MXR Mr. Talkbox: Classic Vocal Effect Upgraded

MXR teamed up with one of the most accomplished talkbox performers, Byron “Mr. Talkbox” Chambers, to develop the Mr. Talkbox Signature Talk Box.

MXR Mr. Talkbox Signature Talk Box

The Mr. Talkbox Signature Talk Box is based on the MXR M222 Talk Box but incorporates several improvements developed in collaboration with Byron Chambers.

Talk Box

The basic idea of a talk box is that the signal (whether synth or guitar) is sent into the box and from there through a small speaker and a tube into the mouth. Depending on how you shape your mouth, different vocal-like sounds are produced. It provides that vocal, filtered tone associated with Bon Jovi in the intro to “Livin’ on a Prayer” or Daft Punk tracks.

So, no long breaths are needed, just mouth movements. And a microphone, if you want to use a talkbox on stage. Byron “Mr. Talkbox” Chambers has done this so often and refined it so much that it was time for the Mr. Talkbox Signature Talk Box.

Basically, it has three knobs (volume, tone, gain), just like the original M222.

Updates to the Talk Box Design

Compared to the original, the Mr. Talkbox Signature Talk Box offers twice the headroom with 18 volts and a 25-watt preamp (instead of 10 watts in the M222).

This means there’s virtually endless gain before the pedal starts to distort. MXR has also incorporated a neodymium driver into the small speaker, which is intended to provide more bass and definition to the signal.

The amp features two additional functions, both of which are activated by switches on the back. GAIN BYP is particularly useful when sending a synth signal through rather than a low-level guitar signal. Activating the bypass bypasses the preamp, preventing distortion. And deactivating Mute allows the incoming signal to be simultaneously accessed at the output jack, should you wish to mix in an amp signal.

This new ‘upgraded/updated’ signature version comes in a shiny gold finish and includes a black 8-foot surgical tube (no more looking at spittle, yay!) for the talkbox mouth gestures.

Tube · Source: MXR
Rear · Source: MXR