CYLON VOICES (How were they originally done?)

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.
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chrisd
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Soundwave

Post by chrisd » Thu May 17, 2007 4:48 pm

I listened to all of these and I NEVER got my VP 330 to sound like this.
This "soundwave" sounds too CLEAR and "soft" even for the 350. I would say it POSITIVELY IS NOT the VP 330. Could be one of those new "plug in" vocoders like the Prosoniq Orange Vocoder.

Here is an example of Prosoniq Orange Vocoder sample

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBdfoZkwmn0

*******Keep in mind when it comes to reading info on the web there are alot of "Ben Liebrand's" out there!!!!!!!!!!!



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Re: Soundwave

Post by EMS Vocoder 5000 » Thu May 17, 2007 4:54 pm

chrisd wrote:I listened to all of these and I NEVER got my VP 330 to sound like this.
This "soundwave" sounds too CLEAR and "soft" even for the 350. I would say it POSITIVELY IS NOT the VP 330. Could be one of those new "plug in" vocoders like the Prosoniq Orange Vocoder.

Here is an example of Prosoniq Orange Vocoder sample

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBdfoZkwmn0

*******Keep in mind when it comes to reading info on the web there are alot of "Ben Liebrand's" out there!!!!!!!!!!!
NO!!! It was done back in 1984 and I think the first digital vocoder the Korg DVP-1 came-out in '85, so it has to be an analog!! I'm not sure if my vids are the real-thing, but what of the Sky Soundlab Voice-Spectra Vocoder??! I hope I can find where they do say it's the VP-330+!!!
The Cylon Vocoder is an EMS Vocoder!!! Also possibly used was the Marshall 5002 Time-Modulator!! Was an electric saxophone used with or instead of an unknown synthesizer or electric/electronic keyboard??

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Re: Soundwave

Post by EMS Vocoder 5000 » Thu May 17, 2007 4:57 pm

chrisd wrote:I listened to all of these and I NEVER got my VP 330 to sound like this.
This "soundwave" sounds too CLEAR and "soft" even for the 350. I would say it POSITIVELY IS NOT the VP 330. Could be one of those new "plug in" vocoders like the Prosoniq Orange Vocoder.

Here is an example of Prosoniq Orange Vocoder sample

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBdfoZkwmn0

*******Keep in mind when it comes to reading info on the web there are alot of "Ben Liebrand's" out there!!!!!!!!!!!
This was from an official source such as either Mr. Frank Welker or the studio with their gear-list (also there are two VP-330+'s, the MkI and II).
The Cylon Vocoder is an EMS Vocoder!!! Also possibly used was the Marshall 5002 Time-Modulator!! Was an electric saxophone used with or instead of an unknown synthesizer or electric/electronic keyboard??

EMS Vocoder 5000
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Re: Soundwave

Post by EMS Vocoder 5000 » Thu May 17, 2007 4:58 pm

EMS Vocoder 5000 wrote:
chrisd wrote:I listened to all of these and I NEVER got my VP 330 to sound like this.
This "soundwave" sounds too CLEAR and "soft" even for the 350. I would say it POSITIVELY IS NOT the VP 330. Could be one of those new "plug in" vocoders like the Prosoniq Orange Vocoder.

Here is an example of Prosoniq Orange Vocoder sample

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBdfoZkwmn0

*******Keep in mind when it comes to reading info on the web there are alot of "Ben Liebrand's" out there!!!!!!!!!!!
This was from an official source such as either Mr. Frank Welker or the studio with their gear-list (also there are two VP-330+'s, the MkI and II).
Also they me have decided to use an external synth instead of the one supplied.

And also did you watch the VP-330 vid? Even though the guy isn't doing Soundwave, I can easily imagine it capable of it, because he is giving it a soft sound!!
The Cylon Vocoder is an EMS Vocoder!!! Also possibly used was the Marshall 5002 Time-Modulator!! Was an electric saxophone used with or instead of an unknown synthesizer or electric/electronic keyboard??

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chrisd
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Re: Soundwave

Post by chrisd » Thu May 17, 2007 10:28 pm

EMS Vocoder 5000 wrote:
EMS Vocoder 5000 wrote:
chrisd wrote:I listened to all of these and I NEVER got my VP 330 to sound like this.
This "soundwave" sounds too CLEAR and "soft" even for the 350. I would say it POSITIVELY IS NOT the VP 330. Could be one of those new "plug in" vocoders like the Prosoniq Orange Vocoder.

Here is an example of Prosoniq Orange Vocoder sample

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBdfoZkwmn0

*******Keep in mind when it comes to reading info on the web there are alot of "Ben Liebrand's" out there!!!!!!!!!!!
This was from an official source such as either Mr. Frank Welker or the studio with their gear-list (also there are two VP-330+'s, the MkI and II).
Also they me have decided to use an external synth instead of the one supplied.

And also did you watch the VP-330 vid? Even though the guy isn't doing Soundwave, I can easily imagine it capable of it, because he is giving it a soft sound!!
The only way I would know for sure is if they played the low key single note. I can't figure out why the hell they are making the transformer talk by playing "chords"!!!

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Post by GoldCylon » Fri May 18, 2007 8:45 pm

OK guys here is the news everyone has been waiting for, now is he still alive? The sound device manager for a fair share of the Galactica episodes is Peter Berkos. He wasn't active in all of the episodes, making me think he is the guy in charge of the Cylon voice. I am doing some research on how to make contact with Peter, so give me a few days and lets see what I can turn up.

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chrisd
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Re: Soundwave

Post by chrisd » Sat May 19, 2007 12:27 am

EMS Vocoder 5000 wrote:
chrisd wrote:I listened to all of these and I NEVER got my VP 330 to sound like this.
This "soundwave" sounds too CLEAR and "soft" even for the 350. I would say it POSITIVELY IS NOT the VP 330. Could be one of those new "plug in" vocoders like the Prosoniq Orange Vocoder.

Here is an example of Prosoniq Orange Vocoder sample

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBdfoZkwmn0

*******Keep in mind when it comes to reading info on the web there are alot of "Ben Liebrand's" out there!!!!!!!!!!!
NO!!! It was done back in 1984 and I think the first digital vocoder the Korg DVP-1 came-out in '85, so it has to be an analog!! I'm not sure if my vids are the real-thing, but what of the Sky Soundlab Voice-Spectra Vocoder??! I hope I can find where they do say it's the VP-330+!!!
No, I believe you, I am just having an "ear" problem and can't figure out why the soundwave sounds so smooth and so "melodic" as I have never heard any of the Roland vocoders sound quite like this. But bottom line is, nailing down the Cylon voices. And once one of us can find the next EMS vocoder, I have a few ideas as running my ring modulator through it. I have a feeling that would conclude the sound. As a friend (musicly inclined) once said to me: "It is impossible to duplicate a song because of all the effects they run through it from the floor to the ceiling (from the dry "pre" signal to the post "added with effects/processed sound" and the SLIGHTEST preset can make ALL the difference!

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Post by EMS Vocoder 5000 » Sat May 19, 2007 2:07 am

GoldCylon wrote:OK guys here is the news everyone has been waiting for, now is he still alive? The sound device manager for a fair share of the Galactica episodes is Peter Berkos. He wasn't active in all of the episodes, making me think he is the guy in charge of the Cylon voice. I am doing some research on how to make contact with Peter, so give me a few days and lets see what I can turn up.

Image
He might be the guy who set-up the vocoder, synth, ring-modulator, etc, but Mr. Michael Santiago WAS the guy speaking the vocals into the microphone!! After-all that's how your friend Marcel at Galactica.TV has it listed. And remember he's going to contact Michael for the info (so plz KEEP HIM ON IT)!! THANK GOD MICHAEL SEEMS TO STILL BE ALIVE!!!
Last edited by EMS Vocoder 5000 on Sat May 19, 2007 2:19 am, edited 2 times in total.
The Cylon Vocoder is an EMS Vocoder!!! Also possibly used was the Marshall 5002 Time-Modulator!! Was an electric saxophone used with or instead of an unknown synthesizer or electric/electronic keyboard??

EMS Vocoder 5000
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Posts: 68
Joined: Wed May 16, 2007 6:51 pm

Re: Soundwave

Post by EMS Vocoder 5000 » Sat May 19, 2007 2:10 am

chrisd wrote:
EMS Vocoder 5000 wrote:
chrisd wrote:I listened to all of these and I NEVER got my VP 330 to sound like this.
This "soundwave" sounds too CLEAR and "soft" even for the 350. I would say it POSITIVELY IS NOT the VP 330. Could be one of those new "plug in" vocoders like the Prosoniq Orange Vocoder.

Here is an example of Prosoniq Orange Vocoder sample

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBdfoZkwmn0

*******Keep in mind when it comes to reading info on the web there are alot of "Ben Liebrand's" out there!!!!!!!!!!!
NO!!! It was done back in 1984 and I think the first digital vocoder the Korg DVP-1 came-out in '85, so it has to be an analog!! I'm not sure if my vids are the real-thing, but what of the Sky Soundlab Voice-Spectra Vocoder??! I hope I can find where they do say it's the VP-330+!!!
No, I believe you, I am just having an "ear" problem and can't figure out why the soundwave sounds so smooth and so "melodic" as I have never heard any of the Roland vocoders sound quite like this. But bottom line is, nailing down the Cylon voices. And once one of us can find the next EMS vocoder, I have a few ideas as running my ring modulator through it. I have a feeling that would conclude the sound. As a friend (musicly inclined) once said to me: "It is impossible to duplicate a song because of all the effects they run through it from the floor to the ceiling (from the dry "pre" signal to the post "added with effects/processed sound" and the SLIGHTEST preset can make ALL the difference!
Thanks. Well I guess they might be using add-ons you just don't have to soften the VP-330+ (MkI or II?)!! Or it could have been modified either by Roland or after-market, such as a Poly-800 can become a Moog Slayer and/or get FM mods as well.

But the Cylons are #1
007 is #2
Neil Young is #3
Soundwave is #4 and
all others as tied for #5!!!
The Cylon Vocoder is an EMS Vocoder!!! Also possibly used was the Marshall 5002 Time-Modulator!! Was an electric saxophone used with or instead of an unknown synthesizer or electric/electronic keyboard??

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GoldCylon
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Post by GoldCylon » Sun May 20, 2007 5:16 pm

I found an other name to add to the list of people on the maybe list, and that is Earl Crain Jr, but he hasn't done anything since 1981, so he could be dead by now, and maybe the secret with him.

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Post by EMS Vocoder 5000 » Sun May 20, 2007 5:41 pm

GoldCylon wrote:I found an other name to add to the list of people on the maybe list, and that is Earl Crain Jr, but he hasn't done anything since 1981, so he could be dead by now, and maybe the secret with him.
I SURE HOPE NOT!!! Besides someone else such as Micael Santiago, the audio engineer, the purchaser of the vocoder, etc. HAS TO KNOW!!!
The Cylon Vocoder is an EMS Vocoder!!! Also possibly used was the Marshall 5002 Time-Modulator!! Was an electric saxophone used with or instead of an unknown synthesizer or electric/electronic keyboard??

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chrisd
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Post by chrisd » Sun May 20, 2007 5:44 pm

EMS Vocoder 5000 wrote:
GoldCylon wrote:I found an other name to add to the list of people on the maybe list, and that is Earl Crain Jr, but he hasn't done anything since 1981, so he could be dead by now, and maybe the secret with him.
I SURE HOPE NOT!!! Besides someone else such as Micael Santiago, the audio engineer, the purchaser of the vocoder, etc. HAS TO KNOW!!!
I'm sure the info is somewhere out there, I mean come on! Where not trying to find WALDO!!!!!

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GoldCylon
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Post by GoldCylon » Sun May 20, 2007 6:18 pm

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.

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Post by GoldCylon » Sun May 20, 2007 8:10 pm

GoldCylon wrote: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.

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Post by GoldCylon » Sun May 20, 2007 8:13 pm

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.

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