When I auditioned for the lead vocals in a T-Girl band I kept thinking about how all of the members used guy voices when singing. Granted, it's pretty rare to find the genetic male who can sing female. I have a deep voice and can push it fairly well but no way can I hit a female voice. It just breaks and cracks. But there was something that bothered me about singing in a guy voice. I've pretty much stopped doing Karaoke simply because of that.
After the audition was over I mentioned having been out with my brother and our wives for dinner and in the lounge was a local singer/guitarist. So we went in to hear him. At one point he was looking for volunteers from the audience to sing backup and I was volunteered by my brother and wife. I was given a mic but just didn't sound nearly as good as the performer, and the vocal parts were well within my range.
When I sat back down I mentioned this to my brother and he said, "He has a voice processor. He can adjust it to make him sound a lot better than he really does. He probably set your mic off so he sounds better." Then he started laughing. So I mentioned this to the band members and they were all familiar with it, "if you have the money to buy one".
Last night I find myself intrigued by this device and wondered how much one would cost. So I went online. There were a lot of voice processors but none that would do what I wanted. After a few more searches I ended up at a website that had what they called a voice transformer. When I went to the manufacturer's website to get some literature about it they had a picture of the equipment and under it the heading "Gender-Bending Vocal Effects"! Then I read some reviews and one said, "Perfect for changing a man's voice to a woman's! 100% believable!"
Guess what I did? :eusa_shhh:
Looks like I've accepted the position! :icon_chick:
Julie
I can't wait until the implantable version is available!!
'Til then, I sing alto at best.
smiles & hugs
helen
The bass player in my band has one made by Alesis. It can change a voice by as much as two octaves up or down, and add harmony. Really cool. But it has a pretty steep learning curve, and has to be programmed. Other than that, lots of fun. It really fun to watch him do a solo on stage where he sings every part, sometimes two or three at a time. Really a mind bender. I have simililar Boss pedal for my Strat that I use on one solo that put it down an octave, and a Digitech board that will take it up or down. It gives my acoustic guitar a 12 string sound.
Peace,
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Quote from: Kristi on December 16, 2006, 08:39:18 PMThe bass player in my band has one made by Alesis. It can change a voice by as much as two octaves up or down, and add harmony. Really cool. But it has a pretty steep learning curve, and has to be programmed. Other than that, lots of fun. It really fun to watch him do a solo on stage where he sings every part, sometimes two or three at a time. Really a mind bender. I have simililar Boss pedal for my Strat that I use on one solo that put it down an octave, and a Digitech board that will take it up or down. It gives my acoustic guitar a 12 string sound.
Peace,
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fganjataz.com%2F01smileys%2Fimages%2Fsmileys%2FloopyBlonde-blinking.gif&hash=4545ddf8251cf9c32ae6074d56e48bc34a755857)Kristi
The voice transformer is made by Boss. I bought a little 50 watt Alesis amp to work on it at home. From everything I read, it's pretty easy to use. You can program four different settings or just use the slide controls. There's only four, pitch, formant and mix balance for voice character and reverb. Like the Alesis unit you described, the Boss unit can give the effect of a man's and woman's voice singing simultaneously. I can do duets... Solo! :D
The only negative I read was there was an echo even when the reverb was down all the way. It didn't sound bad enough to hamper the sound quality. The brochure tells you up front the unit won't work with a phone but that wasn't my intention. They recommend a uni-directional mic and tell you to keep as much background noise out as possible or it won't work. "Sing as close to the mic as possible." I think it will take some work getting the hang of. I'm a bit worried about background noise though. If I'm up on stage in front of the drummer, I don't know how that will effect the unit's workability. We'll see.
I should be getting it sometime this week. I'm pretty excited about this. I hope it lives up to my expectations.
Julie
When I was gigging in the early 80s, custom pickups that gave you that [fill in name of famous guitarist] sound were all the rage. I thought: Wouldn't it be fun to have custom larynx's -- you could go to the music store and buy a Steve Perry or David Lee Roth or Brad Delp voicebox, have it installed, and you'd be able to sing just like your favorite famous vocalist?
Thank you, Julie, for another interesting question, and a challenge. With just the raw tools available in Audition 1.5, I took a narration track out of an old news piece I cut years ago, pitch-transposed it and then tried to adjust the resonance with filtration. As I was trying to sound authoritative, I used speech patterns and resonance that can't be changed by mere software.
Here (http://www.flashofinsight.com/images/VoiceChangeSample.mp3) are the results. The altered voice is first, the unaltered voice follows.
Karen
Quote from: Karen on December 17, 2006, 01:44:07 PMWhen I was gigging in the early 80s, custom pickups that gave you that [fill in name of famous guitarist] sound were all the rage. I thought: Wouldn't it be fun to have custom larynx's -- you could go to the music store and buy a Steve Perry or David Lee Roth or Brad Delp voicebox, have it installed, and you'd be able to sing just like your favorite famous vocalist?
Thank you, Julie, for another interesting question, and a challenge. With just the raw tools available in Audition 1.5, I took a narration track out of an old news piece I cut years ago, pitch-transposed it and then tried to adjust the resonance with filtration. As I was trying to sound authoritative, I used speech patterns and resonance that can't be changed by mere software.
Here (http://www.flashofinsight.com/images/VoiceChangeSample.mp3) are the results. The altered voice is first, the unaltered voice follows.
Karen
Okay...don't scratch my eyes out now.. >:D, but is the
altered voice supposed to be the female voice? Can you set it up to "speak" in a higher pitch, more melodical patterns? IMO the "altered voice" still sounds male, for it is monotone and has no inflection. Just my honest thoughts......I know ....I guess you could say the Mrs. Ego has taken over ;D Hey but seriously, it has nothing to do with ego, it is just what it sounds like, honestly! ;)
tinkerbell :icon_chick:
The altered voice sounds like a lesser version of what I've heard called 'chipmunk voice'. The voice transformer brochure and independent reviews say this unit does not create that chipmunk effect.
It should be coming some time this week. If I can figure how to record it to the computer I'll do before and after samples. That is if I don't take them up on their money back guarantee. ;)
Julie
Quote from: Tinkerbell on December 17, 2006, 10:00:40 PMOkay...don't scratch my eyes out now.. >:D, but is the altered voice supposed to be the female voice? Can you set it up to "speak" in a higher pitch, more melodical patterns? IMO the "altered voice" still sounds male, for it is monotone and has no inflection. Just my honest thoughts......I know ....I guess you could say the Mrs. Ego has taken over ;D Hey but seriously, it has nothing to do with ego, it is just what it sounds like, honestly! ;)
tinkerbell :icon_chick:
And that was my point, too. What I couldn't do is formant shift (changing the resonance), or altering the male speech patterns. And that still got the altered version read as male.
I think in the voice changer Julie ordered, you still have to feed it a female-patterned input, and then it has to change both the pitch and the so-called formant frequency. So the GIGO principle is in effect. ;)
It's interesting you called the inflection 'monotone'... There IS pitch and stress inflection in it, and quite exaggerated, too (for broadcast purposes.) But it's
male pitch and stress inflection -- female speech does something recognizably different.
Karen
I am a pretty accomplished blues/rock/pop vocalist and I don't accept the notion that there exists strictly a female voice and a male voice when it comes to blues/rock/pop singing. Certainly, there are unmisatkably male voices (Barry White) and unmistakenly female voices but there are a plethora of voices that fall into the androgynous pitch range and why they are perceived male or female largely depends on something (timbre, phrasing, breathiness, delivery) that is impossible to quantify and impossible to be electronically altered.
My suggestion is just sing your heart out. I have seen many feamle blues singers in San Francisco that if you closed your eyes you would think you are listening to a guy If you are connecting with the auduence, no one cares. They just know they like you (or don't)
Quote from: melissa90299 on December 18, 2006, 01:01:43 AMI am a pretty accomplished blues/rock/pop vocalist and I don't accept the notion that there exists strictly a female voice and a male voice when it comes to blues/rock/pop singing. Certainly, there are unmisatkably male voices (Barry White) and unmistakenly female voices but there are a plethora of voices that fall into the androgynous pitch range and why they are perceived male or female largely depends on something (timbre, phrasing, breathiness, delivery) that is impossible to quantify and impossible to be electronically altered.
I think you are quite right about that. Usually females have naturally higher pitch, but that's the majority of the difference (hence the electronic device working). I know I have sand in public as female and successfully passed. You do need to sing a bit differently to pass as female, but it's not as different as speaking.
Melissa
Remember that voice transformer? I couldn't get it to work at all and nothing came out of the amplifier? Well, I did some reading and it looked like I needed a pre-amp but I really didn't want to spend any more money on the hopes this thing would work.
So I went to the website where I bought the other equipment and put the pre-amp on my wish list. It was another $70. Then I decided I wasn't going to spend another penny until I KNEW what was wrong. So I emailed the place I bought it from and told them the problems I was having. I said if I couldn't get this thing to work I would have to return everything. I waited for a reply but none came.
Then as I was about to ask for a return authorization I noticed I had an email from them. I thought it was a reply telling me what I needed to do to make this work. I felt they were going to say something that meant I needed to shell out more cash. Instead what I found was a gift certificate for $75.00. I went to the website and found that with shipping and all the pre-amp was just under $75. What a coincidence! ::)
So I ordered it and it came today. I hooked it up and it works! No chipmunk voice, no high male voice, it sounds very just like a female voice. There's a little reverb in it but I already read that so it was expected. I sang some songs in my male voice and out came a female voice! WOW!
If anyone knows how to record something so I can upload to the web, let me know and I'll let you hear for yourself. I'd need help from hooking it up to the computer on down to how and where to upload it to the web. The unit has RCA jacks on the output.
Now I'm going to have to find some girl tunes and take them to the band.
Julie
Julie...
I've done pitch shifting for years when I've done my own vocals. With the tools that I've had available, I have been able to shift my voice up a third and get a fairly female sounding voice without getting into chipmunk land. I'd have to flatten my vibrato to make it work. And it can get pretty hairy in changing keys for when I lay down instrument tracks. I'm pretty anxious to try this thing too! My primary interest now is in getting a cello to play music in higher octaves so I can play a string quartet with myself. So get on your singing shoes... and forward me a clip for a listen.
If you want to record something, you can use the windows recorder. Just plug in your device to your mic jack and wail away. If you want to get more advanced, you can download a free software package called "Audacity". It does multitrack stuff. I haven't used it but it looks fairly straight forward.
Cindi
With Audacity, or any audio program for that matter, you will be limited to two tracks. You will need a stereo splitter to do that. The good news is that you can go to Radio Shack and make one for a few bucks out of some of their assorted adapters. Just tell the person working there what you want to do and what kind of jacks you have on both ends.
In my home studio I use an M-Audio 10 Delta track sound card with Sonar and SoundForge. With that software I can record in my normal voice and then shift the file up or down by as much as two octaves. And I record to a high speed RAID array to keep up with the data transfer. If you want to try it out drop by! ;) Can't wait to see ho wit sounds.
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I put it through its paces last night. It was kind of hard to tell just how it sounded because I'm hearing my own voice too. But there's no question I heard a female voice coming out of the amp. I need to hook up headphones to the amp so I won't be picking up my voice. I plan on buying up a pair tomorrow.
One thing I think I detected was it occasionally took my voice out of key, just for a second or two. I can't be sure though if it was the transformer or my own voice because it happened every time I was concentrating on listening to what was coming out of the amp. I also didn't have any karaoke music to play so I just sang over the vocals in the song. That added a third vocal I had to try to drown out.
I played with it a lot to find the right mix. I had the pitch up a full octave and the formant up about half way. Even if I dropped the pitch the voice still sounded female. What really surprised me was hearing a lilting, just like a natural female voice. And when I could hear it undistracted the voice coming out was unmistakably female. I was pretty impressed. The residual reverb is sort of distracting though. I don't know if there's any equipment that could eliminate that but if there is this system would be amazing.
Of course there's a lot more you can do with it. I used what I call the evil monster effect, the very deep and gravely voice you hear coming from evil fictional characters. And there's a robot effect, which removes inflection, as well as a number of other possible vocal effects. I did the Munchkins perfecto! I'd say Hollywood uses something like this for many of the voices it creates. A radio station here must have one because I was able to do a lot of voices I hear them do.
All in all it's a pretty cool toy but the jury is still out if it can be used successfully in performing. I'd have to do recordings and play them back to get a better assessment. When I have time I'll see if I can record something on the computer. I've got to have some kind of software that can do that. If I'm successful, I'll just need to find a place on the web I can upload it to.
Julie
Hi Julie. You could also try to record the output and then play it back later, so you don't lose concentration. You can buy a karaoke CD+G at most bigger music stores, so you could also use that. I have a collection of around 300 CD+Gs myself. I'm not saying how I got them though, but it wasn't through a music store. ;)
Melissa
Help !!! I've just downloaded a CDG file and it wont play ....
Recommended software ?
Thanks, Ruth
The one I have is called Power CD+G Player Pro by Power Karaoke. It's about $40 and works great. Unfortunately, I had registered my copy back in my old name, so I still have to see that when starting the program. :(
Melissa
Quote from: Kristi on January 04, 2007, 07:33:33 PM
With Audacity, or any audio program for that matter, you will be limited to two tracks. You will need a stereo splitter to do that. The good news is that you can go to Radio Shack and make one for a few bucks out of some of their assorted adapters. Just tell the person working there what you want to do and what kind of jacks you have on both ends.
In my home studio I use an M-Audio 10 Delta track sound card with Sonar and SoundForge. With that software I can record in my normal voice and then shift the file up or down by as much as two octaves. And I record to a high speed RAID array to keep up with the data transfer. If you want to try it out drop by! ;) Can't wait to see ho wit sounds.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fganjataz.com%2F01smileys%2Fimages%2Fsmileys%2FloopyBlonde-blinking.gif&hash=4545ddf8251cf9c32ae6074d56e48bc34a755857)Kristi
I use Sonar 2.0 and I have a Delta 4, I have never had much success when raising the pitch on my voice, which specific Sonar effect do you use to raise the pitch?
Quote from: melissa90299 on January 25, 2007, 11:28:16 AM
I use Sonar 2.0 and I have a Delta 4, I have never had much success when raising the pitch on my voice, which specific Sonar effect do you use to raise the pitch?
Melissa,
While I do the recording in Sonar, I do the pitch editing in SoundForge. It will let you adjust +/- an octave or any fraction of it. It is great for when I record someone's track and a couple of notes are out of tune. I can fix it no problem. And when you have them both installed, many of the features load as plug-ins for Sonar so you can use them without exiting the program. Cool, huh?
Hope this helps.
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Quote from: Tinkerbell on December 16, 2006, 07:58:53 PM
LOL... ;D :D I have one. After I while I got tired that people were calling me "sir" on the phone, so I went online and purchased a cheaper version. Voice changer SP600 or something like that. I just hooked it to my telephone, and I turn it on everytime I don't recognize the name on my caller ID. There are many kinds and the prices vary considerably. I only paid $80 for mine. There's a cheaper version which you can use in a wireless telephone; I think it was $40. There are other types which are called "professional voice changers", and they are expensive; the most expensive one was $850.
Now, this voice changer I have makes my voice sound female, more male, like an old person's, and like a child's. My personal opinion? it works but the female voice sounds rather robotized. The only disadvantage is that if you forget and leave it on, other people in your house can answer the phone and the person on the other line will not know who it is. That happened to my BF when his boss called >:D LOL ;D
Great idea Julie! let's just not get used to it, for it can prevent us from practicing ;)
tinkerbell :icon_chick:
HEhehe. I bet he didnt care for that much ;)
I was wondering if anyone has been able to get the Boss Vt-1 Voice Transformer to work with a sound card on a PC computer? I am concered on how much quality loss would occur with the vt-1 unit putting out an analog signal and the soundcard then converting to digital. I DJ online sometimes and would like to know if this unit would work on an internet audio stream to create a realistic female voice.
Quote from: Kristi on January 25, 2007, 09:44:46 PM
Quote from: melissa90299 on January 25, 2007, 11:28:16 AM
I use Sonar 2.0 and I have a Delta 4, I have never had much success when raising the pitch on my voice, which specific Sonar effect do you use to raise the pitch?
Melissa,
While I do the recording in Sonar, I do the pitch editing in SoundForge. It will let you adjust +/- an octave or any fraction of it. It is great for when I record someone's track and a couple of notes are out of tune. I can fix it no problem. And when you have them both installed, many of the features load as plug-ins for Sonar so you can use them without exiting the program. Cool, huh?
Hope this helps.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fganjataz.com%2F01smileys%2Fimages%2Fsmileys%2FloopyBlonde-blinking.gif&hash=4545ddf8251cf9c32ae6074d56e48bc34a755857)Kristi
Soundforge, yes I was thinking of adding that, thanks!
I having been working on my singing voice, I sound like a little gutsier version of Diana Kral and I sing in the same key.
Quote from: Julie Marie on December 16, 2006, 07:41:12 PM
When I auditioned for the lead vocals in a T-Girl band I kept thinking about how all of the members used guy voices when singing. Granted, it's pretty rare to find the genetic male who can sing female. I have a deep voice and can push it fairly well but no way can I hit a female voice. It just breaks and cracks. But there was something that bothered me about singing in a guy voice. I've pretty much stopped doing Karaoke simply because of that.
After the audition was over I mentioned having been out with my brother and our wives for dinner and in the lounge was a local singer/guitarist. So we went in to hear him. At one point he was looking for volunteers from the audience to sing backup and I was volunteered by my brother and wife. I was given a mic but just didn't sound nearly as good as the performer, and the vocal parts were well within my range.
When I sat back down I mentioned this to my brother and he said, "He has a voice processor. He can adjust it to make him sound a lot better than he really does. He probably set your mic off so he sounds better." Then he started laughing. So I mentioned this to the band members and they were all familiar with it, "if you have the money to buy one".
Last night I find myself intrigued by this device and wondered how much one would cost. So I went online. There were a lot of voice processors but none that would do what I wanted. After a few more searches I ended up at a website that had what they called a voice transformer. When I went to the manufacturer's website to get some literature about it they had a picture of the equipment and under it the heading "Gender-Bending Vocal Effects"! Then I read some reviews and one said, "Perfect for changing a man's voice to a woman's! 100% believable!"
Guess what I did? :eusa_shhh:
Looks like I've accepted the position! :icon_chick:
Julie
I've been a vocalist for many years and have a naturally high voice. Bands sometimes used me for female backing vocals and then doubled them up to sound like more than one person and they sounded exactely like female backing vocals.
My voice is my strongest feature in my transition but it did cause problems as a 21 year old guy when girls would laugh at me and say 'when is your voice gonna break'.........
I was wondering if anyone has been able to get the Boss Vt-1 Voice Transformer to work with a sound card on a PC computer? I am concered on how much quality loss would occur with the vt-1 unit putting out an analog signal and the soundcard then converting to digital. I DJ online sometimes and would like to know if this unit would work on an internet audio stream to create a realistic female voice.
Sure it would work, depending on how you did it.
What kind of sound card?
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Its an Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 7.1 (currently the best pc soundcard available I believe)
I purchased the VT-1 last night and hooked the Mic out of the Vt-1 to the mic in of the soundcard. The VT-1 I purchased has been modified for use on a telephone as well. Connects to the phone via a regular rj-11 mini plug. I tried that function first and called several friends and spoke to them in the built in pre-set female voice. That sounded amazingly well. Even my girlfriend was fooled (and mad as hell I might add... heh)
As for use on the computer: Still trying to tweak the female sounding voice from the vt-1. Sounds a bit off though to me anyways. Perhaps this is due to the VT-1 putting out an analog signal from the mic out port then the soundcard converting it to digital. I am not sure. As for recording the sound, it works well with Windows Sound Recorder, however I tried to talk on a voice chat with Yahoo with no success. Yahoo is registering sound being transmitted, however I believe the signal is too low from the mic for people to hear.
Any suggestions as to how to help remedy this problem? Maybe an external preamp for the mic? I had hoped the sound card's internal preamp would be well enough, however perhaps that is the issue.
But what are these electronic gizmo's for?
Raevyn,
What kind of a mic are you using? Some are much better than others. If you want really good sound you can probably get a mic used in the $300 range.
Your sound card is a nice one, though rather limited. I like its optical capabilities (this might help you with your quality issues, but you would need an outboard processor and interface), but like everything else Creative has anything to do with, it is still a card with one stereo input. You can effectively split it and record two channels at the same time, but that's about all you will be able to accomplish. It is a fantastic one for gaming and listening to music.
Most sound cards really built for recording have more channels and a way to interface with a mixer board. If you are interested in exploring this more, let me know and I'll be glad to help.
As it stands right now, in order for you to get some decent capabilities you should have a mic preamp, either on a mixer or a standalone one. Then you can have control over the volume and quality of the sound going in.
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Berliegh:
The Boss Vt-1 is a voice transformer. Basically what it does is change your voice. You can change for the pitch and the formant independantly. This allows for creating a more natural sounding voice than what a "normal" voice changer device can do. Most of those simply change pitch which results in a voice that doesn't sound "real". You, of course, get what you pay for with such technology however.
Posted on: November 21, 2007, 06:22:34 PM
>What kind of a mic are you using? Some are much better than others. If you want really good sound you can probably get a mic used in the $300 range.
I am sure you will get a giggle from this. Its the mic that is part of my Creative Labs HS-600 headset/mic combo. It has been passible thus far in voice chats and the little DJ'ing I have done online. What can you recommend which would be better? $300.00 USD is about my limit on what I would wish to pay for a Mic.
>Your sound card is a nice one, though rather limited. I like its optical capabilities (this might help you with your quality issues, but you would need an >outboard processor and interface), but like everything else Creative has anything to do with, it is still a card with one stereo input. You can effectively >split it and record two channels at the same time, but that's about all you will be able to accomplish. It is a fantastic one for gaming and listening to music.
The main reason I wish to have a setup is to use to DJ online (mostly on the Second Life virtual world). I have done a little bit of this thus far, but I would like to delve more in to it. Something to transmit my voice onto the audio stream either as a male, female, robotic, etc etc. Mostly talking and occasionally singing, etc...
>Most sound cards really built for recording have more channels and a way to interface with a mixer board. If you are interested in exploring this more, let >me know and I'll be glad to help.
I would definatly appreciate any help you could give me concerning this. My experience with more channels, and a mixer board is more or less non-existant. Where could I go to learn more information? Would a sound card more made for recording help me sound better DJ'ing online? What equipment could help me with this. Money is always a concern, but not a very huge one when it comes to the equipment cost.
>As it stands right now, in order for you to get some decent capabilities you should have a mic preamp, either on a mixer or a standalone one. Then you >can have control over the volume and quality of the sound going in.
Would a mixer be able to connect to the soundcard I currently have? I am unsure how this would connect. Would it connect to the VT-1 then the VT-1 to the sound card or vice versa? Please excuse my ignorance on this, but I would certainly like to learn more about this.
Thank you for any assistance you could provide.
OK, there's a lot of material here. And please note up front that I do not make any money from Musicians Friend, though I've bought a lot from them. They are an easy way to check prices and have a great selection. Be sure to check places like ebay, as you can get a lot of these things slightly used for great prices.
You might want to check out this mic and read the reviews. Though I have never used this particular one, as far as price vs. performance you will not see much better reviews without going higher in price.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Heil-Sound-PR40-Dynamic-Studio-Recording-Microphone?sku=271012
Since you sound as if you are doing this from home, I would definitely get a large diaphragm mic. You'll likely be happier with it. And put a pop filter in front of it.
Also on that page you will see links to some articles that tell you all of the equipment you will need. It will tell you how to do a podcast, which if I'm understanding you, is about the setup you are going for.
Here are more choices which would serve you well:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/AKG-C-3000-B-Condenser-Microphone?sku=271137 (I use this one.)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Shure-KSM27-Studio-Microphone?sku=270278
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/R0DE-NT1000-Microphone?sku=271576
Or for a really low end, you might want to look at something like this:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-B2-Pro-Condenser-Microphone?sku=270491
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MXL-MXL-V63MBP-Computer-Desktop-Recording-Kit?sku=273102
Now from here there are so many ways you can go. Personally, as far as interfaces, I am a big fan of M-Audio and I use a 10 input/10 output system, though it does not sound like you need anything quite so complicated for what you are doing. There are lots of other good brands out there as well. If you don't mind living with two tracks, this unit is really slick:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MAudio-Fast-Track-Pro-Mobile-USB-Audio-MIDI-Interface?sku=241710
It just connects up to the computer via a USB cable and that's all there is to it. Your voice transformer can be looped into it.
Here's some more interfaces:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Edirol-UA25-USB-Bus-Powered-Stereo-Audio-Interface?sku=705371
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Echo-Gina3G-PCI-Audio-Interface-?sku=700662
As an alternative which will give you more bang for the buck, consider getting a mixer, which can indeed be hooked to your current sound card. Nearly all mixers have a left and right out. So you will need to rig a stereo connector
to your computer sound card's mic input from the outputs on the mixer. The mixer will let you control which channels go to the left or right. Virtually all of them nowadays have the mic preamps built into them and the specs will tell you how many. As with the standalone interface, your voice transformer and any other effects you have can be put into the effects loop.
One good low-cost option would be to replace your sound card with something like this:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MAudio-Delta-1010-LT-PCI-Digital-Audio-System?sku=701376
Another option, if you have a firewire port on your computer, would be this unit, taking the place of the mixer and the interface:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/PreSonus-Firepod-FireWire-Interface-with-Cubase-LE?sku=184131
I also comes with Cubase, which is a decent recording package. Note that this is a rack mounted unit, so you would need a way to mount it, but you might do well to mount your voice transformer while you are at it.
Well we still haven't talked about mixer boards, cables, recording software, or speakers. But I haven't overwhelmed you, I'd be glad to talk some more.
Good luck!
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fganjataz.com%2F01smileys%2Fimages%2Fsmileys%2FloopyBlonde-blinking.gif&hash=4545ddf8251cf9c32ae6074d56e48bc34a755857)Kristi
I have no idea to the point of all this? surely if you haven't got a female voice, surgery is the answer?
Quote from: Berliegh on November 22, 2007, 07:18:02 AM
I have no idea to the point of all this? surely if you haven't got a female voice, surgery is the answer?
Whats the point, Berliegh? Because it's there! Seriously, some of us enjoy this stuff as a hobby, vocation, or avocation. Hopefully no one will consider this to be a substitute for developing a feminine voice.
Actually, I've only heard really bad things about the surgery. I would no go there.
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Quote from: Kristi on November 22, 2007, 08:12:46 AM
Actually, I've only heard really bad things about the surgery. I would no go there.
There is a very fine line between raising the pitch of your voice surgically, having it sound like you have a permanent sore throat and losing it all together. There are no guarantees to the surgery, only risks. If nothing else, it doesn't teach you any of the nuances of how women speak, and that's just as much of a risk of being read as having a poor voice is.
Wow Kristi, I had no idea you are such a sound geek, that is impressive. Do you have anything we could hear on myspace? I had some really nice stuff up but it was all done in my male voice so I took it down. I have developed a really nice female singing voice, I am still working on developing more breathiness, like Diana Krall, if you like I could send you the mp3s of her to illustrate what I am talking about although you probably already know. My singing range is now exactly like Krall's.
Posted on: November 22, 2007, 10:28:42 AM
Quote from: Enigma on November 22, 2007, 09:25:12 AM
Quote from: Kristi on November 22, 2007, 08:12:46 AM
Actually, I've only heard really bad things about the surgery. I would no go there.
There is a very fine line between raising the pitch of your voice surgically, having it sound like you have a permanent sore throat and losing it all together. There are no guarantees to the surgery, only risks. If nothing else, it doesn't teach you any of the nuances of how women speak, and that's just as much of a risk of being read as having a poor voice is.
With daily practice, raising pitch is easy, it's the resonance, timbre, word choice, context and everything else that is hard. What makes it even harder is this baby talk that young women speak these days. There is a woman I know who is a mature, powerful woman in every other regard except her stupid little baby talk voice. I don't know why we (as women) ever got there i.e. talking like babies. It is nauseating.
Quote from: melissa90299 on November 22, 2007, 10:32:30 AM
Wow Kristi, I had no idea you are such a sound geek, that is impressive. Do you have anything we could hear on myspace? I had some really nice stuff up but it was all done in my male voice so I took it down. I have developed a really nice female singing voice, I am still working on developing more breathiness, like Diana Krall, if you like I could send you the mp3s of her to illustrate what I am talking about although you probably already know. My singing range is now exactly like Krall's.
Posted on: November 22, 2007, 10:28:42 AM
Quote from: Enigma on November 22, 2007, 09:25:12 AM
Quote from: Kristi on November 22, 2007, 08:12:46 AM
Actually, I've only heard really bad things about the surgery. I would no go there.
There is a very fine line between raising the pitch of your voice surgically, having it sound like you have a permanent sore throat and losing it all together. There are no guarantees to the surgery, only risks. If nothing else, it doesn't teach you any of the nuances of how women speak, and that's just as much of a risk of being read as having a poor voice is.
With daily practice, raising pitch is easy, it's the resonance, timbre, word choice, context and everything else that is hard. What makes it even harder is this baby talk that young women speak these days. There is a woman I know who is a mature, powerful woman in every other regard except her stupid little baby talk voice. I don't know why we (as women) ever got there i.e. talking like babies. It is nauseating.
Melissa great taste....Diana Krall is a fine musician and vocalist........
I completely agree with some of the points with pitch altering surgery and it depends on the gap you have within your vocal chords. Some of the operations do go wrong and it's not perfect.....but some also go right as well......like the male opera singer who is now a female opera singer....the same as the GRS operation....that doesn't always work out either...
Transition is very much a gamble...
Who is the male opera singer who is now female opera singer? I would love to hear the before and after.
Quote from: melissa90299 on November 22, 2007, 11:05:19 AM
Who is the male opera singer who is now female opera singer? I would love to hear the before and after.
Yea, good question.....my friend told me about her. She was treated for throat surgery through Charing Cross Hospital but I don't know which surgeon it was. I'll keep digging and find that information out for you Melissa..
Urban myth.
Quote from: melissa90299 on November 22, 2007, 11:29:36 AM
Urban myth.
I'll get the information you require when I see my friend tonight..
When it comes to my voice I refuse to consider surgery as the cost is too high and the results uncertain.
I must be a cheapie because I believe that I can take my voice to max femininity by raising the pitch and timbre on my own.
I am doing that with muscle control, diction, and listening. Sometimes it works better than others. I felt where my voice used to resonate in my chest, pushed it up as far as I could push it, falsetto to get its max range, felt how much higher it was resonating (my lower neck), and took care to project from my mouth. I'm pleased with the results so far and will keep working with it every day.
Any comments from those who have also worked to make their voice more feminine would be appreciated.
Sincerely,
Wing Walker
QuoteBuying A Female Voice
why not invest your money on something that's actually worth it like speech lessons or many of the dvd's found online? the benefits will last you a limetime.
Quote from: Katia on November 25, 2007, 09:22:59 PM
QuoteBuying A Female Voice
why not invest your money on something that's actually worth it like speech lessons or many of the dvd's found online? the benefits will last you a limetime.
I agree! This thread is weird! Using gizmos to achieve a female voice is a bit fake! And a cop out!
Maybe if you cant speak in a female voice ever then your not a true Transexual and pretending to be a woman is not the answer. You make all of us who put hours and months into finding our female voices look much more dedicated! And being a non-op I think surgery is just a way of getting what you want through science as its not natural and in my opnion should only be used as a last resort! It reminds me of smokers who use those voice boxes on their throats when they get throat cancer! Im sure it sounds better but hey are you girls for real!
Ive spent every living moment in the past few months to find my female voice and finally its come and I feel great. Natural is best! Everyone else is just cheating and will get caught out sometime! Sorry If Ive offended some of you but Im just speaking from my own personal experience with passing!
I think its mainly on the phone that some people
have problems and this can help them.
I doubt they're carrying an universal translator with
them everywhere...
Changing resonnance is A LOT of hard work and
it could take years for some to pass the phone test.
Some, prefer not waiting that long.
Myself, I've passed the phone test all my life :-),
so I don't need a voice changer.
I see your point Keira!
Quote from: Keira on November 25, 2007, 10:08:00 PM
I think its mainly on the phone that some people
have problems and this can help them.
I doubt they're carrying an universal translator with
them everywhere...
Changing resonnance is A LOT of hard work and
it could take years for some to pass the phone test.
Some, prefer not waiting that long.
Myself, I've passed the phone test all my life :-),
so I don't need a voice changer.
Couldn't the people who don't have a female voice just buy a simple tape machine and record their voice and practice with that. I think that's what speech therepists do? There seems to be something else going on here with this thread other than trying to attain a female voice naturally with practice.
Well I can tell that some will simply never understand why others enjoy playing around with the latest electronic gadgets. I didn't see anyone suggest that this be done instead of getting a female voice. This is FUN, peeps! And if you don't enjoy it, no problem. There's plenty of things I don't enjoy either.
Peace, all!
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fganjataz.com%2F01smileys%2Fimages%2Fsmileys%2FloopyBlonde-blinking.gif&hash=4545ddf8251cf9c32ae6074d56e48bc34a755857)Kristi
voice changer? doesnt it look daft walking around talking through one to folk?
srsly put the work in and get the results... lazyness gets you nowhere in this game.
R :police:
You don't walk around with it. This thing is part of a home sound system for making recordings and stuff. It is not portable. OK, I'm through!
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fganjataz.com%2F01smileys%2Fimages%2Fsmileys%2FloopyBlonde-blinking.gif&hash=4545ddf8251cf9c32ae6074d56e48bc34a755857)Kristi
save money. use your own voice!
R :police:
Quote from: Wing Walker on November 25, 2007, 03:48:39 AM
I am doing that with muscle control, diction, and listening. Sometimes it works better than others. I felt where my voice used to resonate in my chest, pushed it up as far as I could push it, falsetto to get its max range, felt how much higher it was resonating (my lower neck), and took care to project from my mouth. I'm pleased with the results so far and will keep working with it every day.
Any comments from those who have also worked to make their voice more feminine would be appreciated.
Sincerely,
Wing Walker
WW.........just curious, but are you using instructional CD's? I've been fulltime for over six months now, and have very little choice but to speak with a female voice, especially at work. I'm in consultative sales, and have no choice but to speak as female, all day long. Talk about daily practice!
Anyway, yes, pitch is important, but I won't strain my vocal anatomy going anywhere near falsetto. I generally stay around A3 to C#3, sometimes dip down a bit. What makes the total difference, is controlling the volume of my larynx by muscle control, and using more musical female inflection, vocabulary, and patterns of speech. A most important thing for me, also, is to drink plenty of water throughout the day, which washes mucous away, which in turn, eliminates that annoying male-sounding throat-clearing.
Get used to using you new voice all day long, every day, and before you know it, your other low pitch muscles begin to diminish in size and strength, while your muscles that make the larynx smaller in volume, increase in size and strength. I'm at a point where a brief morning warmup on the way to work sets me up for the whole day. I will say, that after 9 hours or so, my voice does get tired, and drops down a note, sometimes 2 notes, and I can tell right away by the look in my customers' eyes. I make an immediate correction, and the look goes away.
Getting my voice right has by far been the biggest challenge I faced, but the most satisfying and rewarding, always being called Miss, and ma'am, even on the phone.
A good training CD is the best investment you can make, but it only works with diligent practice. Worth every second spent!
'Miss' Bev
Quote from: Berliegh on November 26, 2007, 06:35:02 AM
Couldn't the people who don't have a female voice just buy a simple tape machine and record their voice and practice with that. I think that's what speech therepists do? There seems to be something else going on here with this thread other than trying to attain a female voice naturally with practice.
A tape recorder is exactly what I use to practice with. And what alot of practice! Unfortunately there is a difference between practising with a tape recorder and using the voice in real life, especially for me not being in female mode full time.
Quote from: louise000 on November 28, 2007, 02:19:29 AM
Quote from: Berliegh on November 26, 2007, 06:35:02 AM
Couldn't the people who don't have a female voice just buy a simple tape machine and record their voice and practice with that. I think that's what speech therepists do? There seems to be something else going on here with this thread other than trying to attain a female voice naturally with practice.
A tape recorder is exactly what I use to practice with. And what alot of practice! Unfortunately there is a difference between practising with a tape recorder and using the voice in real life, especially for me not being in female mode full time.
Sounds like you are doing the right thing louise.
I've never had to do anything like that and I had the reverse problem as a guy. I couldn't sound like a guy no matter what I did. Luckily my voice is my best weapon now....
id go as far as to say that the voice is probably the primary factor defining a woman or a man,
a woman with a mans voice will always be suspected, and likewise, a man with a womans voice will always be suspected.
appearance is secondary. Even a very masculine looking male, if he was dressed in feminine clothes and had a female voice, would never be questioned as much as someone who looked female, but sounded like a lorry driver.
QuoteA tape recorder is exactly what I use to practice with. And what alot of practice! Unfortunately there is a difference between practising with a tape recorder and using the voice in real life,
i've tried the tape recorder thing, but maybe its easier to just be mute
duh they will be suspected...
but its not the main factor in a LONG way... in close social contact yes... but visual is more key to general passing.
R :police:
Hi I use to get mamed on the phone all the time. I didn't need to alter the pitch of my voice because I had a half way voice. Just needed to raise the pitch through the throat muscles a tad and that is all.
No I don't win a a prise for best female vocalist contest, but I like singing in a female voice, and I love to dance now and again I never took any lessons for either one.
Cindy