Req: Boingy Boingy voice file

[RobertB]

I don't have the creativity or the tools, but here's an idea if it sparks anyone's interest. How about a file that, instead of directions, has sound effects related to the directions?

The basics would be a couple of sounds, left and right. Maybe right would be like, boiING! and left would be the reverse, like BOIing. So instead of "Ahead, turn right, then, turn left", you might have:

* anticipatory boinging sound *
boiING!
* connecting-ish boinging sound *
BOIng!

Number of yards/meters could be stretching sounds. "After 100 yards, turn right" would be "brrrr boiING!", while "In 300 yards" would be "brr-rrr-rrr BOIng!"

I'm sure "You have arrived at your destination" would be a wild cacaphony of springy goodness.

I'd be happy to test a file, even a partial file, if it would help. Doesn't this sound fun?

 

[Peter715]

You must be "Bleeping" mad!!!

Interesting. I guess one of the biggest problems would be that you would basically have to learn a new language!

You would need instructions telling you that "bong" means right and something like "wizz" means left. Otherwise how would you know what way to turn at a crossroads? Then if you did go wrong, how would you know that the "slap" sound you are hearing actually means do a U-turn. when you think of all the things you might come up against, e.g. a roundabout, keep left of the freeway, take the ferry... I think this would be far to hard.

I like what you're saying but I think you would get lost quite quickly. If you did it for yourself so you already know in your head what "bong" means, that might work!

 

[RobertB]

Oh, no doubt it would be goofy! I don't think a sound file like that would be terribly useful for directional information at all... but that's not the purpose.

I'm probably not a typical GPS user. I'm a mapgeek, and I got the GPS (as a present from the kids) so that I'd always have a map without having to keep stopping on the side of the road. My favorite thing to do is to program a faraway destination (like Matagorda Beach), and listen to the unit recalculate directions all the way to work. "Take the next exit, then make a U-Turn." Oh, how I wish I could. If I were compiling a wish-list for TomTom, I would ask for sound #60 to be "Recalculating route", so that I could replace it with "Hey, where do you think *you're* going?"

So yeah, I want a sound file that doesn't actually help me get anywhere, but provides a random assortment of goofy noises. At least it would be better than the GLaDOS voice, that lies to you. I can't use that one, actually... it affects me subliminally, I think. Spooky.

 

[Peter715]

I get what your saying! As much as you may be a little strange, I understand completely.

I have Dennis Hopper's voice that says things like "Hay, are you high?" and stuff like that when you're lost/make a wrong turn, basically when your tomtom is recalculating the route. Maybe you should get one of those types of voices.

I'm sure you will be able to find a way of having weird noises for your voice directions, but I'm not sure how. I think I'm going to stick with my Dennis Hopper and Mr. T for now.

Good luck and I hope you don't get to spooked out in the mean time!

Let me know if you end up finding anything, or if someone pulls through for you.

 

[RobertB]

Watch this space... I created a file using the Windows XP sounds. Will test it on the way home, if it doesn't drive me nuts first.

 

[RobertB]

OMG, it works, and it's funny. Only problem is that I need to tweak the sound level, because they're way too quiet. I'll post it after I do the tweaking (which may be a while, 'cause it's busy at work).

 

[tarmacburner2]

Robert,
If you aren't already using it try Audacity to tweak the sound levels. Great piece of freeware to use.

Cheers,

Fred

 

[RobertB]

Actually, I used Audacity to convert the .wav's to .ogg's! I've used it for a long time, but only for the most basic of tasks -- .mp3 conversions, making ringtones from songs I've bought (instead of buying them again, 15 sec at a time, which is ridiculous), etc.

I know there's a feature to change the level, but I'll have to poke around a while to figure out how to get the level where I want it. The good news, though, is that all the sounds seem to be equally quiet -- if I can get one to the right level, I should be able to repeat the task on the rest. Plus, I've only got 9 files to modify -- I wrote a DOS .bat file to copy them to the 59 filenames for compiling.

Here's the general sound mapping:

Anything "Right": XP Hardware Insert
Anything "Left": XP Hardware Remove
(I think I'll reverse those, actually, so it has more of a left-to-right sound)

"After" and "Then": XP Battery Critical
(You hear this a lot)

Short distances (like "50"): Ding
Long distances (like "800"): Notify
(Where to switch is a tweakable spot)

"Meters" and "Yards": Chimes

"Ahead" anything: Chord
(I need to combine Chord+Right and Chord+Left for "Ahead, keep right", etc)

"Arrive", "Depart", and "Congestion Charge": Tada!

Everything else (straight, road end, u-turn, roundabout): XP Error

 

[Peter715]

Nice!

Glad to see you got round to doing it!!!

I can imagine it is quite funny!