Does anyone know if the Sonovox (at least I think that's what it was called, it's been a while since I've watched this) was a real existing instrument, or was it just a made-up prop for this movie?
This was a very fun movie, and those electronically altered voices were one of the highlights, especially at the end when Ginny Simms sings a song using the Sonovox effects.
yakko
Kind of an old thread, but it made me think of the King Sisters Show in the 60's which I can't find on IMBD,oddly enough. That show featured a guitar player with a name that will come to me sometime in the middle of the night.He had an unusual first name and was married to a sister,I think. He used a sonovox,or a device very much like it during his performances.
shareThe Sonovox as it was called in this fun movie, was the inspiration for country western steel guitarist Pete Drake and his "talking" steel guitar that produced the giant hit "Forever" in 1964 (released on Smash Records). If you go to ebay there should be several good 45rpm copies or if you're really adventurous, the LP album is available (not in print on CD). This Sonovox type gimmick didn't work too well for Dtake outside of this one outing, although he recorded three albums of talking steel music (there were some top flight instrumentals on these Lps). Check it out, I think you'll enjoy "Forever."
shareAlvino Rey plays "St. Louis Blues" with Stringy the talking steel guitar!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPd9cxqKCVg
The Sonovox was an actual device developed in the 1930s and is reasonably accurately depicted in the movie "You'll Find Out!" It was designed to alter the characteristics of a speaking or singing human voice to that of musical instrument(s) or other sounds. Technically it involved placing a loudspeaker in contact with the side of the throat of the user. A disc record of the sound subject desired was played through this loudspeaker into the persons throat. The subject would speak the words by mouth and throat manipulation which would alter the original sound of the recording. It took some practice to master this. At the same time a contact microphone pickup was held against the opposite side of the throat which would pick up the the altered sounds that could be recorded or played through a loudspeaker. The conclusion of the movie shows how the Sonovox is used to create unusual musical effects.
This same device was used for some children's records such as "Sparky's Magic Piano" and "Rusty in Orchestraville" which gave the impression of various musical instruments singing or talking. These were released by Capitol Records in the 1940s.
This device is probably similar in operation to the device used by people who have lost the use of their larynx from cancer or other disorders.