It *could* be done without a microcontroller...but it would be easier for you if you had a parallel access flash memory chip. The 'flash drive' if it is USB would need a USB host, and then you're looking at microcontroller + host USB IC + lots of software (we're talking C, and lots of it). So, at least for a 'true DIY' approach, you can forget about the flash drive :/
If you can find a parallel access flash chip (not serial, no filing system) you can read them just like eeproms...provide an address, and read the data out. Of course you would have to program it with a PC, and some circuitry in a basic audio format so its just the audio samples back to back.
You'll need lots of logic (CMOS/TTL) to access the data, then clock it from the flash chip to a DAC...or you could make a cheap R2R ladder DAC using an octal 'latch'. So a rough design would involve a 'trigger' which determines when the sample is played. A counter + clock to increment the adress for the memory, and clock it in....then a latch to clock the data into a DAC. And even then you've got to drive a speaker.
As far as 'DIY' goes, its a big project, whether you use micro's or not. You can buy 'kits' which record audio clips, and plays them. (check out
https://www.jaycar.com/ )....faling that you may be able to buy something ready made...like a childs toy or something, and hack it using a 55 timer to trigger it to play the sound. All those idea's use 8-bit audio...which isn't the best quailty, but unless you've got great speakers, that won't matter anyway
So, in varying levels of complexity? I wouldn't attempt to build it from scratch. Try, in this order:
- Look for a kit (google 'voice playback') - its still 'electronics' so you can say you've built it.
- Look for a digital voice recorder - in this day and age devices like this are cheap as chips. Then replace the switch with a relay controlled by a timer.
- Attempt to build it yourself. As I said, I admire your enthusiasm, but its a tough project, requiring knowledge of digital electronics, logic, software and memory.
good luck!
Blueteeth
Example of a kit:
**broken link removed**
Edit: Don't know why I didn't think of it before....try and get the cheapest MP3 player you can find. Many are just USB pen drives with audio out and a few buttons. All you need is to load on a sample of a snow owl..then open it up and connect the button to a relay, driven by a 555 timer. It already has 'audio out' so it could possibly drive a speaker, or perhaps a 386 audio amp will do for a small 8 ohm. That is the quickest, cheapest, and simplest thing I can think of.