# Talking skull sound and mic



## bbgdesigns (Jun 20, 2013)

Hello all.... 
Last year I put together a 3 axis talking skull that I was pretty excited about. I set it up to where I controlled to head with a airplane remote control and talked into a microphone that was plugged into a little amplifier thing that I bought of FrightProps I believe... The audio was split from there where one end went to my picotalk and the other to some computer speakers.... Overall it turned out good.... My complaint and the thing I want to change this year is that the sound cut in and out and wasnt very clear or loud.... My suspicion is that one: the little amplifier thingy distorted to sound because I later tested it on a nicer karyoke type speaker and it sounded like crap..... and two: that the computer speakers were kinda junk.....
My question to you pros is, does anyone have an idea for a loud, clear sounding speaker/mic set up for a talking skull.... Id like to keep my 3 pin mic and cord because they werent cheap. But how to I get pico talk to recognize it and the speaker to play it....
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Colby


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## BillyVanpire (Apr 22, 2015)

hi, have you tried this setup?










or hooking the mixer output to a home amp & speakers or a pro P.A. system will get you all the volume & control you need.
a decent mixer will let you pan each input source audio signal left or right, do mic to the left & sound efx to the right.
the pico talk is mono so you only connect the left channel to that (so the skull doesn't perform any efx, just your voice)

you can connect 2 pico's together to have 2 skulls converse using 1 stereo clip (actor 1 on the left channel, actor 2 on the right)
or you could pan 2 mic's opposite channel for 2 live actors.

lots of options


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## bbgdesigns (Jun 20, 2013)

I havent... I dont believe my Picotalk has the audio out like this picture shows.


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## BillyVanpire (Apr 22, 2015)

you wont need it...you can hook speakers to a home amp and run it off the mixer instead of the picotalk.


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## bbgdesigns (Jun 20, 2013)

Ok.... So right now I'm running the output of the mixer to a "block rocker" speaker/PA thing... And it sounds like garbage.... Is there a mixer you think would have the right setup for what I'm doing.... The one I have is like the picture you posted...


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## BillyVanpire (Apr 22, 2015)

which mixer do you have? 
and does the block rocker sound ok playing an ipod or other audio source?

i would test with just the mic to start.
the mic connects to a mic input on the mixer, can you pan the mic input left & right?
then rca master output from your mixer to the block rocker rca line input connector.

is that how you have it wired?


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## bbgdesigns (Jun 20, 2013)




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## bbgdesigns (Jun 20, 2013)

It doesn't seem to have a left and right adjustment... Just a bunch of weird numbers. The mic works great plugged directly into the speaker.. I think maybe the mixer is just doing weird things to it... It is wired like you explained... I guess I'll try and find a different kind of mixer?


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## BillyVanpire (Apr 22, 2015)

that is a microphone pre-amp , not a mixer.

a pre-amp boosts the mic signal up to line level.
you might be better off with a mixer but this should work for your needs.

start with the gain low & output just over half way on your pre-amp.
ideally you want your voice to make all the green leds light up to 0 db (those ones next to the power led)
start increasing the gain til your voice triggers 0db, you can go into the yellow/red leds but that is distortion.

now turn on the block rocker and adjust the volume there , any difference?


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