Vocoder

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Technology

Vocoder · In the 1930s at Bell Labs, Homer Dudley developed the vocoder, intended to send speech efficiently over telephone lines. The device splits a voice into frequency bands and imposes their variation on another sound, a synthesizer for example. The result is a speaking machine. In the early 1970s, Wendy Carlos used the vocoder in the music of A Clockwork Orange, and Kraftwerk made the sound of the man-machine with it. In electro and Italo disco, the robot voice then sounded everywhere.

Listening

• 
  The Robots · Kraftwerk, 1978
• 
  Mr. Blue Sky · Electric Light Orchestra, 1977
• 
  O Superman · Laurie Anderson, 1981

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• Genre Map · Technology^NL Map
• Mixtape 8^NL Reader
• Mixtape 8: Electronic Music^NL Reader
• Mixtape 9: The Instrument^NL Reader
• The Dream Factory: Film Reel 5^NL Reader
• After Hours: Session 4^NL Reader

See also

• Kraftwerk and the man-machine
• Synthpop