & BYC.net Gallery Admin
Posts: 4837
Joined: Sat May 20, 2006 10:11 am
Location: Germany
It’s my birthday

Re: How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by Red Eye » Fri May 06, 2016 6:01 am

Are there any audio samples available?
"There can be no survivors. So long as one human remains alive the Alliance is threatened."

Image

User avatar
Sabre6
Citizen
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2016 7:39 pm

Re: How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by Sabre6 » Fri May 06, 2016 3:33 pm

The only sample I can find is a short video posted on their Facebook page back in Nov. 2014. Sound's pretty good though.

User avatar
FLIGHTLDR SERPENTINE
Squadron Leader
Posts: 510
Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2011 2:18 pm
Location: Basestar over Mt. Tamalpais

Re: How to sound like a Cylon (not what you think!)

Post by FLIGHTLDR SERPENTINE » Fri May 06, 2016 7:00 pm

Sign me up if it works!

Any chance of posting a link to that sample?
:cylongold: "SEARCH FOR WRECKAGE... LEAVE NO SURVIVORS..."

Post Reply

Return to “Centurion Builders' Forum”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests