Sennheiser Vocoder VSM-201

[InspectahDeck718]

Sample 3 = Soundwave from Transformers. AUTOBOTS INFERIOR, DECEPTICONS SUPERIORRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!

[VoiceEncoder]

@InspectahDeck718 The voicing of Soundwave was done on the Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus (Mk1 or Mk2?) NOT on the Sennheiser Vocoder VSM201 (Mk1 nor Mk2)!!!

[VoiceEncoder]

Neil Young also used the Sennheiser Vocoder VSM201 as well for his robotic-vocals on his 'Trans' album!!

[VoiceEncoder]

Sorry Chris, BUT the Bode 7702 Vocoder BLOWS your old Sennheiser Vocoder VSM201...OUTTA-THE-WATER!!!!!!

[KwK303]

Battlestar Galactica ;-)

[intromix]

Actually, that would be the EMS Vocoder!

[VoiceEncoder]

@intromix the EMS Vocoder 2000 MK1/I (beta-version) using a saxophone...to be EXACT!!!

[VoiceEncoder]

Chris, which one of these two were your former Sennheiser Vocoder VSM201 MkII (I think you told me yours was the MkII, and not the MkI)??

[dhampex]

Amen to that and agreed!!!. Musical instrument should be analog. Still this day I use 2 inch 24 track and it sounds soooooo nice along with my analog synth. People just don't understand the quality of analog, they just want something quick and fast like McDonalds food.

[VoiceEncoder]

Yes to musical instruments being analog!! But television is better digital.

[dhampex]

This is The Herbie Hancock Machine. I wish the VSM  comes back.

[VoiceEncoder]

Correct, and so do I!!

[johninsunnyvale]

hello there, where can one get an inexpensive vocoder for voice purpose's. Im looking to do sweeps and voice changing for a internet radio gig. Is there something I could use via my computer or is it just a stand alone thing?

[intromix]

It all depends on the SOUND you are looking for. You can get the Prosoniq Orange Vocoder which is a plug in for your PC or Mac and is a very clear vocoder. Or you can get a vintage Roland SVC-350 analog vocoder for $500.00 US if you want to sound like a "Freakazoid" robot

[VoiceEncoder]

The days of a Roland SVC-350 Vocoder costing $500 are pretty much OVER (unless your LUCKY)!!! NOWADAYS EXPECT to pay $1000 or MORE (BUT at least $800)!!!!

[intromix]

Wow, this must be recently, because I know they are always on Ebay and seems to be about the most common vintage vocoder!

[djrichierich706]

@intromix they are THE vocoders to have. svc all day.. i got mind for 530 on ebay a few years ago. lol good luck! ELECTRO

[klarazg]

Prosoniq Orange Vocoder is nice vst .. very simple 2 use .. long time ago I used it in FL studio I was always sad cause i could not use VST on Propellerhead ReBirth .. cause ReBirth got Roland TR-808 and TR-909.. and that would be great combination 4 old skool electro

[thelightcommeth]

Alternatively try out the Nord micro modular for $200 including a vocoder and is absolutely outstanding for that money

Software vocoders - orange or native instruments vokator

[VoiceEncoder]

No just buy the REAL thing!! The rest are all POS!!!!

[thelightcommeth]

4 in the USA lol, 2 in europe you are crazy they are rare but in the 100s no 10s

Ask on gearslutz anyone who wants one some on there

[intromix]

In FULL WORKING CONDITION??

[VoiceEncoder]

NO!!! Those are ONLY the number of ORIGINAL units built...NOT how many are still FUNCTIONAL!!!!

[thelightcommeth]

So 50 built and 2 in europe, 4 in the USA! Erm

For me the Vp-330 is a better bet as the vocoder is as good but its a keyboard with some awesome sounds, especially strings as well for $1200. The SVC-350 offer more flexability as well.

Alternatively try out the Nord micro modular for $200 including a vocoder and is absolutely outstanding for that money

[elevenbrains]

Do you have to have a synthesizer to use this vocoder or does it have it's own oscillator?

Thank you---great video I can;t find any other samples of this vocoder it must be rare ---how much do these cost?

[intromix]

It has it's own internal oscillator but you can NOT alter the pitch on it, that is where the keyboard/synth comes in to trigger the pitch. I sold mine for $7,000 US Dollars 2 years ago, and I've seen this sold at just over $10,000 about 4 years ago. There's probably 4 of them fully working in the States and a few left in Europe of the 55-ish units ever made. I remember on gentleman who REALLY wanted to buy it from me and offered me $4,000.00 for it-but the price of a VSM is nearly doubled!!

[hartleytransform]

Great video. Have you got any EMS 2000 samples also?

[intromix]

yep, just type it in

[JuIsTheLaw]

This guy could do with a pop shield. Anyway, check out Herbie Hancock's 'Come Running To Me' to hear how awesome this can sound.

[AnalogVocoder1]

"I Thought It Was You" the song before "Come Running To Me" is considered by MOST to be the BEST vocoder song of ALL-TIME!!!

[JuIsTheLaw]

haha what can I say, "Come Running.." is just one of my favourite ever Hancock songs.

[dhampex]

amen to that and the herboe directstep i thought it was you is also nice like the album version except the directstep version has a real long vsm 201 vocoder solo on there. Herbie extended the song plus its live in a tokyo recording studio. In 1980 i believe

[ctspf]

Sample 3 was very funny! Thanx for uploading!

[Meteotrance]

there is a french manufacturer that made a vocoder it's name Analogue Lab it's sound realy great but there is not a lot of product, it made preamp mic and also a resonant filter box.

[AnalogVocoder1]

Yes I would love to have one of these vocoders. Too bad they're out-of-business.

Here's a YouTube vid of one: youtube. com/watch?v=yN52ZS4b7jI

[Meteotrance]

sound realy like YMO Jean Michel Jarre and Kraftwerk ^^ it's really ruberry voice EMS sound great.

[AnalogVocoder1]

Of those only Kraftwerk has used the Sennheiser Vocoder VSM-201. YMO has used the Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus MkI and the Moog 16-Channel MBVO 327A Vocoder. Jean-Michel Jarre has used the EMS Vocoder 1000 (not sure which version), 2000W MkI, and the Korg VC-10 Keyboard/Vocoder. Kraftwerk does have in their inventory EMS Vocoders (including the 5000) but I know of NO recordings of theirs featuring it!!! Their recordings are one of the three following: a one-off made for them by R. Barth KG...

[AnalogVocoder1]

...and another one-off made for them by Sennheiser. The one you hear in recordings such as "The Robots", "The Man-Machine", "Spacelab", etc. is the Sennheiser Vocoder VSM201 (the same as the one in this video by 'intromix').

Rubbery??? In all my years as a vocoder expert I have NEVER heard anyone describing them as having a rubbery sound!!! Thin, thick, fat, phat, tinny, and metallic yes, but rubbery NO!!! That doesn't even make any sense since if you drop or bounce a rubber ball it...

[AnalogVocoder1]

...hardly makes any noise compared to a ball made of animal leather or other material. A basketball for example makes more noise bouncing than a rubber ball does.

[AnalogVocoder1]

Listen to a 19 minute audio demo of the GREAT Sennheiser Vocoder VSM201 here:

ht tp://rapidshare. com/files/97373863/Sennheiser_­Vocoder_Demo.m4a

[romeropablo]

Kraftwerk: "the voice of energy" used the first sennheiser in 1975 for the "radioactivity" album

[AnalogVocoder1]

That was a one-off Sennheiser, NOT the VSM-201!!

The makers of the 'Musicoder' R. Barth KG also made a one-off vocoder for Kraftwerk.

[AnalogVocoder1]

"Actually, the Vocoder VSM-201 was introduced in the first half of 1977, even if the service literature did not get published until February of 1978. Very few musicians and engineers (among them Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder) participated in 'beta-testing' of limited samples late in 1976, which led to designing the appearance and size to match the contemporary Moog synthesizers often used an external replacement sound source for the Vocoder."

Uwe Sattler

Techical Director - SEC

1 Enterprise...

[AnalogVocoder1]

...Drive

Old Lyme, CT 06371

Tel. +1 860-434-4576

usattler@sennheiserusa. com

[kathodemama]

is that one sold on ebay in 2005?

[zaxswyre]

dis how they did transformers or something ?

[AnalogVocoder1]

Yes and no. Yes they used a vocoder. No it wasn't this brand/model.

It was for Souundwave either one of the two versions of the Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus, the MkI or the MkII. For the song it's the Roland SVC-350 Vocoder!!

[Passivesoul]

Sample 3 is awesome.

[cato8383]

WOAH! Sample 4, the Zerg!!

[synth64]

rockets vocoder

[AnalogVocoder1]

Yes, this is the same vocoder (brand/model, but NOT actually the same unit) as used by "The Rockets" aka "Les Rockits" aka "Rockitz"!!!

[AnalogVocoder1]

"Les Rockets" my bad.

[AnalogVocoder1]

Not sure if this is a question (minus the ?) asking if this is the vocoder brand/model used or a statement. This IS the brand/model the used.

[inko123]

Kraftwerk sed sample 4 on the track "Trans Europe Express"

[AnalogVocoder1]

"The Robots"

[VoiceEncoder]

No...that's an EMS Vocoder...PROBABLY the 5000!!!

[AnalogVocoder1]

This is NOT the vocoder used by Mr. Michael Santiago to voice the Cylons!!! That was done by an EMS Vocoder (1000 MkI or MkII, 2000 MkI, or 5000 the "BIG-ONE")!!

[Neon360]

nice, thanks for sharing