She saw me (Ponte/Chávarri) 2005

[ Instrumental ]

Narrator: There are ten filter circuits in the Voder, and combined
with the two energy sources, they give a total of twenty separate
components to be used in building up speech sounds. But now
let's have Mr. Garrett and Miss Harper actually show us what the
Voder can do with these twenty separate sounds.

Mr. Garret: Well, we heard the Voder make a word, and by
combining words, of course, we get a sentence. For example,
Helen, would you have the Voder say: "she saw me"?

Voder: She saw me.

Mr. Garret: That sounded awfully flat. How about a little expression?
Say the sentence in answer to these questions. Who saw you?

Voder: She saw me.

Mr. Garret: Whom did she see?

(...)

Mr. Garret: That sounded awfully flat.

Voder: She saw me.

Mr. Garret: Who saw you?

Voder: She saw me.

Mr. Garret: Whom did she see?

Voder: She saw me.

Mr. Garret: Did she see you or hear you?

Voder: She saw me.

(...)

Narrator: Miss Harper, I've been wondering if our listeners realize
how many motions you have to make in the production of a single
word. Can you give us some idea?

Miss Harper: Well, for example, in producing the word
"concentration" on the Voder I have to form thirteen different
sounds in succession, make five up and down movements
of the wrist bar and vary the position of the foot pedal from
three to five times according to what expression I want the
Voder to give the word. And of course, all this must be done
with exactly correct timing.


Excerpts from the Voder demonstration at the World Fair in New York, 1939.