Omg!!! It's awesome 
Phantom of the Paradise "Voice Box?"
- Thread starter TKThor
- Start date
madmartian
Active Member
I had a major setback on my project today. With only 6 days until the event, I apparently fried my Hytechtoyz deluxe Cylon voice changer (which is the closest thing I've found to the Phantom). All I did was touch the battery backwards but that's apparently all it took. Back to square one on voice changing. With 6 days to go. I have the sound-to-light circuit ready, though.
madmartian
Active Member
Hytechtoyz customer service has been great and they are sending me a replacement voice changer. Here is the current state of the box with light kit installed:
I'm not thrilled with the LED hotspots, but this will do for now. Ideally I would use LED panels like these:
http://www.frys.com/product/7250553?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
or these (if I can find them in red and blue or use plastic filter material):
Amazon.com: Cutequeen Trading 2PCS White 5050 48SMD 48-SMD LED Panel Dome Light Lamp + T10 BA9S Festoon Adapter (pack of 2): Automotive
But LED panels come with resisters built in, so I would have to figure out how to alter the existing sound-to-light kit or find one made for driving tiny incandescent bulbs.
I'm not thrilled with the LED hotspots, but this will do for now. Ideally I would use LED panels like these:
http://www.frys.com/product/7250553?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
or these (if I can find them in red and blue or use plastic filter material):
Amazon.com: Cutequeen Trading 2PCS White 5050 48SMD 48-SMD LED Panel Dome Light Lamp + T10 BA9S Festoon Adapter (pack of 2): Automotive
But LED panels come with resisters built in, so I would have to figure out how to alter the existing sound-to-light kit or find one made for driving tiny incandescent bulbs.
waaaaaaaaaaw, I want one xD
madmartian
Active Member
I posted an Instructable of my voicebox:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Phantom-of-the-Paradise-Voicebox/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Phantom-of-the-Paradise-Voicebox/
Looks amazing!
Reviving this thread after 10 years but finally decided to work on the voice box haha!
madmartian intructables was a good help but still trying to find the exact knobs used.
Also found a vintage box that had already all of the holes pre drilled so not complaining.
Just finished painting it. It’s vintage so some of the grey was chipped but shouldn’t be too hard to touch up, also add character!
I did find this knob for the volume that seemed pretty close but cannot tell if the disk had numbers or an arrow in the film. But the top part seems pretty close.
Also do we know what’s underneath the box? Just a jack output?
Thanks!
madmartian intructables was a good help but still trying to find the exact knobs used.
Also found a vintage box that had already all of the holes pre drilled so not complaining.
Just finished painting it. It’s vintage so some of the grey was chipped but shouldn’t be too hard to touch up, also add character!
I did find this knob for the volume that seemed pretty close but cannot tell if the disk had numbers or an arrow in the film. But the top part seems pretty close.
Also do we know what’s underneath the box? Just a jack output?
Thanks!
Funny, I'm revisiting my Phantom build as well! I got lucky the first time sourcing a box. As for the bottom, I took some liberties.
I was wondering when you would show up!
Nice! Yeah Mine came with a rs232 input, and yeah a jack socket would make sense haha, thanks!
Did we ever figured out, what that knob is on the far right? It's fairly flat, and I always thought it was a hole plug somehow haha
madmartian
Active Member
Awesome to see more people making these. I think I spent more time searching for the perfect knob than I did anything else. Went to electronics surplus stores and searched through bin after bin of misc knobs. Eventually "close enough" works.
madmartian
Active Member
I don't think they ever show the bottom in the movie. I took a LOT of liberties - I have batteries mounted to the bottom.
madmartian
Active Member
I asked the prop guy Erik Nelson some questions:
- Does the original voicebox still exist?
- I am building my own voicebox and having difficulty locating a similar enclosure. I learned from Rosanna Norton that the enclosure was repurposed from an old transistor radio. Any more detail that might help me track down similar (or even the same model) hardware would be appreciated.
- I have found a suitable knob and two switches for the top of the voicebox but I can't figure out what the round flat thing on the right is. Do you remember what that is?
His response:
"The Voice Box was made from scratch, starting with a box that I bought at Radio Shack; sold for any electronic purpose. We built on to it straps to hang around his neck - the length of which could be varied. The dial and button were similarly obtained. The round flat mesh was merely some screen covered with an interesting "washer". Inside were batteries hooked to lights made to flash when he talked. A microphone under the mesh picked up the sound and activated the colored lights. Today we would be doing all that stuff with LEDs and other up to date electronics. By the way, the dial actually worked to turn off the device and to vary the intensity of the lights.
And, no, I don't have any idea where the voicebox has gone off to. I hung on to it for several years, but it went with a couple of boxes of electronic miscellany to a special effects man who had a shop in Simi Valley - which no longer exists.
I hope this is some help. Radio Shack used to have several boxes for craft or other activities but I think they have discontinued most of that type of merchandise in their stores- however, you might check their catalog. They had to be painted matte black for the prop.
A note: Phantom is one of the favorites on my list of productions I have worked on. Buckaroo Bansai remains number one. Rosanna was a joy to work with and learn from. Brian was not a joy but I did learn a lot from him, and it was a time of learning as it was only my fourth picture to prop. Sissy Spacek joined the art department and added to the aura of improvisation - and how to make a movie on a shoestring."
Of course I did manage to find the exact enclosure after some more googling based on Erik's response. And was surprised to find the exact enclosure is still available!
That's so cool, thank you for sharing! Such a shame we didn't get to see any close up pictures of the original prop, but not uncommon sadly for movies from that time.
The enclosure was used for several electronic brands, you can also see it used for Synthecon Power supplies
The enclosure was used for several electronic brands, you can also see it used for Synthecon Power supplies
Could it have been a tooth edge washer maybe, and a silver mesh?
It looks more round in this screen grab. I went with a gold washer that I sandwiched mesh material from an old screen door.
I really do see tooth star edges in the movie, I guess it's up to personal preferences at this point
Out of curiosity how wide is it? 1" or smaller?
