Vtg 1940 NY World's Fair VODER Voice Synthesizer BELL SYSTEM EXHIBIT Brochure

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via this auction

Here's something you do not see everyday. It was sent my way via Pea Hicks of optigan.com. If you are not familiar with the Voder, it was a 1939 speech synthesizer from Bell Lab's. Yes, that is correct, the year 1939. You can find some previous posts including demos here. This brochure is as rare as it gets. It's hard to believe it exists in this condition. The auction description follows: "A Vintage / Original 1940 New York WORLD'S FAIR Bell System Exhibit BROCHURE / BOOKLET of The VODER - The Worlds First Voice Electronic Synthesizer. The Bell Telephone Laboratory's Voder (from Voice Operating Demonstrator) was the first attempt to electronically synthesize human speech by breaking it down into its acoustic components. It was invented by Homer Dudley in 1937–1938 and developed on his earlier work on the vocoder. The quality of the speech was limited; however, it demonstrated the synthesis of the human voice, which became one component of the vocoder used in voice communications for security and to save bandwidth.

As found recently, it measures aprx 6" x 9".

Visually it appears to be in nice original condition showing light overall wear w/ some light creasing & a soft vertical fold/crease down the center (see pics)."

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Synthetic Soundlabs Pays a Rare Visit to Bell Lab's VODER Speech Synthesizer From 1939

Update: via Doug: "The console I’m playing is a recreation that was commissioned to me by current Bell Labs President Marcus Weldon. I’m seen here playing it prior to a BL event. Photo by Larry Fast. Also in attendance was Wally DeBacker (Gotye). you can see and hear me play it live on the PBS series 'Breakthrough: History of the Smart Phone' episode [might not be available in your area though]. Narrated by Patrick Stewart, and hosted by former editor of Popular Mechanics, Jim Meigs."

via Synthetic Sound Labs, click through for additional pics.

"For the first time in nearly 80 years, the VODER has been found – well at least some of it. Unfortunately, none of the operator consoles are known to have survived the various archive moves over the years.

On December 15, 2015, SSL’s President Doug Slocum was treated to unprecedented access to the AT&T Archives & History Center in Warren New Jersey to view and record the uncovering of two of the original equipment racks used to train VODER operators in preparation for the Bell System’s 1939 Worlds Fair exhibit."

Check out this post for an old black and white video demo of the VODER when working. You can find a handful of additional posts mentioning the VODER here.

This one was spotted and sent in via M Me.

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Machine by PSProject

"The machine uses only two sounds, produced eletrically. 1996 song by PS PROJECT."

"Prophet 5 for the Pads, effects and most of the sounds. All was sampled on the ASR-10 and sequenced in it."

Inspired by the original Voder speach synthesizer featured in this post. The track above is from 1996.

PSProject is from the man behind EMW - Electronic Music Works

The VODER (1939) - Early Speech Synthesizer

Uploaded on Apr 4, 2011 VintageCG·120 videos

"Considered the first electrical speech synthesizer, VODER (Voice Operation DEmonstratoR) was developed by Homer Dudley at Bell Labs and demonstrated at both the 1939 New York World's Fair and the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition. Difficult to use and difficult to operate, VODER nonetheless paved the way for future machine-generated speech."

Previously posted here.

voice coder machine

YouTube via monotonmusic

"Somekind of "prehistoric" vocoder using telephone-circuitry."
More info and a samples on AudioLemon.