CYLON VOICES (How were they originally done?)

[chrisd]

Thanks again Dale, Don't worry, I am getting closer and closer toward "nailing it down" of the Cylon voices!

[Galactifan]

Vocoderlover has done further research than me to the point where he got the gentleman's name who was behind the Cylon voices. His name is Michael Santiago!!!!!!

Do you mean that Michael Santiago was the audio engineer who created the Cylon voice audio mix or do you mean that he was the actor who voiced the Cylon Centurions?

[GoldCylon]

I took it as he was the actor that spoke the Cylon voice. He was a very busy actor in the 70's and 80's on the Universal lot on many TV episodes. I don't think, but he could be the technical guy that created the voice set up.

[chrisd]

Dale, it could very well be him especially if he has done work with Universal Studios. If that is so I would, and I'm sure many others would Love to ask him about how he did the Cylon voices!!!

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

I took it as he was the actor that spoke the Cylon voice. He was a very busy actor in the 70's and 80's on the Universal lot on many TV episodes. I don't think, but he could be the technical guy that created the voice set up.

According to Galactica.TV the official website of the original series Mr. Michael Santiago used the EMS Vocoder 5000 and a ring-modulator for the Cylon centurion voices (although this is unconfirmed until they get in contact with him) and NOT the Sennheiser VSM-201 Vocoder as erroneously reported by Ben Liebrand.

[chrisd]

If this is the guy, I wonder if there is a way to contact him through IMDB. I absolutely cherish my Epic series of BSG released on DVD a few years ago but C'MON!!!! 2 minutes of footage on the Cylons and they really did'nt explain much about them, just that the costumes were vacuum formed and were very hot and they drank alot of water and always had to take bathroom breaks (BIG DEAL!!) Now to me, Seeing how they did the voices, the Vocoder they used (let alone any other effects) the man behind the voices, how they got the designs of the Cylons, how the scanner works, the men inside the costumes, Now THAT Is footage they could have squeezed in about a good 30 minutes worth. They should re-release the Epic series with more Cylon info, don't you guys agree???!!!!!

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

If this is the guy, I wonder if there is a way to contact him through IMDB. I absolutely cherish my Epic series of BSG released on DVD a few years ago but C'MON!!!! 2 minutes of footage on the Cylons and they really did'nt explain much about them, just that the costumes were vacuum formed and were very hot and they drank alot of water and always had to take bathroom breaks (BIG DEAL!!) Now to me, Seeing how they did the voices, the Vocoder they used (let alone any other effects) the man behind the voices, how they got the designs of the Cylons, how the scanner works, the men inside the costumes, Now THAT Is footage they could have squeezed in about a good 30 minutes worth. They should re-release the Epic series with more Cylon info, don't you guys agree???!!!!!

Dennis Haysbert of "The Unit", "24", "Now And Again", and those All-State commercials started out in television as a stunt player playing Cylon centurions (this is on the official site Galactica.TV)!!

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

So this is the correct model vocoder...
SENNHEISER VSM-201 VOCODER

NO!!! THE EMS STUDIO-SYSTEM VOCODER 5000 AND A RING-MODULATOR IS CORRECT (Mr. Ben Liebrand's an IDIOT)!!

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

So this is the correct model vocoder...
SENNHEISER VSM-201 VOCODER

Chris has done some great research on the Vocoder. I bet this is the same exact model used to make the Cylon voice.
I always picture this as Chris when making the CD he has with original Cylon voice clips :-)

EMS Vocoder 5000 and a ring-modulator

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

The cylon sound was definately done with a Vocoder. (Voice Operated reCorDER)
A vocoder, by definition, is a device that continuously analyzes the frequency spectrum of on incoming signal (called the speech signal) and imparts analogous spectral characteristics to another (the carrier signal).

I have several vocoders here in the studio and they all do
a cylonesque sound if programmed correctly.
The early vocoders were very pricey, the most famous being the sennheiser vsm 201. It is generally known to be the device used to do the sound for the cylon. however,
there were other ones around at the same time that could have been used.
the Korg VC10, EMS vocoder,elektor,roland vp 330 and others.

Vocoder. (Voice Operated reCorDER) is a different type of vocoder. The ones used for the Cylons and in movie, television, and music production is a voice-encoder, they other is for telephones and for scrambling signals. The one we LOVE doesn't record.

[chrisd]

Well, as I said again and again, "Cylonix", Digitech's "Vocalist", and Newer midi so-called vocoders are toys that sound cheap!! The best vocoders were made with POWER and were from the mid to late 1970's.
Those were the "analog" vocoders. And to me, by far the EMS has to be one of the best vocoders EVER made especially when it comes to clarity and depth. And the Cylons certainly got some mileage out of that vocoder.
Now, since a ring modulator was used on the Cylon voices, most likely BEFORE it went into the vocoder, so the next hardest project is finding out what keyboard/synth triggered the pitch!!! AAGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!

[chrisd]

Now I can be the one taking credit to blame for the false information on how the Sennheiser VSM-201 (Rumored Original Cylon Vocoder) did the voices for the Cylons (even though that is not true). I point MY finger at Ben Liebrand from the Netherlands who told me in his own words that the VSM-201 did the voices for the Cylons and also made the "red eye" warble sound (what an idiot!!!!!) Being that the Sennheiser is so rare he probably didn't expect anybody such as I (a Cylon BSG fan) to ever own one, so I sold my EMS vocoder (which WAS the Cylon voice machine after all.....turns out I am the IDIOT!!!!) Gold Cylon has these posted to his site but look at these for reference
Here is what the Sennheiser Vocodeer sounds like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REIcAHcpYbw
Here is what the EMS vocoder 2000 sounds like
http://www.80skid.com/ (listen to the audio intro when site appears)
Now let's have a vote and see who agrees which vocoder sounds more like a Cylon...........Sennheiser or EMS???

[C1-978]

Oh crap...that sucks...

[chrisd]

Well I learned one expensive lesson: NEVER TRUST IDIOTS ON THE WEB!!

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

Now I can be the one taking credit to blame for the false information on how the Sennheiser VSM-201 (Rumored Original Cylon Vocoder) did the voices for the Cylons (even though that is not true). I point MY finger at Ben Liebrand from the Netherlands who told me in his own words that the VSM-201 did the voices for the Cylons and also made the "red eye" warble sound (what an idiot!!!!!) Being that the Sennheiser is so rare he probably didn't expect anybody such as I (a Cylon BSG fan) to ever own one, so I sold my EMS vocoder (which WAS the Cylon voice machine after all.....turns out I am the IDIOT!!!!) Gold Cylon has these posted to his site but look at these for reference
Here is what the Sennheiser Vocodeer sounds like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REIcAHcpYbw
Here is what the EMS vocoder 2000 sounds like
http://www.80skid.com/ (listen to the audio intro when site appears)
Now let's have a vote and see who agrees which vocoder sounds more like a Cylon...........Sennheiser or EMS???

That's okay Chris, after reading on Mr. Ben Liebrand's site for the first time I also believed it to be the Sennheiser. Originally I thought it was either the Bode or Moog!!