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Components and Circuits For discussions about component types, alternatives and availability, circuit configurations and modifications etc. Discussions here should be of a general nature and not about specific sets.

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Old 17th May 2021, 9:37 pm   #1
Steve G4WCS
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Default Dalek voice circuit

Havent watched the Delia Derbyshire documentary yet but it got me thinking. Has anyone had a go at making a discrete dalek voice changer. Im guessing it would consist of a microphone amplifier, and a low frequency sine wave oscillator, the outputs of which are fed into a ring modulator, and the output amplified ? Did any of the electronics magazines of the time produce such a design ?
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Old 17th May 2021, 10:00 pm   #2
Keith956
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

I think the very first edition of Practical Electronics back in 1964 had an article called the 'Electronic Didjeridoo' - a ring modulator made of a couple of AF transformers and 4 diodes. With a voice signal and 50Hz for the other input it was 'dalek' like!
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Old 17th May 2021, 10:05 pm   #3
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

There was a circuit in one of the 80's electronics mags of the time that used a 555 chip that chopped the voice up, I cannot recall now if it used the control input to the IC to be used as the modulator for the audio input though.
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Old 17th May 2021, 10:10 pm   #4
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

I made a Maplin Voice Vandal the promises to be able to make your voice sound like various Sci-Fi monsters but I never seemed to manage to get it working right, but it produced many noises like Kraftwerk tuning up.
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Old 17th May 2021, 11:17 pm   #5
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

Being an analogue synth addict, I have made many varieties of ring modulator for various modular synth projects but have only once made a specific “Dalek Voice” effects unit.
This was made as the voice box for my cousin’s life-size Dalek a couple of years ago and was exactly as Steve G4WCS suggested: a mic preamp with a bit of built-in clipping and a low frequency Wien bridge oscillator fed into a MC 1496 double balanced mixer and thence to a small power amp and speaker. Given the right intonation ( which my cousin can do very convincingly) and a bit of deliberate offset to the DBM, it sounds spot-on.
The various old Radiophonic Workshop devices used for the original 63-89 Dr Who series were replaced by a Moog ring mod effects pedal from 2005 onwards.
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Old 17th May 2021, 11:53 pm   #6
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

I do recall one of the electronics mags doing a "Dalek Voice" project.

I'm out for most of the day so will see if I can dig it up later.
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Old 18th May 2021, 12:24 am   #7
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

Operational transconductance amplifier, configured as a four quadrant multiplier, controlled by an oscillator.

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Old 18th May 2021, 8:34 am   #8
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

https://www.projectdalek.co.uk/mains...oice-modulator

This might be a start to take a look at.
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Old 18th May 2021, 12:23 pm   #9
Philips210
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

Hi.

There was an interesing project in the July 2008 issue of Practical Electronics magazine called "Galactic Voice". https://epe-magazine.co.uk/proj/0708.html

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Old 18th May 2021, 12:43 pm   #10
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

Years back, I had the job of re-designing most of the modules in the EMS Synthi-100. For the ring modulators I used Burr-Brown multipliers. They were a bit puzzled when I rang up and queried such things as the noise floor. Not an application they had previously considered! - but yes, they could produce a fine Dalek voice as well as brilliant bell type sounds.
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Old 18th May 2021, 1:18 pm   #11
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

Here's a few different ones:

https://www.nutsvolts.com/magazine/a..._voice_changer

ShortCircuits-2.pdf page 106

And another varient was published in Siliconchip magazine in September 2006 which used an MC1496, 7555, LM358 & LM386
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Old 18th May 2021, 1:57 pm   #12
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

When I was a kid I was given an old desk microphone the type suspended on springs on a base stand, it had terminals for DC power, I can't remember how many volts but it was LT. I fed it with AC by mistake once and found it made a very good Dalek voice!

Hours of fun! With a decent amp, speaker and the guts from an old music box It did a fair impression of an ice cream van which nearly got me into trouble with the neighbours when the local kids went back indoors upset!

One of the local boys had a full side Dalek which his dad built out of wood, it was very realistic and scared the younger kids !

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Old 18th May 2021, 2:17 pm   #13
stevehertz
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

I once built a guitar fuzz box from info in PE back in the day. It used a Schmidt trigger circuit. I'm sure this would work for a Dalek voice.
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Old 18th May 2021, 10:21 pm   #14
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

I remember Doctor Who Magazine once had a feature on the process Nicholas Briggs went through to set up a ring modulator to produce a definitive Dalek voice.
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Old 18th May 2021, 11:38 pm   #15
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

I'm pretty certain on a 'behind the scenes' clip from the 'new' Dr Who (when it first came back) I spotted a Moogerfooger ring modulator being used on set to create the dalek and cybermen voices

http://www.vintagesynth.com/misc/mf102.php
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Old 23rd May 2021, 12:53 pm   #16
Stevie342000
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

I recall it being in Amateur Tape Recording magazine and if I recall correctly it was an FC Judd design. It's in a compilation book from ATR as well as a few other circuits.

My memory says it is a couple coils with diode bridge between them but any more detail than that I can not recall.

It should be here somewhere: https://worldradiohistory.com/Archiv...cording-UK.htm

No idea which issue but suspect it is between 63 to end of publication.......
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Old 24th May 2021, 2:00 pm   #17
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Default Re: Dalek voice circuit

I recall a pull out feature on Dalek voice ring modulator with full circuitry supplied being in a 70's Practical Electronics. As a uber geeky 10 year old I had it on my bedroom wall as a poster for a while!
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