Improve the Robot Voice given Laryngectomy patients, using Music Production Tools?

A typical Electrolarynx used to give voice to Laryngectomy patients. 

(Google shows models costing $205.99 to $1484.49, most are an electric motor based vibrator, (like most cell phone vibrators.)

 
    



The woman in this anti-smoking commercial using Electrolarynx.

 


 

The Trutone adding a simple a pitch shifting button makes a vast difference, 2008 demonstration of the $1485 ? device. 


One source reports: "Approximately 300,000 people worldwide lose their voices every year due to causes such as laryngeal cancer."

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3 key components for making a more natural sound.

 1) The sound transducer "talk boxes" used by musicians, some use a hose, at least one contacts the throat externally.

2) A tone generator mimicking the vocal chords.

3) A hand-held device to adjust the pitch and tone quality of the generator

 

---  Contact Talk-box Devices that might help produce more realistic sound ---

Here's a 3 min. 1940 example of the "Sonovox" used with various band instruments.

                       The Incredible Sonovox - Kay Kyser - 1940 film "You'll Find Out"  



There are a couple of currently available devices that work much like the original Sonovox.

A number of pro musicians briefly trying the ElectroSpit ESX-1 Mobile Talkbox


Current  VIP ESX-1 sale price: $999  (way up since original kickstarter offer)

https://www.electrospit.com/products/esx-1?srsltid=AfmBOorg5OKsptRjkEVCYIIlSmYOOU9HwO9n39NWAUqTo-kLilA9K9Zw


                                   Bohemian Rhapsody Demo of the Bozavox single hand held transducer


Bozavox  BVX-01 Sonovox Handheld Vocal Sound Effect  20W, 15,000hz transducer  $295.00 

(External speaker power amp is required, a wearable amp is a possibility)

https://www.amazon.com/Bozavox-BVX-01-Handheld-Vocal-Shaper/dp/B07KFZQHHN

Unlike a recording studio with sensitive mics, the power to produce a normal speaking volume in real world conditions would have to be determined.


        The table below depicts phoneme pitch variations.  Assembling a word by pushing a series of button seems impractical.

This table shows 14 different pitch variations



Bell labs created a Speech Synthesizer that one played a bit like a musical instrument, the operators controlling pitch and selecting format?? filters required a year of training to master the technique.



 The Voder: 1939, the worlds first electronic voice synthesizer


For initial lab experiments, a music synthesizer connected to a hand controller, the speakers mouth and remnant vocal tract provide the filtering.  Pitch bend and modulation wheels are common elements of a synthesizer controller keyboard.



 

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