Effect to make a voice sound slightly computerized/robotic?

Report · Mar 08, 2010

Anyone know of a good effect to make a voice sound slightly computerized/robotic? Not to completely change the voice, but just to add a computerized/robotic vibe or accent to it. Can this be done with default effects in Audition 3 or are there any good plugins for this?

Report · Mar 08, 2010

Well, everyone has a different idea of what a robot sounds like but, as a starting point, I'd try:

First, EQ the voice to make it sound a bit "small speaker/tinny" in nature. I'd do it by ear but probably something like knocking off everything below 300Hz and above 3kHz.

Second, use the flanger effect (under modulation on the effects menu). There's actually a preset called "robotic" which might suit you as a starting point, though I'd recommend having a play and tweaking things until they suit you.

Have fun!

Bob

Report · Mar 09, 2010

One thing that might also help with the 'robotic' feel would be the automatic part of the pitch corrector. Chances are that you can find a setting on this that would stop a voice sounding 'human' quite effectively. Works on a lot of singers, anyway... and edit the pauses between words randomly, shrinking some of them a bit.

Report · Mar 09, 2010

Good advice from Steve as always.

One thing I forgot to mention: the biggest help to making this effect work, if you have control over the voice recording session, is to have your actor do the reading in a flat, monotone and keep the spacing "mechanical" rather than "natural". As always, getting the source material right in the first place is better than a whole raft of editing and effects.

Bob

Report · Mar 09, 2010

Hello there,

Check out SciFi Deluxe at .... www.hyperdynelabs.com

Download the demo and confirm it works with Audition 3, as this program dates back to CE2K.

All the best,

aomahana.

Report · Mar 09, 2010

aomahana wrote:

Check out SciFi Deluxe at .... www.hyperdynelabs.com
Download the demo and confirm it works with Audition 3, as this program dates back to CE2K.

I'm pretty sure that it won't work at all, even vaguely. There were reports on AudioMasters 5 years ago that the basic SciFi (I don't know about the other bits) wouldn't even work with 1.5, never mind anything after that. What it says about compatible versions on the website is true, and apparently there's no money in updating it, despite what they claim to the contrary. They rather give the game away by admitting that they haven't even tried it on CEP 2, never mind later versions.

It's a shame, because it was a good plugin, and did indeed create very usable robot voices.