CYLON VOICES (How were they originally done?)

[chrisd]

Well the only way to know for sure is if Mr Santiago's info gets to us (which is top choice) the next thing is getting the EMS vocoder again being I have an effects unit with a ring modulator in it and trying it that way.

[GoldCylon]

What a busy day we had here. Welcome on board EMS

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

So you need 2 devices to acheive the Cylon voice sound fx? The Vocoder 2000 and a Oberheim OB 8 analog keybaord? Just curious, what is the connection hookup of the devices? Also, how do you know if this was done in the original tv series to ge tthe Cylon voice? Did you contact the audio engineer on the show? I'm just curious of this whole process which seems a bit complicated, but well worth it. Thanks.

Just a guess on my part, that it does seem a bit complicated to understand, but working with it once you have it in hand it would be some what simpler to work with, but gettng the correct settings, now that would take some time. Glad Chris is here to help with the figure it out part.

If they did inded use the EMS Vocoder 5000 than it comes with a keyboard (the Synti 100?, I believe), but that doesn't mean they didn't use another.

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

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?

On Galactica.TV he's listed as voice as in using his voice (since they're the official BSG site) so we can remove that "claimed" part. He IS the CYLON VOICE!!!

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

What a busy day we had here. Welcome on board EMS

Thank you, glad to be here!!!

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

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!!!!!!!!!

The EMS 5000 does come with it's own keyboard, the Synti 100? I believe. But that doesn't mean they didn't use another!!!

[chrisd]

Well It was not the Oberhem OB-8 synthesizer that triggered the pitch for the vocoder used to make the Cylon voices, but the synthesizer does not really make so much a difference as opposed to the vocoder itself. There are many vocoders made which I had said the best ones like Roland, Moog (Bode), Sennheiser, and EMS, and each vocoder DOES have a distinct sound believe it or not. The synth/keyboard only triggers the pitch of the voice sounds on the vocoder. But what also can make a difference is when you add effects to the vocoder, and it appears the BSG Cylons used a device called a "RING MODULATOR" along with the vocoder. All in all, here is how a vocoder works

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hqvvNcvenU

Now, if you use the exact same keyboard/synthesizer this guy uses on this vocoder and use it on other vocoders you will get different sounds on each vocoder even with the same synth/keyboard note, hope this helps!

[GoldCylon]

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???!!!!!

The person you might want to ask is Chris Pappas, since he was the one that did all of the film footage ID work for Universal, for the DVD release. He might have seen some clips that weren't used in the DVD.

[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???!!!!!

The person you might want to ask is Chris Pappas, since he was the one that did all of the film footage ID work for Universal, for the DVD release. He might have seen some clips that weren't used in the DVD.

Forget it I already tried, he doesn't know!!

[chrisd]

Everyone look here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1aU7WC2PTM

they used a vocoder in the scene of this movie "Never Say Never" 1983
To me it sounds almost identical to the Cylons! Thanks to Mr EMS for the info

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

Everyone look here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1aU7WC2PTM

they used a vocoder in the scene of this movie "Never Say Never" 1983
To me it sounds almost identical to the Cylons! Thanks to Mr EMS for the info

I believe this also to be an EMS Vocoder, but not sure if it's the 5000 or not, might be the 3000. It doesn't quite have the full Cylon sound so I think there's probably no ring-modulation going on, just straight vocoder.

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

I just love the Cylon voice, nothing but the best ever. Not even Darth can have a voice like that.

I also think that Soundwave from "The Transformers" G1 (generation one) has one of the COOLEST vocoder voices around (Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus, MkI or II?)!!!

[chrisd]

I just love the Cylon voice, nothing but the best ever. Not even Darth can have a voice like that.

Hell yeah!!! No doubt the Cylons just had the coolest deepest menacing robotic voice in sci fi history!!!!!

I also think that Soundwave from "The Transformers" G1 (generation one) has one of the COOLEST vocoder voices around (Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus, MkI or II?)!!!

[chrisd]

I just love the Cylon voice, nothing but the best ever. Not even Darth can have a voice like that.

Hell yeah!!! No doubt the Cylons just had the coolest deepest menacing robotic voice in sci fi history!!!!!

I also think that Soundwave from "The Transformers" G1 (generation one) has one of the COOLEST vocoder voices around (Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus, MkI or II?)!!!

As for Transformers I'd have to hear but I remember the commercial when I was a kid "Robots in disguise" and the commercial that I remember was definitely a Roland SVC-350 Vocoder in which they got some nice sounds out of that one too!!!! The best "robotic" sounding vocoders are EMS (#1) after that is the Roland VP 330 (#2) I miss both of those vocoders, call me an IDIOT for parting with them!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[EMS Vocoder 5000]

Hell yeah!!! No doubt the Cylons just had the coolest deepest menacing robotic voice in sci fi history!!!!!

I also think that Soundwave from "The Transformers" G1 (generation one) has one of the COOLEST vocoder voices around (Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus, MkI or II?)!!!

As for Transformers I'd have to hear but I remember the commercial when I was a kid "Robots in disguise" and the commercial that I remember was definitely a Roland SVC-350 Vocoder in which they got some nice sounds out of that one too!!!! The best "robotic" sounding vocoders are EMS (#1) after that is the Roland VP 330 (#2) I miss both of those vocoders, call me an IDIOT for parting with them!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe the 350 was used for the commercial, but I read somewhere on the web in either an interview with Mr. Frank Welker or a studio gear-list that the 330 (MkI or II?) was used. And remember you said the 350 has a "cute" sound? Soundwave doesn't, it's just COOL!!!

Soundwave On The Job

Part 1: James Lipton Interviews Soundwave

Part 2: James Lipton Interviews Soundwave

Soundwave vs Dollansky

Mike Oldfield - Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus MkI