What kind of driver do I need for building a good talkbox?
When shopping for a horn driver for use as a talkbox, there are a couple of things you should look for. First of all, check out the frequency response. It needs to be a midrange driver – a high frequency driver will not work very well. The low frequency response needs to be at least 600Hz or lower – I recommend much lower. Look for one that goes down to at least 250Hz. The aforementioned MCM driver (model DU-40) goes all the way down to 100Hz! The high frequency response may vary, but generally around 6-8kHz is fine. The other thing to check out is the power handling – the wattage. About 40w is plenty – it’s not a good idea to use your talkbox at extremely loud volumes. If the driver can handle more than 40w, great. More headroom is not a bad thing! You may also want to bear in mind the impedance (ohms) of the driver – most horn drivers are either 8 or 16 ohms. It’s always a good idea to match the impedance between your amp and driver.
