Why should iPhone/iPod Touch users have all the fun? That's what crossed my mind when I saw the announcement that Screaming Bee, a provider of voice software and solutions for online games, VoIP and the professional studio, had just released the very first voice changer available for Windows mobile devices. Called Voice Twister, it provides "Tweak and Speak" capability which allows Windows Mobile users to morph their voice from a squeaky space squirrel to alien gibberish and much more.
According to Screaming Bee's press release, Voice Twister works in a number of modes. Live-morphing mode allows users to use push-to-talk like a walkie-talkie or a headset for real-time morphing. Users can also record their voice to an audio file for later playback or morph existing audio files.
Knowing that a lot of Windows Mobile users are corporate types, I'll admit this one had me scratching my head. I decided to track down the head Screaming Bee, Mr. Mark Ramirez to get the scoop.
Annie Latham (AL): How did you come up with the idea?
Mark Ramirez (MR): Voice Twister is a natural extension of our company's flagship product, MorphVOX, voice-modifying software. MorphVOX provides users with the ability to modify their voice to various characters such as a big giant or a grumpy dwarf. The software is perfect for doing voice-overs for multimedia projects or role-playing an alternate character when playing online games.
Many of our customers own mobile devices. They have sent us numerous requests to create a voice changer for Windows Mobile. Thus, this was an area which we could branch out with our expertise in voice-modifying technology to provide a more complete solution for our customers.
AL: Why Windows Mobile? Why not iPhone or another platform?
MR: The reason we have chosen to develop a product for Window Mobile is because a) Currently we primarily develop for the PC/Windows market, so Windows Mobile is a fairly simple port for us; and b) There is literally no voice modifying software available for Windows Mobile. We definitely have not ruled out developing on other portable platforms (such as iPhone), and we see the development in Windows Mobile as the first step.
AL: Did you Beta test it? If so, how were people primarily using it and on what types of WM phones?
MR: Yes we did put Voice Twister through extensive private beta testing on devices ranging from the Dell Axim PocketPC to the newer smartphones such as the HTC Touch Diamond. We have been mainly focusing on compatibility with Windows Mobile 6 devices, but do have backwards compatibility for Windows Mobile 5.
More information on Voice Twister can be found here. Also, please note that Voice Twister is not designed for use during a phone call and cannot morph your voice within a phone call.
Awwww! That's where the fun is!
Actually, I can see a couple of interesting uses for this. For instance, it could come in handy when trying to keep family members amused while waiting for food at a restaurant. I have noticed a lot of folks turning to their iPhone for this task. Now those with Windows Mobile based Treos and other WM smartphones can participate. Sure beats whipping out an Excel spreadsheet or PowerPoint presentation.
I also like the option of recording voice while on the road... sort of a spur of the moment... with the option of uploading it for use in a project. That seems to make sense if the quality is there.
The Voice Twister app is available for $6.95 directly from Screaming Bee. So if your inner squirrel is ready to come out and play, you might want to give it a try.
