Rocktron Banshee

The unit itself is easy enough, but playing while having a tube is in your mouth takes a bit of getting used to.

A veryy good sounding unit, however i have one quibble: it is very difficult to get a nice clean sound. The gain knob is very sensitive and seems to go from very quite clean, to crazy distortion.

Well, my first banshee was faulty, so i sent it back (to germany where i got it) and it was fixed. Seems pretty robust though.

Very good, first one was fixed and returned within a week.

I play mainly alt rock, and this makes usually boring solos come alive! I will ever lost this i would be really annoyed, but it wont because i love it so much. The bypass pedal is really good, its silent and very quick (unlike the ones on my POD floorboard). Drooling down the tube is something you will have to get used to aswell!

If you understand the concept of a talkbox, then this unit is as easy to use as plugging into an amplifier (which it essentially is). Three knobs for input gain, tone, and output. A tube that goes into your mouth. Very easy to use--though very difficult to master!

This thing sounds like a talkbox. I've used a variety of them--Heil, EH Golden Throat--and this unit can acheive what is commonly thought of as the "classic" talkbox sound: raspy and vowel-like. Those who are not getting the sound they desire are either lacking in technique or in their preconceptions about additional equipment. You need a good quality mic (Shure SM57s seem to work best given their directional nature) and a good PA. Running a mic through a guitar amp is going to be disappointing. It's also a good idea, if you also sing, to have a separate vocal and talkbox mic, though this is more of a luxury than a necessity (an SM57 is an excellent vocal mic). The secret to getting a good sound out of the unit is in balancing your amp and PA volumes so that they're relatively matched. There is also the issue of learning to use your mouth as a sound chamber for a source other than your vocal chords (and do so w/ a tube stuck in your mouth). Those reviewers who have complained of a weak or tame sound may not be exploring all that this box is capable of. A talkbox, by its very nature, has a pretty limited sonic pallette. There's only so much bandwidth that can travel along a 1/2 inch diameter, 6-foot length of hose. With the right equipment, techinique, and patience, the Banshee can deliver great talking guitar sounds--with the added benefit of being amp-safe.

Seems very sturdy. My first Rocktron pedal, so I can't comment on previous experience, though I've owned other Rocktron gear that was very solid and dependable.

A terrific value for a talking effect. Delivers great sounds.

Simple enough to use. I had the stupid idea that I wouldn't need a mic and seperate amp. I was wrong.

I could not get the sound I was wanting out of it. Since I had only heard talkboxes used on Aerosmith, Pink Floyd and of course Frampton music, I was expecting a similar sound. It ain't gonna happen with this unit. If you want the Heil sound, get one. This won't do it.

I don't gig, I only play for my own enjoyment. If I did gigs, I probably wouldn't use this. It seems reliable though.

Never called them.

Basically, I wanted to get the wild sounds that I've heard from Aerosmith, etc. But with this unit, I couldn't get anything near that. The sound was too tame, almost like using a wah alone. You can get "talking" sounds from it, but they don't have the cool overtones that Frampton had. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I was an idiot to think that I didn't need a mic and seperate amp for this. (lucky I already had them so I could use the unit) I tried running the mic through the same amp as my guitar, but it really sucked that way, and I gave up trying. So, since I had to run it through another amp, I have to buy (again) any effects that I would like to run it through. Maybe I could get some cooler sounds if I did, but I haven't tried it yet. If I had it to do over again, I would either spend more bucks to get the Heil and additional equipment it needs, or I would use the money for something else entirely.

Very easy to set up. I didn't have to run speaker cables from my amp to the talk box ( I also own a heil talkbox)and back to the speaker cabinet. Just put it at the end of my pedal board and go!

very good sound without any effects turned on. be careful with the gain control if your distortion unit is turned on. otherwise crank up the gain control and get a fairly decent sound.

I've used it for three shows so far. i'll see in a couple of months

this is a great addition to anyone who uses a combo amp. I had to use my marshall half stack with the Heil talkbox and sometimes thats a pain when you're playing smaller venues.I love the effect on peoples faces when you start playing with a talkbox.The only thing I think would make this better would be a little more output.When you have the monitors set for your vocals you have a little bit of a hard time hearing the banshee if there is anything else in your monitor because it's not as loud as your vocals. The Heil was a little louder depending how loud you had your amp set. but to be able to plug in and go totally rocks and I play in a Disco band.(www.discoinferno.cc)

Thst's the whole point! Just plug in and play. A definite bonus if you don't have a separate amp and cabinet, or if you don't even use an amp live (I'm a keyboard player). Also, I think that the tube is slightly slimmer than on the Heil Sound, which makes it easier to hold in your mouth. Or maybe I finally got the hang of it. Who knows!

I use the Banshee with my Yamaha SY85 synthesiser for Roger Troutman & Zapp -style talkbox vocals (remember 'More bounce to the ounce'?). It took me a while to get the right sound, which is somehthing I never really had to do with my old Heil Sound. I can understand why people complain you get too much gain out of the Banshee. Setting the 'gain' dial a millimeter too far will make this buzz like hell and give you a monster headache. However, it's definitely possible make it sound like a Heil with a bit of fiddling around.

It doesn't quite have that 'big, heavy chunk of metal' feel like the Heil, but it definitely looks sturdy.

I haven't had to contact Rocktron yet.

Best I've ever used. My Heil spent its last few weeks of its life (before I sold it) in a cupboard, cause I no longer had the energy to carry an extra amp to gigs just for the couple of songs where I used the talkbox. The Banshee is so much more convenient in every way. It's smaller, lighter, takes seconds to set up and can sound just as good as any other talkbox I've used.

If you own a Heil, stop being a purist and go out there and buy a Banshee. They rock!

Very easy to use. Just plug in the guitar and plug the box into the wall. You dont even have to hook it up to an amp or speaker cab at all. I actully found it usefull as a practice (and strictly practice) amp when I dont plug the hose in. The tone is at least as good as the mini travel amps. Anyhow, just another use for the thing.

Before buying this, I read just about every review for this and the heil version. No one doubts the abilities of the heil (except in ease of use) and the banshee gets some talk of not having the exact sound, but I disagree. Much like any other effect, this is a blank slate. I think my guitar sounds good, but give it to joe perry and it will sound amazing. Same goes for the talkbox. This more than any other effect requires alot of phisical work. I can get every sound i want out of this box, but it does take a little experimentation. As for getting chunky low or bright highs, I think an often overlooked area in tweaking effects, is the actuall guitar tone controls. I have a dean evo premium. If I want a more nasal high tone, I find it far more helpful to work my tone controls on the guitar. My guitar is equiped with coil taps, so it is very capable of bright strat sound or chunky les paul, but I wouldnt leave it up to the banshee tone control to do all that. Anyhow I just think it to easy to dismiss an effect than to put a little more effort into it. Personally if this thing didn't sound like "classic talk box sound" that would be fine...After all isn't that the reason someone would play through there mouth...To be original?

Looks to be built strong...best I can say.

Sure you can achive any of the frampton/perry/slash etc sounds with this, but I look far past that for this effect. Some effects are there to shine up your sound, and some are there for expression. This box is a great expression tool. The creativity scale for this thing is endless. I am not the greatest guitar player, but stuff like this helps me get closer to getting out the music inside me.

Ok........fellas. For all of you Roger/Zapp fans whose been wondering how in the world to get this talbox effect sound, here it goes:

I'm writing this because I've been searching forever and no one wanted to tell the secrets as to how to get the clasic Roger sound, well..........here it goes:

First let me say that I have the Digitech Talker and the Banshee and to get the Roger sound, you have to use a talkbox, not a vocoder. Also, you might want to modify the driver on the Banshee. You want that driver to really drive the air up into your mouth. That's why the Heil may be better, but it's a pain to set-up

1st.....Tubing: Use the tube inclued. It's fine. But wha you want to do is go to the plumbing section and get some adapters/connectors to make the tube smaller. It's a pain, trying to put that big tube in your mouth especially when pronouncing. If you look on the TV you will see that they use small tubes. So, use a connector to make your tube about 3/4"

2. Technique: Place it in your mouth such that it's in the molars. This is what the experts tell me, but it hasn't worked for me. My toungue and inner-cheek skin gets in the way, so I hold mine in the front between my two front teeth and put the tube as far back as possible....without choking yourself. Try differnt positions that give you the best pronunciation. Now........here is the secret: You have to really, really, pronounce your words. You might look silly, but it works. For example, if your pronouncing a word, really move your mouth to pronouce your words and listen. Sometime the way you would normally say a word is overly exagerated in your mouth movements. Also...you have to breath out while you're moving your mouth. It's like a loud whisper. You know how people talk when they have laragitis or they have a real bad sore throat? Nothing comes out as far as sound and all you can hear is air. That's how you talk and play the talkbox into the mic. That's the secret and above all things.......Practice, practice practice!!!

3. Keyboard sound: I'm using a Yamaha EX5. Use your favorite analog lead board (moog, TB303, Analog modelers, JP-8000, Prophecy, Korg Moss board, AN1x (works very good).....etc.) You want to use a super saw. If you don't have an analogish board, then use your 4 elements and choose 4 saws that are detuned. Turn the global effects off (Reverb and Chorus) YOu don't want a wet sound. The sound should sound like a buzz or a chain saw. Really ugly. Move the attack time up. YOu don't want the attack to be sharp, it takes away from the sound. Let the attack slowly glide in. You have to use Portamento/slide and legato. On my EX5, I can use two notes of Poly which is perfect, because you don't want to play more than 2 or 3 finger chords, because it starts sounding ugly. For extra added robtic sounds, use your insert effects. Try using a fuzz effect. On my EX5 I'm using a talking modualto that gives me vowl sounds. The fuzz adds a little bit of distortion.....Not too much though. For your modulation wheels or modulation stick (roland), make sure it vibrates kinda fast. About 100 out of 127. Makes sure the depth is noticable. If you have an EQ effect or global EQ, Amplify the midrange, as voices tend to be on the midrange. Crank the dB of the midrange high and try to crank the overall Gain of the whole sound, so it really shoots into your Talkbox.

Hints: The lower notes sound better. Don't play more than two finger chords. Talk like you have larangitis, and really over exagerate the pronunciation and the air coming out. Change the tube, to be smaller and play with placements.

Hope this helps fellas.........These are the secrets. Practice, Practice and more practice, but you'll get it! I'm still getting better.

I tend to agree with some of the comments. It isn't exactly like the classic Heil sound, but it IS a helluva lot easier to set up and deal with! Its pretty easy to get a usable sound out of though.
One previous reviewer commented on the coupling of the tube to the box itself by using chapstick!? According to Rocktron, its meant to be fitted INSIDE the lip, not outside. Its still a tight fit, but once its been jammed down in the hole a few times, it works well enough. I actually found some larger diameter tubing, made a fitting so that the tube goes down inside, and the fitting goes on the outside. Then I used a zip tie to clamp it down.
As far as figuring it out.....if you can't, then you need to be riding a short yellow bus! This thing couldn't be simpler.

Sound-wise its decent. It could have more of a Heil tone, but it works well and sounds good if you don't try to compare it. It is its own beast. Heres a tip for anyone who doesn't like the fact when you run it inline it cuts out your amp signal.
I run my various guitars(Gibson Les Paul, Parker NiteFly, Ernie Ball Musicman "Luke II", and Carvin SC90 custom) first through a Boss TU-2 tuner. From there I split the signal out of it...one side going on to my other effects, and the the other deadending into the Banshee. This way I can kick on the box, and still have my amp running at the same time.

Its built like a Russian Peasant woman.....not pretty, but built to last! I've used it for over a year non stop without backup. Never a problem.

They are a great company to deal with...I have dealt with them many times over questions and for endorsement reasons, and they are always cool and helpful.

Once you get past it not sounding like a Heil or any other Talker.....its actually pretty damn cool. It has a mean grinding sound and works very well for heavier music! Its worth it to me to not have to run separate amps for a talk box and my regular amp.

I'd just like to make a few comments after reading Jimmy B's submission. First of all, in response to his questioning the comparison between Banshees and Heils, I say, why not? Some people might want to know, I certainly did, got the thing, found out, and felt compelled to share my findings and opinions. Just like he did.

Yeah sir, I hooked the thing up to my various cabs and amp speakers of 8 and otherwise even ohms to check out the practice amp feature also. I'm sure I would have said something about it if I'd have found it to be as good sounding as you did. But it just didn't ring my bells. I guess one man's tone from the gods is another man's undimensional distortion. I'd rather play through my low power tube amps, especially for practice or recording. Hey, we all know what we have besides our opinions, right? I've been playing for 28 years too, we both probably know what good tone is. So who's right or wrong. Ultimately, check the damn thing out if you can and decide for yourself. That's what matters. And don't knock me for trying to sound like Frampton and Walsh, we all have to start somewhere. Best of luck Bubba, speak on.

Aaaaggghh!!! Whoooopaaa!! Oink! OInk!

very easy to get a good sound. Takes some practice to learn to talk
with it. There is a manual,but who reads one anyway until something goes wrong?
k

I play a 1970 Les Paul. A early 80's strat, and epiphone telecaster copy.Very easy to get the frampton thing. The only drawback is you're not going to use it on very many songs.People kill me comparing the effect to heil, electro-harmonix etc.The real hidden secret to this thing is not the talk box capability-It's the fact that if you plug this thing into a speaker cabnet< 8 ohm > This is where this little thing really shows out.No one has commented on this maybe they're too busy trying to be Joe Walsh.I have a crate vintage series head and cabnet, and compared to the sound of the banshee hooked to the cabnet,the crate head sounds very noisy and crappy.Mind you, you can't play an outdoor concert with it,but it's just right for recording or practicing.You can crank it up clean and get it slightly distorted like a overdrive, or you can turn the gain all the way up and unplug you're crappy boss distortion.Don't use a guitar cord to plug it into you're cabnet though. Use a speaker cable or you will have lots of noise.Back to the talkbox sounds very good if you add some reverb or delay on the mic.

Had some trouble the first one I had I ordered it from a place and they sent me the wrong ac adapter.Ordered another one from a different place havent had any problems.The effect is very sturdy and seems to be well made.

I called when I first started looking for one to try to find one in my area.They suggested 3 places where I could find one.They were very helpful.I called another time to try to find out if they still made the orange peal phaser,because I was considering buying one.Spoke with a teck who was real nice told me about upcoming products etc.

been playing 28 years played all types of music played all types of effects. Was looking for a good talkbox that I wouldn't have to risk blowing an amp for,but like I said what I really got which was a great bonus was one of the best sounding amps I've ever had.The only drawback to this talkbox is the price almost twice what a heil cost.The cool thing about it is that I run to a distortion then chorus then phaser then banshee you can't do that with a heil. In other words it goes right in line with you're other effects and doesn;t have to go in between youre head and cabinet.Oh and do like I do quit trying to be someone else and come up with youre own music.