Electrix Warp Factory

This is an unusual hardware vocoder. It does simple vocoding fairly well, probably digitally because there is a noticeable delay before the onset of the envelope opening. But it has a lot of other tricks up its sleeve. First off, you can tune the formants either high or low, adjust the Q and the number of sampling bands from the front panel. This gives straight forward vocoding.

Next, you can tune the center frequency of the vocoder from two octaves below to two above the notes you're playing. This is combined with some distortion with low frequencies for a fairly aggressive effect. Tuning it higher does a kind of chipmunk, girlie man thing, pretty cool and probably even more useful if you're using something other than voice as a formant generator.

It's stereo in/out and there's no word in the manual about mixing, not sure if it's truly two channels or not.

There's a gain knob for the input, and one of Electrix traditional "scroll buttons" to choose inputs from mic to line, to auto, which will choose an input depending on which is active at the time. Could be cool for blending vocals and recorded music.

There's a blend knob and a kill dry switch (which doesn't actually kill the dry, just drops it down another 12 dB or so). Since I'm using this mostly with guitar/microphone, the idea of blending the clean signal with the vocoded signal isn't as useful, but there's also a bypass footswitch to allow turning it on/off for those epic solos. Also, you can hit a button or a footswitch to "freeze" the formant, allowing a fixed wah kind of effect where the envelop stays open.

It also has a tuneable synth generator and a noise generator so that you can use them for carrier or blend them with your input signal for more radical synth effects.

It does have midi connections, which should allow sequencing of all controls, with the possibility of animating and midi syncing them. Pretty straight forward using CC messages.

UTILIZATION

Since it's all knobs, the interface is crystal clear. This is more along the lines of a throwback hardware vocoder, although it is digital. It took me less than 5 minutes to figure out all I needed to know, reading the manual clarified what was happening with a few things (like the kill dry only cutting from 90% to 20% blend, vs the midi ability to set it to 100% or 0%). Very well done.

SOUND QUALITY

As I mentioned, using guitar as the carrier and voice as the formant generator. It's pretty easy to get a Frampton kind of sound, it's just as easy to take that and run with it into some pretty strange territory, with whistles and quacks and so on. Frequency response is listed at 14kHz (18 bit, 32kHz sampling) so it's going to lose a little bit of air/brilliance but not enough that I can hear it. I don't own any other hardware vocoders, but I'd guess that it's fully as flexible and cool as most of them. And I'm not aware of any digital vocoders with this level of control from the front panel. And with the midi control, you can trigger any of the functions from an envelop generator, aftertouch, pitch, note on/off or whatever you can think of.

OVERALL OPINION

There's a lot of quibbles that it doesn't do traditional vocoding very well, I'd say the few msec lag between beginning to speak and the onset of vocoding is my only problem there. At the original $300+ price they weren't very practical, but for the current $150-200 they're cool and at the $120 I spent, how could I lose! The only other hardware vocoders I've seen have been a LOT more. Highly recommended if you can find one cheap.

The Electrix Warp Factory is a unique vocoder, designed for uses of all types. It has an XLR input in the front, as well as an XLR output in the back in addition to 1/4" connections, RCA, and MIDI connections in the back. It is rack mountable and will take up two spaces in a traditional rack casing.

UTILIZATION

Using the Electrix Warp Factory will certainly take a bit of practice, as this isn't your typical effect. However, after playing with it for a little while I felt that I could get the hang of it pretty well. There is definitely a good amount control over your tone, with control over both the mic preamp gain and for 'warping' your signal. The warp section has parameters for gender, Q (bandwidth), order, pitch, robot punch, effect mix, and a slew of buttons as well including for format freeze. If you are are new to vocoding, I'd definitely suggest having the manual around.

SOUND QUALITY

Even though I haven't used all that many different hardware vocoders, the Electrix Warp Factory is definitely up there with the best of them that I have used. It offers up a ton of control, and in general the tones sound clear and of course vocoded! You can absolutely make your voice sound like a robot with this box! It is quite powerful, especially because it has so many different parameters to work with. You can actually use it with any instrument, not just a voice, which is cool, but of course the best use with the Electrix Warp Factory will always be with a voice as this is what it is designed for...

OVERALL OPINION

I don't really know what kind of price the Electrix Warp Factory commands, as I don't own one and have never needed to do the research on it. However, Electrix usually has pretty good prices for their gear while still maintaining a very high quality. The bottom line with the Warp Factory is that if you are looking for a vocoder in a piece of outboard gear, definitely do not decide on one until you check out this one!

Vocoder rack, you plug a microphone, and you have a robot voice or with the internal oscillator or an external synthesizer if you want to sing notes.

UTILIZATION

Setup is simple, the manual is in 4 languages: English, French, German, clear espagnol.Très, diferent patterns are explained.
No need to be an engineer or polytechnic as some textbooks.

SOUND QUALITY

The effects are effective, it has alot of potential there, I had a good laugh with this vocoder, I use the onboard sound for robot voice or "Martian" and also by plugging a synth to sing the voice playing notes on the keyboard.

OVERALL OPINION

I tried the vocoder synth Microkorg and others, I find the best Warp Factory, voices are clearer, more intelligibles.J 'like red facade and large buttons, no need to have hands Missy , as in too many devices, here welcome big paws.

Then I shall decide to ask a review on this troisme vocoder.
It's been 3 months now that I think I owns and well under control. This is a vocoder numrique everything from classic, see other reviews for more dtails techniques.

I noticed that the hill of this small rack freindly continues to collapse, and why? Well simply that someone would leave a notice DPOS prsager vocoder that is void ... APRs have been busy exploring I can tell you, this is not the case, it is limited but it has its charm is him!

I see a lot of people caused by the warp of the factory, it's true but I think it is through this that vocoder rclame hours of expression to find its appropriate .. .
Often, we say that we must send a synth sound of saw-tooth as a source in a vocoder, that's what I did to beginners, it's true that a ring right away with a vintage analog vocoder as the Roland VP-330 and I t had enough of the on the spot has not sound terrible, too flat and without finesse.

The reason for the warp factory possde do not have a lot of grain in low and high registers. In addition, it must be rgler levels forming source and if the sound is really ugly.
I rank in the closet a while and then I DCID to try again. As a source this time I sent her a string of attacks with trs typ cr low from a 12-bit sampler roland s-50, sound more normment me, tr s subtle, almost approaching a vintage vocoder on some points. Since I apprcie much. I would say that vocoder is above a Korg microKORG and other vocoders contained in the analog synths modlisation, it is certainly limited because they can not do much with it sounds DIFFERENT, and once we have the right sound, it keeps (the DIFFERENT rglages are of little use), it has a well him. So if your goal and adding some parts of vocoder voices on some of your songs, may be good, especially for its price minuscule compared the services it provides. Worthy of the 200th, I would sell mine, now I care!

UTILIZATION

See above

SOUND QUALITY

See above

OVERALL OPINION

See above