A few weeks ago, the music writer Dave Tompkins took a podium in one of NYU’s many windowless annexes to promote his upcoming book, How To Wreck a Nice Beach: The Vocoder From World War II To Hip-Hop.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Fun and creative design, capable of effects that reach well beyond standard vocoder tones. Lots ...