The Future of Voiceovers: Hold Your Tongue...Possibly ForeverLearn MPS Technology on mps-technology.net. The Future of Voiceovers: Hold Your Tongue...Possibly Forever article will help answer your questions on MPS Technology.We at mps-technology.net specialize in MPS Technology. MPS Technology at mps-technology.net provides the most up to date news and articles. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
'Do we need to cast a voice-over talent for this project?' That's a valid question any producer might ask when creating an advertisement, corporate audio-video presentation, video game, etc. Technically, it's just a short step from this point to a 'singer in a box.' In fact, in the letters section of the July 2004 issue of Mix Magazine a person identified only as 'BC,' referring to the St. Croix and Lehrman articles, boasted that he's created a 'band' called The Bots' 'created wholly from speech synthesizers and 3-D graphics.' BC further states, 'I use Vocaloid among a variety of other speech synths to make it more into an ensemble. If speech synthesis has reached a point of sophistication sufficient enough to create virtual singers, what's to prevent a software genius from developing a program to replace voice talent? Article: “Do we need to cast a voice-over talent for this project?” That’s a valid question any producer might ask when creating an advertisement, corporate audio-video presentation, video game, etc. Of course, the hang together depends on what elements the producer and subject feel will best assign with the audience. For a radio ad, a fully sung jingle with no voice-over could work best. A TV spot or corporate narration might be most effective using scrolling graphic and text, nonetheless without an announcer. But very soon producers could be pondering whether their productions need a voice over talent for a more disturbing reason. Vocal utterances produced by air passing through folds of tissue and formed by lips, teeth, and tongue may, simply put, spring up obsolete. Yes, the “virtual voice talent” may very well resolve into a reality. Welcome to the Machine In the May 2004 issue of Mix Magazine, in two separate articles, Stephen St. Croix and Paul D. Lehrman relate their experiences with a new piece of software ominously named “Vocaloid.” This little computer-coded wonder is a speech synthesizer that’s topical used to synthesize continuity vocals on veridical recordings that are bones sold to the public—background vocals so good, you’d be hard-pressed to recognize they’re fake singers. Now, considering the dubious singing talents of many of our current pop stars, maybe a Vocaloid virtual diva named Britney isn’t too far-fetched. phonic manipulation, including pitch correction, equalization, compression, reverb, have been used for decades to save the fat back of many a pop star’s performance in-studio or on stage. Technically, it’s just a short step from this point to a “singer in a box.” In fact, in the letters section of the July 2004 issue of Mix Magazine a person identified only as “BC,” referring to the St. Croix and Lehrman articles, boasted that he’s created a “band” The Bots… “created wholly from speech synthesizers and 3-D graphics.” BC further states, “I use Vocaloid next to a variety of other speech synths to make it more into an ensemble. The Bots have released two CDs, a ‘record deal’ with Magnatune, and a second video in the works. It’s been a long and painful ordeal, but I’ve finally gotten them to the point where they seem as real as any other band out there—except no live concerts.” I've Gotta Sing And that’s the crux of the matter. The asking of virtual entertainers probably will be quite limited—at least for the foreseeable future—because they can’t tour, do drugs, get into fights, sue their record labels, promote world peace, raise money for charity, or do somewhat live flesh and blue blood performers can do. We, the audience, love the performer as much as the performer’s music. And, in this case, that’s a good thing. Tony Bennett, the White Stripes, Apollo Krall, Toby Keith, Frederica von Stade, and all of the American Idol wannabes are quite safe from Vocaloid elimination. Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace But voice over talents may not be so lucky. Voice talents are not seen. They don’t have soft fans, except their moms and, maybe, a few other voice-over talents. They perform in short increments: 30 seconds, 60 seconds, a 30 minute narration on how to make a million in real estate. If speech synthesis has reached a point of sophistication sufficient enough to create virtual singers, what’s to prevent a software genius from developing a program to replace voice talent? Write the program. Sample 300 to 500 voices, male and female, each with unique characteristics, incorporate them into the software and, voilá, Instant monitor in a Box. Just load your script text into the program, which converts the text to perfectly uttered speech. No retakes. With a few clicks of the mouse to tweak inflection, emphasis, pacing, dynamics, etc. to polish the natural feel of the voice-over and you’re done. Far-fetched? If entertainment’s got a virtual band call The Bots, why can’t proclamation and marketing have its own virtual Don Pardo? Well, it seems maybe they can... ©Peter Drew
|
Advice Home Business Technology Online Advertising Motivational Internet Marketing SEO Help Online Games Science Articles Happiness More Articles:1. The Future of Electronic Publishing Summary: Government use of e-books (e.g., by themilitary) may have the same beneficial effect.As standards converge (Adobe's Portable Document Format and Microsoft'sMS Reader LIT format are likely to be the winners), as hardware improvesand becomes ubiquitous (within multi-purpose devices or as standalonehigher quality units), as content becomes more attractive (already manynew titles are published in both print and electronic formats), as moreversatile information taxonomies (like the Digital O… 2. TerraSip mobile VoIP Community starts first ever pilot project for VoWLAN in Germany Summary: Estepona, 3/14/06 - The international VoIP Provider TerraSip has launched a pilot project to test Voice over IP together with two WiFi network providers, M3-Concept GmbH in Aachen and the Tirolean firm goingsoft GmbH. Extremely good value mobile telephony via internet: 'TerraSip has chosen Germany and Austria for this pilot project because both countries can provide a high network density and therefore optimum availability. Article:TerraSip - the Voice over IP settlement - plans launch … 3. Controls - The Building Blocks to Automation Summary: Powerful machines let loosed by themselves will create havoc and destruction.Control systems have been developed for machines or processes so as to reduce the chances of failure and to provide the required results.Basically, there are open loop control systems and close loop control systems.Open loop systems are those where the controller action is not related to the final result. Human controlled systems can become very unreliable.Machines are made to replace humans in most control sys… 4. Dish Network: The Satellite TV Leader Summary:The fastest-growing satellite TV service provider in the country, Dish Network has quickly become the leader in the industry. Dish Network delivers more than 250 channels, including 100 local networks, 30 sizzling sports channels, and 110 of the best foreign language channels. Dish Network is pioneering high definition TV, offering up to 1700 hours of the best high definition shows available. With great talk show options, a wide variety of music styles, and celebrity Deejays like Lance… |
||||