CYLON VOICES (How were they originally done?)

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

I placed a phone call to a Peter Berko's, with no answer. I left a message, and lets see if I get a return phone call back.

I received a phone call back, and it was Peter Berkos that did the work on the Cylon voice. I have a 35 minute phone conversation with him. He has retired over 20 years ago, and doesn't recall much from the technical side of the Cylon voice. He said the ORIGINAL Cylon voice was the HULK guy Lou (Lou Ferrigno) He said that a guy named Tony from King of Queens was one of the voice actors also, but he didn't recall any one named Michael. Even thou he doesn't remember the style, or technician method of making the Cylon sound, he did show some hope on recovering the voice. He said he still has the original owners manual the vocoder he used. He is digging it up tonight, and might call me back before the day is over. He also told me a few other things that he did to make some of the effects for the show. The original Cylon voice, before Patrick Mcnee was used he had a combine Cobra snake sound with a human voice. Glen said that was way too dark for the show. The Daggit sound was made with a combined real dog, and a wined up toy dog. He also told me the most impressive thing about Glen Larson was he weekend work to write the Gun On Ice Planet Zero. Peter said he spoke with Glen as he was leaving for the weekend, and telling him he was going home to write an episode, and he came back on Monday with the episode, and he thought it was one of the better/best episodes done. As soon as I hear something back about the manual I'll get back to help uncover the true Cylon voice.

Yes, I've read that they originally wanted to use Lou Ferrigno with the sound of a cobra, but thought it would be too much for children and those with weak hearts!! But if you go to Galactica.TV Michael Santiago is listed as the voice used and they said they were going to talk to him about the vocoder used!! Patrick Macnee was used for the voice of the Imperious Leader and NOT the Cylon Centurion vocoder voice!! PETER BERKOS ONLY WORKED ON SEVEN EPISODES AND CAN NOT BE THE VOICE OF THE CYLONS!! AS I SAID IT'S MICHAEL SANTIAGO!!! I wouldn't RELY on what he says (it would DEFINITELY need to be VERIFIED by someone else)!! Plus he's listed as "Peter Berkos - sound effects editor (7 episodes)" so he SHOULD KNOW the technical details!! This smacks of sounding a little FUNNY TO ME!! Sorry "GoldCylon" but everything points to Michael Santiago being used as the voice actor for the Cylons!!!

[GoldCylon]

I didn't mean to stress the point at all that Peter is the voice of the Cylon, but the creator of the Cylon voice. He ran the vocoder and the lay out of his work in the industry has amazed everyone trying to duplicate his work. It was Peter, and only Peter that made the voice come true. He alone by his own right is the Cylon Voice God. The actors that did the voices didn't have anything to do with the technical work he did, except speak the voice scripts given to them. Peter is 85 years old, and isn't able to recall some of the things he worked on in detail, but with the recovery of the vocoder owners manual he said it might help him recall some of the technical aspects of his work, and what he used, and how he created the Cylon voice. He was quite proud that to hear that no one had crack the so called code of his work. He jokingly said the it will remade a mystery. He said that he hasn't seen the new show, but thought the new Cylon's were using the same voice speech pattern.

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

I didn't mean to stress the point at all that Peter is the voice of the Cylon, but the creator of the Cylon voice. He ran the vocoder and the lay out of his work in the industry has amazed everyone trying to duplicate his work. It was Peter, and only Peter that made the voice come true. He alone by his own right is the Cylon Voice God. The actors that did the voices didn't have anything to do with the technical work he did, except speak the voice scripts given to them. Peter is 85 years old, and isn't able to recall some of the things he worked on in detail, but with the recovery of the vocoder owners manual he said it might help him recall some of the technical aspects of his work, and what he used, and how he created the Cylon voice. He was quite proud that to hear that no one had crack the so called code of his work. He jokingly said the it will remade a mystery. He said that he hasn't seen the new show, but thought the new Cylon's were using the same voice speech pattern.

OK, that's more like it!! Just make sure he mentions the brand/model of vocoder used (it'll obviously say on the owner's manual and through-out)!!!

[chrisd]

PS...Peter did give me a small hint about the manual, so if you guys can pipe up on what your books looks like, and colors we might have a winner even if he doesn't find the manual.

Well, the fact is that the Cylon voices were done using an EMS vocoder, 1 of the 4 units made. And the rumor is that the Sennheiser vocoder made the Cylon voice (this is a false myth)

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

PS...Peter did give me a small hint about the manual, so if you guys can pipe up on what your books looks like, and colors we might have a winner even if he doesn't find the manual.

Well, the fact is that the Cylon voices were done using an EMS vocoder, 1 of the 4 units made. And the rumor is that the Sennheiser vocoder made the Cylon voice (this is a false myth)

Actually Chris there are 5 units, there's the 1000, 3000, 5000, and two 2000's. The one it can't be is the 2000B (or MkII). So that leaves the 1000, 2000W (or MkI), 3000, and the 5000!!

[chrisd]

PS...Peter did give me a small hint about the manual, so if you guys can pipe up on what your books looks like, and colors we might have a winner even if he doesn't find the manual.

Well, the fact is that the Cylon voices were done using an EMS vocoder, 1 of the 4 units made. And the rumor is that the Sennheiser vocoder made the Cylon voice (this is a false myth)

Actually Chris there are 5 units, there's the 1000, 3000, 5000, and two 2000's. The one it can't be is the 2000B (or MkII). So that leaves the 1000, 2000W (or MkI), 3000, and the 5000!!

Actually there are two white versions of the 1000 as well but Mk l and/or ll of the EMS designs really had no difference in sound and as explained to me by Mr Robin Wood of EMS, all 3 of the smaller units (including recalls, remakes, and additions Mk l, or Mk 2) are all made from the same circuit board and have the same sound

[GoldCylon]

OK guys I have been told what unit Peter Berkos used to make the Cylon voice. Peter himself told me, and he's sending me the original owners manual he used to make the voice. Before I announce what unit it was, I just want to make sure the dust is clear, and that we as the members here are happy with what we do to move forward and re-create the original sound of the Cylon voice. I don't want any bad feelings, but to work here as a group. I can see once made public the race could be on to start buying equipment. Maybe that is what everyone wants to do, but I don't want to be the trigger for that. I am going to open up another section in the forum to listen to ideas on what to do next. Please bear with me! We as a whole have waited over 28 years, I guess we can wait a few more days.

[GoldCylon]

OK here is a quote from Peter about how he mixed the Cylon voice.

"As you will see in the manual, a voice, (dialogue), is fed into the vocoder
in tandem with an alien sound. The two elements are fragmented in the
machine and married. the new sound emerges combined. That sound then goes
through the mixing panel where it experiences equalizing, pitch changes,
etc."

[chrisd]

OK here is a quote from Peter about how he mixed the Cylon voice.

"As you will see in the manual, a voice, (dialogue), is fed into the vocoder
in tandem with an alien sound. The two elements are fragmented in the
machine and married. the new sound emerges combined. That sound then goes
through the mixing panel where it experiences equalizing, pitch changes,
etc."

We all know how a vocoder works, WHAT MODEL DID HE USE?????

[GoldCylon]

OK here is a quote from Peter about how he mixed the Cylon voice.

"As you will see in the manual, a voice, (dialogue), is fed into the vocoder
in tandem with an alien sound. The two elements are fragmented in the
machine and married. the new sound emerges combined. That sound then goes
through the mixing panel where it experiences equalizing, pitch changes,
etc."

We all know how a vocoder works, WHAT MODEL DID HE USE?????

Did you use a alien sound as a input to help create the Cylon voice?
I am not sure what model he used, because a possible typo.

[chrisd]

OK here is a quote from Peter about how he mixed the Cylon voice.

"As you will see in the manual, a voice, (dialogue), is fed into the vocoder
in tandem with an alien sound. The two elements are fragmented in the
machine and married. the new sound emerges combined. That sound then goes
through the mixing panel where it experiences equalizing, pitch changes,
etc."

We all know how a vocoder works, WHAT MODEL DID HE USE?????

Did you use a alien sound as a input to help create the Cylon voice?
I am not sure what model he used, because a possible typo.

Well, here is ONE Cylon voice candidate he failed to mention, here is Mr Gary Owens, the voice of "Cy" in "Return Of Starbuck" http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0654365/

[GoldCylon]

I was lucky enough to get a chance to view the soon to be released Razor movie that is set to air November 16th. I sat on the edge of my chair waiting for the return of out ever so beloved original Cylons. Yes they appeared and with some cool little twists to them, and NOT enough air time at all. I do understand the DVD release will have many more segments of the original Cylons in the expanded DVD version, but I was disappointed. The Cylon voice is almost a joke in the way it sounds. I think Chris has a much better sounding Cylon voice, over what the new guys "Supervising Sound Editors
JACK LEVY
DANIEL COLMAN, M.P.S.E.
and, Sound Designer
DANIEL COLMAN, M.P.S.E"
This crew could have done some research on the web, and found this forum as a helpful tool to help out with the Cylon voice. Too bad it is a wrap, and ready to ship, but hey at least the Cylon is back.

[cybertrooper]

Too right Dale! It was great to see the 'old' centurions on screen again.

I noted that the cylons in the clip from where the baove picture was taken even had the 'pin holes' above the eyes. Now that modeller/designer has been paying attention to the original.

[chrisd]

8) Hello !!!
By any chance have you seen the Deleted scenes,
on "Saga of a star world" dvd
The Cylons voices are done by what sound like a "External Larynx Device". (Commonly used by those who cannot speak due to injuries or medical procedures)




perhaps one was used then Synthesized with a Vocoder??? :roll:

Here is how the Cylon voices were done. And pay attention to the part where just the internall oscillater is used, this is the vocoder they used as a "fill in" in pre production of BSG Cylon voices which sounds like the "larynx" voice box you are speaking of-THIS IS HOW IT WAS DONE!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sli2JRQ0i8w

[GoldCylon]

Here is a copy and paste from a email I received from Peter Berkos today. Not much new here, except the low hum part. I haven't heard him mention this before.

Hello Dale,

Happy New Year to you and yours!


It is true that the voice input was is used in tandem with a foreign sound
when operating the VOCODER.

The end result is a marriage of the vocal and the added noise,
(mechanical, electrical, animal, birds, etc.).

Example: Cobra hiss added to Cylon Leader's voice for an evil sound. (tried
and abandoned).

I have racked my brain trying to remember what combination was used for the
Cylon voices.

To the best of my recollection, I believe it was a low frequency electrical
hum developed at the mixing panel.

Many moons have passed since working on Galactica and memory dims.

I hope I have been able to offer some insight.

Good Luck