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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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17th May 2021, 9:37 pm | #1 |
Heptode
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 632
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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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17th May 2021, 10:00 pm | #2 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Oxfordshire
Posts: 719
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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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17th May 2021, 10:05 pm | #3 |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 2,473
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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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17th May 2021, 10:10 pm | #4 |
Nonode
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,000
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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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17th May 2021, 11:17 pm | #5 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Chesham, Bucks. UK.
Posts: 75
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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. HTH Pete |
17th May 2021, 11:53 pm | #6 |
Nonode
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Tintinara, South Australia, Australia
Posts: 2,324
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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. |
18th May 2021, 12:24 am | #7 |
Heptode
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Swaffham, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 582
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Re: Dalek voice circuit
Operational transconductance amplifier, configured as a four quadrant multiplier, controlled by an oscillator.
Greg. |
18th May 2021, 8:34 am | #8 |
Banned
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Bedfordshire, UK.
Posts: 601
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Re: Dalek voice circuit
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18th May 2021, 12:23 pm | #9 |
Nonode
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Redruth, Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 2,562
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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 Regards, Symon |
18th May 2021, 12:43 pm | #10 |
Octode
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Carmel, Llannerchymedd, Anglesey, UK.
Posts: 1,498
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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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18th May 2021, 1:18 pm | #11 |
Nonode
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Tintinara, South Australia, Australia
Posts: 2,324
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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 |
18th May 2021, 1:57 pm | #12 |
Octode
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK.
Posts: 1,897
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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 ! Last edited by slidertogrid; 18th May 2021 at 2:03 pm. |
18th May 2021, 2:17 pm | #13 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,809
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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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18th May 2021, 10:21 pm | #14 |
Nonode
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,000
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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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18th May 2021, 11:38 pm | #15 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK.
Posts: 5,263
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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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23rd May 2021, 12:53 pm | #16 |
Hexode
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 373
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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....... |
24th May 2021, 2:00 pm | #17 |
Banned
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Morpeth, Northumberland, UK.
Posts: 936
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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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