The Vocoder—Electrical Re-Creation of Speech

In the Bell Telephone Laboratories have been developed electrical circuits for the artificial production of speech. One form of the device is itself voice-controlled, thus differing fundamentaly from the Voder of the World's Fair which is controlled by keys and pedals. It has been christened the “Vocoder” or “voice coder.” — Many startling effects are possible when the code is varied, for the Vocoder then recreates sounds quite different from those used by the person speaking. Cadences may become monotones, rising inflections may be turned to falling inflections, a vigorous voice may become a quaver, or a single voice may accompany itself at any desired musical interval—thus converting a solo into a duet, e:c. Also non-speech sounds may be coded into intelligible speech and instrumental music into vocal music.