vocoder

American  

[voh-koh-der] / ˈvoʊˌkoʊ dər /

noun

1. an electronic device that synthesizes speech.

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vocoder British  

/ ˈvəʊˌkəʊdə /

noun

1. music a type of synthesizer that uses the human voice as an oscillator

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Etymology

Origin of vocoder

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Mixing styles, synthesizer and organ tones, a Vocoder voice box and a prog-rock album’s worth of tempo changes, on both releases Hudson composes and plays as though his muse can barely contain all the ideas flowing out.

From Los Angeles Times

Martin spent the set switching among the saxophone, synths, the vocoder and doing live production.

From Los Angeles Times

For “One of Your Girls,” a needy song with the lyrics “Give me a call if you ever get lonely/I’ll be like one of your girls or your homies,” Sivan turned to a vocoder, which synthesized his voice.

From Seattle Times

As guitarists plucked the tune of “Sabor a Mí,” a classic Mexican bolero, he began to sing, his voice transformed through a vocoder to eerie and achingly modern effect.

From Los Angeles Times

In 1978, Mr. Sakamoto released his debut solo album, “Thousand Knives,” a trippy amalgam that opens with the musician reciting a poem by Mao through a vocoder, followed by a reggae beat and a procession of Herbie Hancock-inspired improvisations.

From New York Times