Kitt's voice modulator....

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knighttwothousand
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Kitt's voice modulator....

Post by knighttwothousand » Fri Dec 12, 2003 3:30 am

Hi everybody....
How many different types of voice modulators have been shown??
I think there are many. In the 1st season itself, they tried quite a few.

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Post by Ghost-Unmade » Fri Dec 12, 2003 12:53 pm

Well there was:

A) the "box" modulator, which seemed to basically be what sound engineer's would call a peak light (being it lit every time the volume in KITT's voice rose above a given point).

B)the "three line" modulator, generally considered the most popular, which was in concept a little more advanced. Instead of just a peak, it showed actual volume levels. Presumably the level in the middle was the overall volume where the two on each side might represent the volume of left and right channels. ( Of course traditional level indicators don't go up AND down from a center point, but I'm sure that was just an aesthetic decision)

C) the revised level modulator, which didn't appear until the 4th season I think. The only real difference was the levels seemed to go higher and there seemed to be less of a difference between the middle level and the two on the side.

D) KARR's voice modulator, which had the middle level indicator, and then the two side ones that started at zero in each of the four corners and came downward to meet in the middle. WHo knows why that happened other than the level indicators going in opposing directions probably gave more of a sinister impression (aesthetics again).

Never quite realized the simularities between KR's voice modulators and a digital sound board until now.... nice.

Of course all of this begs the question....of all KITT's systems why did the voice have to have its own monitor. None of his other functions had separate activity monitors.

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Post by KnightCrusader99 » Fri Dec 12, 2003 1:15 pm

Ghost-Unmade wrote:Of course all of this begs the question....of all KITT's systems why did the voice have to have its own monitor. None of his other functions had separate activity monitors.
Maybe since KITTs speech and voice recognition abilities are his most advanced. Even today we can't get speech to sound that human, or get computers to understand speech from humans as well as KITT could. (Even thought I do realize that it was William Daniels that provided the voice.)

Also I always thought KITT's voice box served as his "mouth" per say. It seems only reasonable to put a physical display on his speech, like we have mouths for when we talk.

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Post by JL » Fri Dec 12, 2003 1:23 pm

Ghost-Unmade wrote:the "box" modulator, which seemed to basically be what sound engineer's would call a peak light (being it lit every time the volume in KITT's voice rose above a given point).
There were even two versions of that, though the first version only showed up in the pilot episode.

Version 1: squared-off edges to the box and the three mode indicator lights (pic)

Version 2: rounded-off edges (pic)

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Post by Knight2000 » Fri Dec 12, 2003 2:31 pm

Hmmm.... I think that the reason the two versions were shown was because one was a crude product, designed to show off what the car could do so the people could get money (someone help me out here).

Just like the way the nose on KITT was different.

From what I know, they produced a kind of teaser to get money, so when they showed KITT, it was a regular Trans-Am with a light array thingy stuck on (the scanner). Later, when they got the money, they could afford to refine the vaious things such as the voice mod, and giving KITT a nose extension.


PS I really liked the 'purple' light for Pursuit mode when they showed it (only in a few eps, methinks)

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Post by Knicks4973 » Fri Dec 12, 2003 10:10 pm

From what I can remember, his Pursuit light was either blue or red. Depending on the lighting and angle it could look purple. If you have a pic of a purple Pursuit light, could someone please post it.

KITT's voice modulator did change quite a bit, as was mentioned.

In season 1, he had the square box, the rounded square box, the greyish looking square box, the 3 line box, and a lter version of the 3 line box.

Season 2 had seasons 1 3 line box with blue Pursuit light and had the red pursuit light with a better 3 line box.

Season 3 had a new voice modulator with a larger 3 line box.

Seasonj 4 had a 3 line box that seemed smaller and Normal Cruise was just Normal.

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Post by Knight Industries 3000 » Tue Dec 16, 2003 7:54 am

KnightCrusader99 wrote:
Ghost-Unmade wrote:Of course all of this begs the question....of all KITT's systems why did the voice have to have its own monitor. None of his other functions had separate activity monitors.
Maybe since KITTs speech and voice recognition abilities are his most advanced.
If that's the case, then KITT's voice graph should have had a scale on it. Flashing LEDs by themselves mean nothing... although they look cool. 8)
KnightCrusader99 wrote:Also I always thought KITT's voice box served as his "mouth" per say. It seems only reasonable to put a physical display on his speech, like we have mouths for when we talk.
Yup. That's the "real" reason behind the flashing voice box. It's also more visually interesting than the glowing but steady red "camera eye" of HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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Post by The Real Michael Knight » Tue Dec 16, 2003 7:23 pm

KARR in my opinion in a much cooler looking voice modulator. I loved how the two yellow bars seemed to "bite down" in between the middle one.

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Post by JL » Tue Dec 16, 2003 10:13 pm

Knicks4973 wrote:In season 1, he had the square box, the rounded square box, the greyish looking square box, the 3 line box, and a lter version of the 3 line box.
The greyish-looking square box probably had more to do with the lighting and the angle they were filming from rather than the actual color of the dash.
Season 2 had seasons 1 3 line box with blue Pursuit light and had the red pursuit light with a better 3 line box.
Actually, the Pursuit light was red all during Season 2. While it made the dash seem a little monotonous (since red was the predominant color of the LEDs on the first dash), it showed up better. Come to think of it, the only times the blue Pursuit light actually looked blue was when it wasn't lit! ;)

Blue looking blue because it's off ;) (Knight of the Phoenix) Click me!
Blue looking white (Knight of the Phoenix) Click me!
Blue looking purple (Deadly Maneuvers) Click me!
And now it's red (Goliath) Click me!

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Post by jup » Tue Dec 16, 2003 10:18 pm

Ever notice how when a vehicle "talks" in a movie or TV show/advertisment, there's usually some sort of light blinking involved in the process? It's rare for the two not to happen together. The most recent example I can think of is when Burt Reynolds female car starts talking in a Maaco ad.

I can't quite tell if it was mentioned, but there is also that mono box vocal display that had the Knight Industries Two Thousand printed below it. (Seen in only one shot in KOTP.)

Other things had their own LED monitors. You just have to look closer. (That general sensor that Michael reached for all the time upon leaving KITT is one of the more commonly seen ones in close ups.)

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Post by Ghost-Unmade » Wed Dec 17, 2003 10:41 am

The only example I can think of off the top of my head in which a computer voice ever sounded without any kind of flashing light is Star Trek. (And of course HAL didn't flash). I guess it just makes people more comfortable to associate a voice with some kind of "mouth".

Which maybe explains why HAL was a just a steady light. He was designed to make the audience just a little uncomfortable with him.

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Post by Knicks4973 » Wed Dec 17, 2003 1:49 pm

Actually, the Pursuit light was red all during Season 2. While it made the dash seem a little monotonous (since red was the predominant color of the LEDs on the first dash), it showed up better. Come to think of it, the only times the blue Pursuit light actually looked blue was when it wasn't lit!
Sorry, JL, your statment isn't quite right. The episodes Return to Cadiz, Brothers Keeper and Merchants of Death had the blue Pursuit light. Though in Brothers Keeper the light was red in a couple of shots. I think Ring of Fire had the blue Pursuit Light, but I'm not sure.

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Post by JL » Wed Dec 17, 2003 2:02 pm

I don't suppose there's a way you could get some screencaps, since I haven't seen those episodes in ages?

Also, could it be possible that the blue light showed up because they were using recycled footage from the first season? :?:

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Post by Knicks4973 » Wed Dec 17, 2003 2:16 pm

I can try to get some screencaps.

As for using recycled footage, it is very possible, possibly, very lightly that is was used. That'll explain why the Pursuit light was blue and red in Brother's Keeper.

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Post by Knicks4973 » Wed Dec 17, 2003 2:16 pm

I can try to get some screencaps.

As for using recycled footage, it is very possible, possibly, very lightly that is was used. That'll explain why the Pursuit light was blue and red in Brother's Keeper.

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Post by Cougar » Wed Dec 17, 2003 5:49 pm

[quote="Ghost-Unmade"]The only example I can think of off the top of my head in which a computer voice ever sounded without any kind of flashing light is Star Trek. (And of course HAL didn't flash). I guess it just makes people more comfortable to associate a voice with some kind of "mouth".

Which maybe explains why HAL was a just a steady light. He was designed to make the audience just a little uncomfortable with him.[/quote]

KIFT did not have a voice modulator. Although he did have that line thingy which (in my opinion) was kinda blah.

And this is way off the subject but... Where I quoted Ghost-Unmade do ya'll see it in a box, or something like [quote] blah blah blah [quote]

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Post by coolgyger » Thu Dec 18, 2003 3:03 am

If you guys need any makes done on any of the VM's. I'll be happy to do it. as of course my Dis pic was one of the one's i can make.

For the Pursuit light idea, Couldn't there have been 2 levels of Pursuit which the lower one was eliminated later as KiTT became more advanced?

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Post by coolgyger » Thu Dec 18, 2003 3:13 am

The Real Michael Knight wrote:KARR in my opinion in a much cooler looking voice modulator. I loved how the two yellow bars seemed to "bite down" in between the middle one.
TRMK- I made a similar pic which was totally fictional, where it looks like KiTT's 3 graph display turned upside down in the middle. and intead of red, i did it in blue. I made it for another K.I.T.T. (Knight Industries Three Thousand) in one of my Knight Rider/Starfox Fanfics. It's actually like you say, It looks like it bites down.

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Post by Cougar » Thu Dec 18, 2003 6:06 pm

I like your avator/VM. It's cool.

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Post by Knicks4973 » Thu Dec 18, 2003 9:51 pm

From what I can tell, KITT's voice modulator changed slightly between season 1 and season 2.

In season 2, the 3-line bar goes higher when KITT speaks. This is where the Pursuit light is red.

When the 3-line bar is smaller, the Pursuit light is blue.

The only 2 colors are red and blue. Blue may look like purple or white, depending on the lighting or angle, but it still is blue.

KITT's voice also slightly changes when he gets a different 3-line bar voice modulator.

I also know footage is resused in KR, so the footage of KITT's voice modulator being blue in season 2 might be footage from season 1.

KI may know why the Pursuit light color changed and what changes were actually done to KITT's voice modulator.

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Post by Arjun » Fri Dec 19, 2003 9:38 am

I have noticed, it's only the middle line that keeps changing. The other 2 hardly ever change.

In "Blind Spot", the voice indicator does not change, even though KITT's voice gets more bass. The left bar should be a lot higher.

In "Knights in Disgrace", LaSalle overrides KITT's voice, but the display is still the same. It's like the centre line is the only indicator, the others are just for support.

Any idea why it's not flexible?

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Post by Knicks4973 » Fri Dec 19, 2003 6:35 pm

The 2 outer bars do change height at the end of season 1 into season 2.

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Post by Ghost-Unmade » Sun Dec 21, 2003 7:03 pm

Arjun wrote:I have noticed, it's only the middle line that keeps changing. The other 2 hardly ever change.

In "Blind Spot", the voice indicator does not change, even though KITT's voice gets more bass. The left bar should be a lot higher.

In "Knights in Disgrace", LaSalle overrides KITT's voice, but the display is still the same. It's like the centre line is the only indicator, the others are just for support.

Any idea why it's not flexible?

Yeeessss..... As I was explaining to begin with, the two bars on the side could be indicators for right and left channels, which means they would only change if for some reason one of the speakers which (presumably) transmitted KITT's voice into the interior of the K2000 was damaged or disconnected. This means that the left channel would not reflect additional "bass" at all because we are not talking about measuring frequencies, but stereo channels. Possibly extra bass would make the levels higher, but not nessecarily, especially if some other frequency were cut to create the boost. The middle indicator could possibly be indicative of the overall volume (both channels) which is why it is higher.

And the voice modulator for the K4000 might have looked "blah" to some, but if we follow this line of reasoning it would be even more advanced than the 3-bar indicator; in that it not only shows volume (in a scrolling form no less, so you can get an idea of the over all levels,) but the actual sine waves the voice creates.

I think Knight Rider 2000 was faulty in its realization, but the idea behind it was really good. But that's another thread.

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Post by The Real Michael Knight » Sun Dec 21, 2003 7:09 pm

Ugh, I couldn't stand KITT's voice modulator in KR2000. It just looked...I don't know...Ueeacgk!

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Post by jup » Sun Dec 21, 2003 10:56 pm

Just a historic note:

The pilot episode of Buck Rodgers had an AI whose voice display used that same sine line approach.

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