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The 1978 Cylon Centurion has an iconic voice created by a vocorder. A vocorder is an electronic device that modifies a human voice with a carrier sound resulting in a new and unique vocalization.

Screen accurate details:

• The correct model vocoder is the SENNHEISER VSM-201 VOCODER - a HUGE machine that the voice was created on during post production of the show.
• A costumed classic 1978 Centurion did not have its distinct voice while on the set, only the muffled actual voice of the actor inside the costume.
• Estimated cost if you can find one to buy $? (help me out here fellow Cylons!)

Low cost alternatives:

• There are a few "voice changers" on the internet from various suppliers who cater to the costume builders' market.
• Also there are a few "voice changer kits" from Electronic hobby companies.
• The above two options range in cost from around $15 to around $300 depending on where you buy and what features are included.

Notes:

• There is NO exact sounding modern "on-the-fly" option for cylon builders (SO FAR!)

YouTube videos of the Sennheiser VSM-201 Vocorder in action:






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Not really - Nothing that sounds spot on to the real deal, the SENNHEISER VSM-201 VOCODER.

Cylon-Knight wrote:Not really - Nothing that sounds spot on to the real deal, the SENNHEISER VSM-201 VOCODER.

Well I saw the video of the first one (Giganto Typical 1970's) still very cool, Then I seen your video of the rack mount version,( probably 1980's) also very cool, and I figured by now (2011) there might be a small we could use for live action.

There is one that pops up on eBay now and then, and it runs $7500.

GoldCylon wrote:There is one that pops up on eBay now and then, and it runs $7500.

Sorry my Jaw is still on the ground! Why would a 1970's electronic componet be that much money?

I realize what it does but I'm sure it's nothing that can't be duplicated on a computer with the right software?

Are they rare? or that collectable?

To answer your last question. Yes to both, and no only half @$$ computer version of a vocoder can be made. No one has duplicated any 1:1 vocoder as of now. Meaning name any hardware version and no software version can replicate it.

GoldCylon wrote:To answer your last question. Yes to both, and no only half @$$ computer version of a vocoder can be made. No one has duplicated any 1:1 vocoder as of now. Meaning name any hardware version and no software version can replicate it.

You are right I have been doing a little research and it's one of those machines that no one has been able to duplicate.

Do you think they still use it in films?....I think probably!

I was watching the demos, pretty impressive it did alot more than just Cylon voices it was pretty much creating pure evil and ghost like sounds with maniacle german precision.

Scary!

I am looking at a couple options to replica a robot voice. First one is a voice changer electonic kit: I am looking at two: See links below:

1st unit:

http://store.qkits.com/moreinfo.cfm/FK930

This circuit adds a choppy effect to your voice. A very simple circuit that does not have any signal processing what so ever. Very similiar to talking through a spinning fan blade. Uses 2 CMOS IC's and includes speaker. Requires 9 to 12 volts DC and draws less then 100 milliamps. Power supply : 9VDC Current consumption : 100 mA. Max.

2nd unit

http://store.qkits.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=1274

* make your voice sound like a robot

* add vibrato effect

* use the 'pitch'-buttons and make your voice sound lower or higher

* built-in microphone and power amplifier with volume control, just add a speaker

Specifications

* speaker / line output

* on/off switch

* max. output power: 1.5 W (4 ohm)

* power supply: 9Vdc / 300mA

* dimensions: 77 x 46 mm


The second one has a better description and can be purchased assembled for an extra $10. I am a little confused because the first one (FK930) comes with a speaker and the second one (MK171) does not. But the second one has a built in microphone and the first one does not mention that it does. I am not sure how much room is in a cylon helmet but these things seem small enough. I am leaning towards the second one because it sounds like all you need to add is a speaker and I priced a small speaker at Radio shack yesterday for $5.

Another option I am looking at is the following voice changer forsale on Ebay. Seller is based in Hong Kong which I am not super keen on but it has my interest. I am checking on shipping.

Check out Ebay auction # 290522716072

I like this one because the microphone headset seems very low profile and would most likely fit into a helmet. The speaker has the powersource and voice changer all in one - it could be mounted in chest plate. It also can have an MP3 feeding into it so the warble sound could be added along with the voice changing ability.

comments, thoughts?

I bought the MK171 voice changer, got it hooked up to a speaker and quickly realized I won't be able to have the speaker in the helmet like I had invisioned. When the mic and speaker are close there is wicked feedback. The mic will be in the helmet and I guess the speaker under the chest armor - hopefully this will be far enough apart for the speaker and mic. It seems to want to be a good 2 feet apart to prevent feedback. The robot voice isn't close to the cylon but it is better than my own voice and sounds like a robot. Most people who see the suit will be blown away by the look, the sweeping eye and the eye sound. Add in a robot voice and it a bonus.

Once the stores have all the halloween stuff out (which will not be long from now) I will look for one of those cheap plastic voice changers to see how it compares.

I am with you Phil. Till someone can get a 90% or better Cylon type voice changer I am all about the cheapo Halloween changers.

GoldCylon wrote:I am with you Phil. Till someone can get a 90% or better Cylon type voice changer I am all about the cheapo Halloween changers.

Has anyone played with the SonicVox and Cylon Voice on the iphone, or touch, or the Ipad, I have them both, and they seem to work well.

Anybody try a Krog KAOSSILATOR PRO? They have a vocoder function and are in the $300 range.

Does anyone have the Sennheiser user guide? Does anyone have notes from the filming studio on what vocoder set points were used to create the Cylon voice?

One way to shrink the size of the Sennheiser VSM 201 vocoder is to first recognize that it is a channel vocoder, and perhaps not all of the filters were used to create the Cylon voice. At first glance of the schematics, I'm not intimidated by 741 op amps. You can substitute DIP packages of the 1970's to very tiny SOICs of 2013, with much tighter tolerances in chip manufacturing. Power supplies were huge and dirty in 1970s. Maybe the Sennheiser designers used clean power. The 7812 regulators in their power circuits are jelly beans for developers of today.

Some of the resistors they used have very specific values. Who knows, maybe they had less than 1% tolerance. If they are carbon film, then they can be trimmed with a knife. I don't have much experience with the ceramic chip resistors, but I have seen some trimmed with a laser in a Wheatstone bridge circuit for a silicon micromachined pressure transducer.

Who designed the Sennheiser VSM 201 vocoder? I can try to follow the designer to his mentor, and then to publications that were written before the development of the instrument. Hopefully I can get some insight to their design approach.

I do believe that a hybrid of old analog and new digital could make for a very nice portable vocoder. I haven't seen any pictures of the inside of the vocoder. I'm not sure I can get a complete parts list from the schematics either, but it's worth a try.

I own the original owners manual of the vocoder of the Sennheiser, but no notes written are inside except the word LED was defines Light Emitting Diode. It was given to me by Mr Peter Berkos who created the Cylon voice.