Rocktron Banshee

Well, here we go again. Why am I doing this. You know, I'm sorry, but this is just not the real deal to me. Ok, yeah, I guess it is easier to use since you don't have to hitch it to the ass end of a cranked amp. You don't need any thing else to play it in fact. It works out of the box. Power it with the included HUGE wart, insert the tube with it's adapter sleeve(I used chapstick to make it easier to slip/force the adapter sleeve over the actual tube and then it fits? into the hole in the talkbox. Frankly I'm not real confident in the coupling here as to how well it will stay in), plug in your axe and it works. The speaker out works fine too, but it becomes 'talkbox mode', meaning you can't switch it between 'practice amp speaker' and talkbox. It will just switch between bypass and Talkbox/Speaker(depending on if you have a speaker plugged in). But no biggie I guess. So yippee skippee, it works in line with your effects, no hassles, right? Yes. But soundwise, I had some stark realizations.

Everything I've read or heard about the Rocktron Banshee has been positive. Classic tone. Ease of use. Well made. Cool features. This is where I should have been wary, but I got a wild hair, found an excellent deal on one and couldn't stand not knowing how one of these would work out for me. I guess my problemm is I've been playing a Dunlop Heil Talkbox for about 4 years now and I'm of the opinion that it's THE sound. You could refer to my review on it for more on that. Suffice to say that I think the Heil gets the Frampton, Walsh, etc. sound very closely. The Heil design is very loud(even with lower power amps),nasty and full of high end. Not for the faint. Well, the Rocktron Banshee I'm sorry to say doesn't get anywhere near the blastingly obnoxious glory of the simpler design. Just my opinion now, folks. The 'Banshee' doesn't really scream. It just purrs in comparison. It's a kinder, gentler talkbox. No killer high end. Way less volume. I'm not talking about gain. The freakin' thing has TOO, TOO much front end,preamp gain. But it's output volume, the stuff that makes the driver crackle and give you that distinctive, classic, talky sound, just isn't there. Getting back to the gain. Since when did we need to play a talkbox with mosquito tone? Yuck. It just makes the sound less intelligible. I mean you can hardly get the thing to be clean enough to emulate a cranked tube amp for the popular sounds. I'm not against having gain on tap, but it would have been nice to be able to get a more easily controllable low gain sound here. And then crank the shit out of it. But the 5 watt amp inside just doesn't push the driver into that badass breakup. Now granted, maybe that's what they wanted. The Heil sound can be difficult to deal with at times with monitor levels, and the Banshee is way more manageable, much warmer. But with the tone knob at full high end, low front gain, and output cranked, it's rather tame. Course, maybe I'm just deaf from using the damn Heil. But that's my current take on it kids, it AIN'T the same. I had a funny feeling it wouldn't be. But I will probably keep it and try to get used to it for what it does do, which isn't terrible. There's always room for creating new sounds. I'd hope people get these and create some more great tunes that can be played on talkbox.

Aside from the questionable tube insertion/mating/size/fit, this thing is very well made. I'm sure the built in amp will never blow the driver. I'll continue to use my Heil on gigs at least until I warm up to the sound of the Banshee. As long as I have to perform the classic cover stuff, the Heil is far better sounding.

Well, after many tries, I finally got to talk to Jim Chowning to see if I wasn't just stupid(which he probably thinks I am)or doing something wrong, but I could tell that he had no interest in my description or comparison of sound between the Heil and the Banshee. It is what it is and mine is not defective. He apparently thinks mucho gain is where it's at on this thing. No, I'm not hooking it together wrong. He seemed quite busy. Well, look at their other stuff. Super gain preamps, what did I expect. He has every right to not want to listen to how I would rather it had been designed.

You don't really care what I play or what other gear I have. The bottom line is will either of us ever get rich or famous. Only then will it matter. I just think all the people that have said this thing rocks haven't put the time in and listened closely or compared it to the other designs. My next quest will be to wonder how the old self powered ElectroHarmonix boxes sound. How about the Hagstrom Bag that looked like a wine flask? I have a friend who plays one but I haven't heard him. It's similar to the Heil design(driver with a tube,period.) Well, most people just don't care or notice the subtleties, but if you're after the real deal, it makes all the difference my friends. Rock on, Rocktron.

If you can't figure this out then your a moron. Just plug it into the amp like a normal effects pedal and play.

It sounds great. I use an Ibanez rg570 with EMG pickups through a crate gfx212 amp and it sounds awesome. It has little feedback and has built in distortion.

It is made out of steel. Through it off a building and it will probably still work.

Never delt with them

I play things like Metallica, Guns'N'Roses, Hendrix, and other cool stuff. If anyone ever stole this i would kick their ass. You don't need other effects because you can make effects from wah to flanger just by moving your mouth around.

Supa Dupa easy. I'll admit it does take a little time getting used to holding the tube in youre mouth, unless youre used to giving blow jobs while you play guitar, but other than that its just as hard as rocking a wah while playing or stepping on distortion at the right time.

I am running the banshee through my Marshall vs265r (sucks). Ok thats not technically accurate., You cant "run" the banshee through anything because it is its own amp. I use my amp in parrallel, and once you get the volume levels situated it can sound fucking awsome. Bump up the reverb on youre amp and then play a few chords, then kick this baby in, and it wont even sound like you switched. The audience (assuming they werent paying attention) will be bedazzled from where that whacked out sound is coming from. Ok, I really shouldnt be telling any of you fuckers any of this, because I have wanted a talkbox since before I even started playing guitar and the more popular it gets (suprisingly its still not all that popluar) the more of youre sorry asses are gonna buy them. If you wanna know what one of them sounds like go put in youre Alice in Chains Jar of flies CD (ofcourse you have one, dont you?) and listen to it there. Fucking awsome!!! Even if jerry was half as good as he is it would still rule. Ok, So Im a bit obesses but... My only bitch is I did also have the Hiel talkbox for a short time and its probably just my imagination but I think that the "vocal: effect came through just a tad more on the heil than with the banshee. It could be just the lenght of the tube though. No biggie, still rules!

Well, I guess I cant ever send it back anyways, because, much like most of my gear I have modified the unit already (had it for 2 weeks when I did it). But this one was neccesary, because the stupid people who made this thing insisted on putting the AC power jack (proprietary plug by the sucky way) on the side of the unit right by the input jack, and it wont work that way in my pedal board setup. So I took my ass to radio shack and bought a new jack and drilled out a hole in the back for the jack, rewired and walaa! The one that I got was very fresh out of the factory, so fresh that I think they were going to discontinue the unit, but decided not to and I had to wait 4 weeks for them to run the production line just to giv eit to the shitty music dealer I bought it through.

Havent contacted them as of yet, although I know rocktron makes some damn good products that I might be able to afford one day. I cant think of any reason to upgrade the unit, but I hope it never breaks, because like I said Ill probably have to buy a new one, seeing as how I modded it. Oh well, Im a tinkler...

Ive said just about everyhting I can about this bad boy. I am reviewing all of the gear I have thats of significance of me on here, because every peice I own was reviewed thouroughly by doing the exact same thing youre doing right now. I strongly feel that word of mouth is the best word, because no ones trying to seel you anything and they could frankly give a fuck. Hell I could be lying to you about everything in hopes that you get shitty tone and suck, so I have less competition.

This is the most inovative talkbox i have ever used. Just connect the talkbox up just like any other stompbox. Very easy to get a Peter Frampton, Joe Wash sound out of it.

It has the classic talkbox sound just hookup run the tube up the mic stand into your mouth and mouth out sounds.Takes some skill to learn to know how use a talkbox right. Just takes practice. Has built in distortion built in mimi amp and horn driver.

have had it for about four months have had no problem great product by Rocktron

never have delt with Rocktron

I liked this better then the Digetech vocaler. Sounds more real The only thing i dodn't like was the high price tag i could have got a Heli Talkbox for half the price. but i like the way everything was built in and i no longer have to worry about frying my amp. Like the old talkbox's you could do very easy. I also got rid of all my wah pedals with this talkbox i can make a wah sound very easy with better control. Its about time the came out with a talkbox that is user friendly only Rocktron could do it right. I like doing "THOSE SHOES" by the eagles.

This is a talkbox with an amp and horn driver built inside. Plug your guitar in, put the tube in your mouth and play!

It's up to you. Move your mouth for the sound you want.

You bet.

I love this pup. It's groovy baby, yeah.