I thought I would start a new discussion for 2005 on musician and front man for Zapp, Roger Troutman and his unique talk boxing sound with the Yamaha Dx100 keyboard. I have seen a few of his fans who want to talk box come to this forum on occasion wanting to know what that unique sound really was he was pushing out the end of his talk box tube and into his mouth. So, perhaps we can get a good, clean discussion going about his synthesized sound and perhaps pass on some good, fact based knowledge on the topic.

Let's start with this question, some of you might have answers to or have wondered about yourself. Let’s see what happens with this question.

1. Well for starters, we know Roger used a Minimoog Synth with his talk box in his earlier career before moving on to the toy-like "sometimes hard to program" Yamaha Dx100. Now here is the question: In Banks A-B-C and D (on the Dx100), which sound patch did he really use as the building blocks for re-creating the sound he once had (and was using) on his Minimoog? Some have stated on various message boards throughout the net the following sound patches: “Hard Brass, Muted Trumpet, FM PULSE, FM SAWTOOTH and even someone has stated he used a Mono Sax patch”.

What do you say it is? What's the "real truth" behind this unique sound? If you truly know the answer to this often-asked question please post your answer here. I’m certain there is a person out there that knows or has first hand knowledge about those Dx100 code settings.

2. Do you feel only Roger should be the person to use this unique sound he created? Is there any harm in letting someone else use Roger’s talk box sound from his Dx100? Because after all, isn’t it just a sound patch on a keyboard used through a talk box?

3. Why are certain people who knew Roger and was given his sound patch from him, so protective of this sound patch as though the sound itself is Roger or their way of holding on to the man in some odd way through the sound? Some form of odd and strange communication through the sound? Their way of talking back at him? [Question #3 is not directed at any one person but simply a question of thought] Or would it be considered an act of honoring him by using his own sound?

Let's hear your thoughts on this topic and why you think this sound is looked at as a guarded secret. And why all the fuss over a sound patch on a keyboard anyway?