Thread: How to Control Volume on Talking Busts?

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I'm hoping some of you electronic genius prop makers can help me with this one. I have the set of animated busts that Sam's Club offered last year (and Grandin Road is offering this year), and they are way too darn loud for the area that I'm using them. I made some felt "mufflers" to tape over the speakers in the back but they're not quite cutting it. It occurred to me that there MUST be something I can buy to help regulate the volume. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

I haven't tried to hack one yet, but know exactly what you mean. Many props are way too noisy and after about an hour you're ready to throw away their batteries. Less time than that if you have multiple noise makers going. Most that make obnoxious sound we simply turn off. I suppose we could play with adding resistors to the speaker wires to knock down the current going to them, but haven't bothered trying. Felt is probably fairly light on muffling - maybe give taping a flexible plastic of up to 1/16th of an inch thick over the speaker (to better absorb sound energy) a go?

Grey guaze will work, you can bunch it up to lower the volume. I did it