Is a Synth/Vocoder right for me?

Ok, so hopefully this is the right place to post this. I'm extremely uneducated when it comes to anything in music involving electronics (I'm a drummer), so I've been having trouble simply finding where to even ask for help.

Basically, here's what I want. I play a didgeridoo. I want to mike it and run it through something that would let me change the pitch and add various "effects" to it while playing. I'd also like to possibly add distortion. For now I'd just run it all through to headphones. Ultimately, I'd love to sort of create my own drone music similar to Nadja or The Angelic Process, but with a didg or course.

So is a Synth/Vocoder type thing (like a Korg R3) what I'm looking for, or is there something else that'd be better for what I want to do? For reference, I currently own nothing music related beyond my didg and a lot of drums, so I'm basically starting from scratch. No mic, no cables, not even a computer (I will be getting a computer in the future, but I'd like to get started without one for now, since that's a larger investment). Money isn't a huge issue, but I'd like to get a initial set up going for under $1000 if possible. What do you guys think?

Thanks for any help, and feel free to move this if I don't have it posted in the right section. Or if I'm WAY off, don't hesitate to show me some other websites/forums to get some info.

My advice, grab a used MS2000B from E-Bay. Great vocoder and a good starting point to get into synths.

That's what I was thinking personally. The Korg Kaoss Pad series really are the best effects I can think of that are focused on real-time manipulation. Not sure how well they'd work for hands-free MIDI manipulation, though, so those TC boxes might be really good for that. (There's also the Eventide Eclipse as an option if you can spring the cash for it. )

Thanks for all the help!

So a synth/vocoder wouldn't be able to alter the pitch with a different mic? I was assuming I could do that, but if I can't alter the pitch with a different mic, it'd be kinda useless. I was looking into the VoiceWorks a bit, but can I change pitches manually with it, while playing? Ideally, I want to be able to be able to fully control pitch changes and effects manually while playing.

Again, thanks for all the help! I really appreciate it.

It would but the tone wouldn't be so hot.

Look more into vocal effects. A happy medium I guess would be the Electro Harmonix - Voice Box

Ah, that clears some stuff up. Heh, sorry for being so ignorant with all this stuff. But thanks a lot, you've really helped me out. I think I've got a good idea what I'd like to do now.

I think this might be my last question (for a while, anyway). If I want to get a keyboard to just use with the VoiceWorks, all I need is something real basic with a MIDI out, right? Cause I thought I read somewhere it's actually better to NOT use any extra effects if all I want is to use the keyboard as a MIDI controller.

I think a synth/vocoder is not at all the way to go for this.

Kaoss Pad would be great if you had free hands.

A digitech whammy, or bass whammy, plus a looping pedal like an akai headrush would run you about $400, and you'd have controls at your feet. A volume pedal would give you synth like amp env control.

You'd have to experiment with mic placement a bit, and you may want a simple preamp depending on how the strong the signal is coming out of the mic. Those little sax mics that clip to the outside of the horn would probably work great.

If you want to spend more money add an MF-101 at the end of the pedal chain to further sculpt your drones, and of course the expression pedal, more foot control.

Dig>Mic>?preamp?>Volume pedal>Whammy>Looper>MF-101>AMP

You might also want to add a delay pedal and a reverb.