A vocabulator, also known as a vocoder, was a device that synthesized voice. Utility droids typically had simple vocabulators, only capable of speaking binary, which consisted of beeps, hums and whistles strung together into sentences. Others were fitted with more complex units that could mimic the language of almost any organic species. Translating vocoders could translate spoken words in real time. They were often utilized by certain members of the New Republic Senate to translate their speech into Galactic Basic. Members of some species wore vocoder masks on a daily basis.