Select the Dropdown menu to quickly access the entire Rocktron Product Line.
v
In a jam? Talk your way out of it with Rocktron's new Banshee Amplified Talk Box.
Bringing a cool, new twist to the outdated generation of complicated and risky talk boxes, the Banshee is a unique new product that gives classic rock touches to today's players. Although "talk boxes" have been used in the making of hit music (Aerosmith, Frampton, Joe Walsh, etc.) for years, many guitar players simply have not tried them because of their complicated and potentially damaging setup.
Leave it to the stomp box gurus at Rocktron. The Banshee rocks, simply and safely. What makes the Banshee so unique is that it contains its own internal preamp, amplifier, and horn driver. You simply plug into the Banshee like you would any common stomp box, and run the provided "tubing" up the mic stand and into your mouth. The rest is up to your own imagination as you get the most incredible sounds from your instrument. And no more risk of blowing up your favorite amp head, (always a possibility with talk boxes of old).
The Banshee's preamp section features controls for gain, tone, and output level. A wide range of clean and dirty preamp tones may be dialed in with plenty of saturation for those who desire lots of gain. Guitar World Magazine wrote: "The Banshee’s high-gain preamp and focused tone control allow for excellent enunciation and sustain. With minimal practice, I was able to create clear words and open vowels, and I could readily see how anyone could become addicted to this effect."
Not only does the Banshee scream in the talkbox mode, but Rocktron has also included an extra jack for hookup with an extension pedal speaker. Plugging a speaker cabinet to this output turns your pedal board into a perfect practice setup with enough volume to do some pretty serious cranking!
Get your hands on the most unique product in years and let your creative juices flow! Or as Guitar World Magazine put it: "With a simple design and arena-worthy performance at a cool price, this Banshee is sure to send you screaming into the night.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE BANSHEE TALKBOX
Can I harm my other gear when I use the Banshee Talkbox?
This question seems to arise because of older style talk boxes that utilize a second amp for setup. The Banshee can not harm other equipment (as long as you don't connect the speaker output to anything other than a speaker). Most other, and older style talkboxes require a separate amplifier to drive the horn driver at 8 ohms within the talkbox. This meant you needed an additional guitar amp or other amplifier to run your talkbox when engaged. Many clever schemes were made up to disconnect your amplifier’s speaker and connect it to the driver within the talkbox when the talkbox was engaged. If an impedance mis-match happened, your favorite tube amp could be damaged. For instance if your tube amp was set for 16 ohms and the talkbox driver was at 8 ohms this additional load could damage the amp’s output transformer causing expensive repairs. Because the Banshee already has its own built in 6 watt power amp your amplifier is not even used when the Banshee is engaged.
Where should I place the Banshee Talkbox in relation to other gear in my setup?
The Rocktron Banshee can be placed anywhere in your line/instrument level signal path, but do so according to what you want coming into the Banshee to be included in the talkbox sound. For instance, if you desire the delay from your delay pedal going into the talkbox, it must be placed before the Banshee. (Note - this is NOT the case with the Banshee 2 model, which has its own effects loop).
Will sound come out of my amplifier when I use the Banshee Talkbox?
This is the most frequently asked question about the Banshee. The fact is that no sound comes out of your amp while the talkbox effect is engaged. When engaging the Banshee, all of the sound comes up through the talkbox “tubing” and then into your mouth, and finally back out of your mouth and into a microphone. Thus, using a talkbox is much the same as micing a singer. No sound comes out of your amp at all. (Note - this is NOT the case with the Banshee 2 model. See details on the Banshee 2 elsewhere on this website.)
How do I make my instrument talk when using the Banshee Talkbox?
Many inexperienced users believe they are talking into the tubing to change the sound. This is not the case. The sound comes out of the tube and you use your cheeks, lips, tongue and teeth to change the envelope of the incoming signal to “shape” the sound as if your instrument is talking.
Can the Banshee Talkbox be used only with guitar?
Any low level signal can be used into the Banshee, including bass guitar and keyboards. Many DJ's also use the Banshee to “scratch” LP's into the Banshee to create unique sounds.
For more in-depth information on the Banshee Talk Box, view the instruction manual in the SUPPORT section of this website.
Buy the Banshee Talkbox from an online dealer. Select below to purchase.
