Talkboy
Encyclopedia
The Talkboy was a portable variable speed cassette
player and recorder
manufactured by Tiger Electronics
(now owned by Hasbro
) in the early 1990s. Much like other Tiger Electronics devices of the era, this device was primarily marketed to children and teens.
The Talkboy can change it's speed to SLOW the speed of slow is 76% of normal speed. If you record it on SLOW and then speed it up, you have 130% of normal speed. Not all Talkboys are manufactured with the same speed. Some can be 86% of normal speed and then 115% of normal speed.
The Talkboy was originally conceived as a non working prop for the 1992 movie Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
, used by Macaulay Culkin
's character. In 1993 it was made into a retail version, brought on by a massive letter-writing campaign by young fans of the film. The product capitalized on the success of the film's VHS
release. Sales were largely driven by this movie tie-in.
The device itself consisted of a handheld cassette recorder with an integrated grip handle for easy carrying, and an extendable microphone
. The function controls were much like any other portable cassette recorder of the day, complete with play, stop, fast forward, rewind, pause, and record buttons. Additionally, and most distinctively, a switch which toggled between normal and slow speed settings for playback and recording was also included. This feature gave the user the ability to manipulate the speed, and in turn, pitch, of the recorded sound to act as a voice changer
.
Several spinoff versions of the device were also created by Ralph Osterhout
at Team Machina, including:
use found sound recordings from cassettes discovered in Talkboys purchased from thrift stores to create narrative for the track "A Cold Freezin' Night" from their 2010 album The Way Out
.
A Creepypasta called Playing with Sound, is revolves around a Talkboy.
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
player and recorder
Cassette deck
A cassette deck is a type of tape recorder for playing or recording audio compact cassettes. A deck was formerly distinguished from a recorder as being part of a stereo component system, while a recorder had a self-contained power amplifier...
manufactured by Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics is an American toy manufacturer, best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, and Giga Pets. When Tiger was an independent company, Tiger Electronics Inc., its headquarters were in Vernon Hills, Illinois....
(now owned by Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
) in the early 1990s. Much like other Tiger Electronics devices of the era, this device was primarily marketed to children and teens.
The Talkboy can change it's speed to SLOW the speed of slow is 76% of normal speed. If you record it on SLOW and then speed it up, you have 130% of normal speed. Not all Talkboys are manufactured with the same speed. Some can be 86% of normal speed and then 115% of normal speed.
The Talkboy was originally conceived as a non working prop for the 1992 movie Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a 1992 American Christmas comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. It is the second film in the Home Alone series and the direct sequel to Home Alone. The film stars Macaulay Culkin in the lead role as Kevin McCallister, while...
, used by Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Carson Culkin is an American actor. He became widely known for his portrayal of Kevin McCallister in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. He is also known for his roles in Richie Rich, Uncle Buck, My Girl, The Pagemaster, and Party Monster...
's character. In 1993 it was made into a retail version, brought on by a massive letter-writing campaign by young fans of the film. The product capitalized on the success of the film's VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
release. Sales were largely driven by this movie tie-in.
The device itself consisted of a handheld cassette recorder with an integrated grip handle for easy carrying, and an extendable microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
. The function controls were much like any other portable cassette recorder of the day, complete with play, stop, fast forward, rewind, pause, and record buttons. Additionally, and most distinctively, a switch which toggled between normal and slow speed settings for playback and recording was also included. This feature gave the user the ability to manipulate the speed, and in turn, pitch, of the recorded sound to act as a voice changer
Voice changer
The term voice changer refers to a system of altering a person's voice to either make them sound like someone else or to disguise their voice.Voice changers change the tone or pitch, add distortion to the user's voice, or a combination of all of the above and vary greatly in price and sophistication...
.
Several spinoff versions of the device were also created by Ralph Osterhout
Ralph Osterhout
Ralph Osterhout is an inventor, designer and entrepreneur. During his 40+ year career he has developed a range of products spanning toys, consumer electronics, dive equipment, furniture to devices for the Department of Defense.-Early life:...
at Team Machina, including:
- A pink-colored "Talkgirl," marketed towards females
- Talkboy FX Plus, an ordinary writing pen with a built-in recorder and six buttons that play sound effects
- Talkgirl FX Plus, also marketed towards females
- Deluxe Talkboy
- Talkboy Jr., a pocket-sized version of the recorder
In popular culture
The BooksThe Books
The Books are an American duo, formed in New York City in 1999, consisting of guitarist and vocalist Nick Zammuto and cellist Paul de Jong. Their releases typically incorporate samples of obscure sounds and speech...
use found sound recordings from cassettes discovered in Talkboys purchased from thrift stores to create narrative for the track "A Cold Freezin' Night" from their 2010 album The Way Out
The Way Out (The Books album)
The Way Out is the fourth studio album by American music duo The Books. It is the first album The Books have released in five years, and their first album with Temporary Residence Limited....
.
A Creepypasta called Playing with Sound, is revolves around a Talkboy.