Okay, this came from a story by Allistalla a few weeks ago but - prior to that - a post from Shackleford96, and - prior to that - a discussion between dom180 and dappled (in which both wimped out of recording their voices). It all revolves around our many and various accents. We seem to talk about it often (there was even a question today about how we pronounce "often").
Well, Mister Shackleford and Mister dappled talked about this and decided that perhaps something more could be done. And it has now come to pass. You can hear both those fine men speak at:
http://iinvoice.elementfx.com/
The site also contains instructions about how you can involve yourself in this project and share your own voice with the IIN community.
We have the permission of TheManagement but this project is nothing to do with this website or its creators. All responsibility lies with a third party.
Well, Mister Shackleford and Mister dappled talked about this and decided that perhaps something more could be done. And it has now come to pass. You can hear both those fine men speak at:
http://iinvoice.elementfx.com/
The site also contains instructions about how you can involve yourself in this project and share your own voice with the IIN community.
We have the permission of TheManagement but this project is nothing to do with this website or its creators. All responsibility lies with a third party.
EDIT: Should I do a recording? If I do, I have to do one today because I will have no wifi for a week... If so, ahT should I say? Should I recite something, or just talk to you guys?
Seriously do it. The more, the merrier. :)
I am pretty sure dappled is going to rape me.
Neuro in the shower is just hot.
Yumazing was lovely.
Sassy sounded just like I thought she would, in a good way.
I am pretty sure that nAt2017 is made of cupcakes.
You also missed out on the bananaface, which was up there temporarily. I'm biased, though, because she comes from a place with accents I've always loved.
Biggest surprise was Yuma's, though. I actually want her to narrate my entire life. I love the way she speaks!
Seriously, though. It is pretty awesome to hear all these voices. It would be lovely if you joined in, too :)
This is great because up until hearing their human voices, I imagined everyone on IIN talks like a cartoon character. Sort of as if they inhaled some helium. Hearing people's real voices has been a definite improvement on what I'd imagined up for them.
In my mind, you don't have the helium voice though - you are an exception; you have the voice of a 90-year-old man. If you sound different than that, I think you should let me hear it. :)
P.S.
That was not a "compliment", only an observation I wanted to share.
...and that was a compliment, so my apologies :}
Signed,
Sir Reginald Fisticuffs III
Signed,
Sir Reginald Fisticuffs III
Money and wine flow through thou's blue veins.
Thou's family is world renown. They have magnificent castles in all of the most fashionable countries and people bow down to them and kiss their shiny feet when they see them in the street.
Walking isn't for the umpteenth class, it's for commoners. Everyone in the umpteenth class prances around like ponies. Ponies aren't even good enough for them! They'll only ride on sparkly unicorns!
Oh, Don't let me forget about Sir Reginald Fisticuffs' stunning looks and his swirly mustache!
Damn! Just look at the time, Kronos must be out to ruin my day! I must go to the town and find the Trollop that my lover has been fiddling about with! Mark my words, I shall unleash my bottled up wrath when I find them!!!!
I wonder where shackleford is from, because he talks very similar to me, with a slight hint of a little more of the south. I live in the south now but talk rather northern for the U.S. because I was raised up north.
Dappled sounds right like a damn narrator in a movie! Move to the United States with that accent Mr. Dappled, and you will be very popular with the ladies me thinks!
P.S. One day my monkey will take on Vegas' monkey to see who is the all-time monkey master. :D
Also, I plan on sending a recording of me doing the Dave Eggers excerpt today, hopefully:) Although, I just read it through, and I've just realised that I seriously can't say the word identity:L! Also, my accent's pretty weak, so I'm not sure what to think about that, but I'll send it later anyway:D!
I was so scared about doing the real accent but the more I listen to it, the more I'm proud to have it. If you do yours quickly, me, dom180 and you can all be side by side like three English musketeers. :P
P.S. I wouldn't recommend reading any of the passages online. None of them work in my accent and you'll have exactly the same problems for the same reasons. I'd pick something that isn't familiar to most people so they won't be aware of how different it sounds in your accent, they'll just be listening to the accent. :)
Why not pick a subject close to your heart (Alan Shearer :P) and just talk about it for a minute or two? Write down some cue cards, then practice with them. That's what I did. I ran through it twice and then recorded it while it still sounded fresh and not too rehearsed. :D
Or you could pick something that is actually supposed to be read in your accent, like:
http://www.southshields-sanddancers.co.uk/when_boat_comes_in.htm
Ahh, I'm just gonna be a wimp and read the quote. Although, I don't think we can be the three English musketeers, since I'll have to wait an hour before I can record:'(. :P
I'm only getting one voice per day now, so you've got time... :D
M4A is just a more modern version of MP3, anyway.
We're just northern munkehs!
Listening to it back, I can't believe how much like Karl Pilkington I sound. That's something about our accent that makes us both sound like idiots. :)
You still sound intelligent and understandable, even with a stronger accent.
What sort of people do struggle with your accent? You must have come across some pretty moronic tourists, if you think that no one can understand you or will think you're dumb because of the way that you speak.
Other than some regional slang (which is common for just about anyone anywhere in the world to have regional slang) you are still very understandable.
Or is it your own countrymen that make fun of your dialect? I can understand that. Other Canadians make fun of the way that people from Newfoundland (and sometimes Nova Scotia) speak. I doubt that any outsiders from Canada, would immediately notice the difference though.
I have an American friend (Colorado) who has lived in this city for two years and she still only understands every other sentence. As soon as I see the blank look, I know I've lost her. Weirdly, her mother understands me perfectly and another American friend (California) not only understands but uses the accent and slang herself.
Australians seem to understand but New Zealanders struggle. Canadians don't tend to have much problem with it and Europeans pick it up rapidly (despite not even speaking the same language). I think English speakers (including those in England) have the hardest time.
I want to think that you said you lived in Missouri before?
Not sure why, just ain't.
I have a sort of country-american voice though.
I say tater instead of potato; It's Off-ten, not off-en; I tend to say cimomon instead of cinnamon; a trailer is a traylar; an opossum is a Possum; aluminum is alloominum...
That's all the examples I can think of right now. ^_^
I have a bit of a southern accent, but i'm not sure if it will come out in the reading.
I think everyone feels weird about their recorded voice. I know that I do!
Don't worry about how you sound. I was so busy focusing on not screwing up any of the words in that crazy poem (a poem I have not read in 20 years), it left little room to be self-conscious about my tone. It took me seven tries before I had a recording that didn't end in coughing or cursing because I said "slithy" or "tulgey" wrong. I just locked the pets out of the room (too chatty and noisy) and got on with it.
I hope more people are able to make recordings. :)
I couldn't put up a Gettysburg in my real accent, either, because I think it would make Americans think I was being rude about it.
Could you please post your version of the Jabberwocky? I don't think it is competitive, just very interesting, for comparison sake. :)
I avoided the Address too, for a different reason though. This year is the 100-year anniversary of the Canadian/American war of 1812 (which the Canadians won), so that's been on my mind lately. My reading would sound "normal" enough, but maybe it would be too cheeky of me to read and record it since I'm Canadian. I'm probably just being silly about it though.
Everyone's voices sound so different to how I had imagined them; it will change how I read their comments in future!
I shall record my (god-awful) voice and add it to the list!
I find it odd that people seem to like English accents! Most people here dislike a lot of them; I guess it gets tiring when you are surrounded by them all the time?
(But then, it could just be down to this nation's love of complaining.)
Ooh, if you do know where it's from, don't say it here, by the way, because that's kind of identifying information. :/
EDIT: This is brilliant, never have the Gettysburg Address and C.S. Lewis been more listenable! :D
Actually, that's not going to be anonymous now, is it? Doh!
I know I'm going to like your accent even if I mock you for it until the end of time. :P
P.S. I've given you plenty of revenge mocking opportunity in my own recording.
I've resisted the urge to even listen to mine from the site so far, in case I get too self-conscious about it! :/ Like you said, we Brits are needlessly self-conscious about our accents :/
Now I'll go listen to yours! :D
EDIT: Welp, that didn't seem to send =S I'll try again if it didn't from my other email :/
Is there something you can do to fix it, OP?
It's worth doing. She has a nice accent. :)
As for Apple people, I don't know because I'm not an Apple person at all despite having an apple in the middle of my IIN username.
Thanks, I honestly would have been somewhat sad if I didn't see it on the website after going through the trouble of rehearsing the excerpt a few times so as not to stumble repeatedly. I've never been particularly good at reading aloud.
Thank you for all your hard work OP!
Reminder for iPod/Pad/Phone users --> iTalk Recorder is a good app for voice recording and file saving and sharing.
I'm definitely going to get that app:P
I'm glad this got approved, even if only temporarily.
I hope you feel better soon. ;)
EDIT: Ahh fuck it, he can suck a wing ding. I don't know what file format Windows Media Audio File is, but I hope you can accept it, is it WAV? I don't know shit about software. If not, then tell me what to do or whatever, I'll do something else.
Blah. Well it was meant to be a compliment :-S
Sorry the quality sucks.
Is anyone else actually doing this, I'm a wimp:(
EDIT: NeuroNeptunian has already sent hers and NoraBaker is joining us, so you won't be alone. :)
P.S. I liked it, though.
P.S. I deleted yours off the server too as well as removed it from the page, so it's truly gone. Although I'm very glad I got to hear it. :)
And I'm a bit mortified that anyone got to hear that:/ Ugh, I'm so embarrassed now!
But you so have to post your accent! I've jut realised I have no idea where in England you are! You're not cockney, are you? That would be strange.
I'm from Gloucestershire, but mine's such an odd accent. My parents come from opposite sides of the country, Nottinghamshire and Devon, and sound as if they're speaking different languages their accents are so different. The result is that my accent sounds like a bizarre tour of English regional dialects compressed into a voice that isn't very expressive even when I'm enthusiastic :/ And then there's my stutter, which makes matters no better :( If I could change one thing about me it would be my voice :P
I've got a few hints of farmer in there definitely, but they're mostly hidden underneath my higher percentage of posh-ness :(
If you want to gauge how confused my accent is: you know how most southerners always use long vowels (as in "Grarss") and most northerners use short vowels (as in "GrAss")? Most people are more-or-less consistent about which way they pronounce words like "grass", "pass", "glass" etc. but every time I come to a word that ends with "-ass", I have to think for at least five seconds so my brain can work out what my own pronunciation is :P Even my own brain can't seem to work out how I talk, it's such a jumble :)
Did that even make sense? xD
Gr.........................................ass:)
Haha, I can't even imagine that! Maybe you should post your accent to help me out a bit? I'm not very subtle am I:P?
EDIT: Holy macaroni, you really did change your colour back exactly on time! Yellow suits you xD This conversation now has an uncomfortably rhubarb-and-custard-like colour scheme going on :D
I will look forward to hearing your posh farmer accent:D And don't worry, you'll probably end up laughing at mine as well, I sound about 4 year old and just generally stupid.
And if I haven't heard nothern, then I don't even know what northern is anymore:P!
You sounded so much better than me. I can't believe you are bothered by it. :P
And I can't help it! I hate my voice! And everyone else had really pretty, american accents, and then there's me with my stupid, harsh accent! I might do another one, maybe the IIN quote up at the top, since those who managed to hear my old clip have been really nice. Bleurgh, I'll see how I feel tomorrow.
Should we expect to hear your voice anytime soon:P?
Bleh, I think I'll probably end up doing it later on, when it's quiet and I'm alone. I'm thinking of doing the IIN quote after all, I should just stay away from things which are very American. That text seems like a funny choice, though, considering how true it is after yesterday. I guess I must be a "primitive" person.
Nobody else who posted has an accent like ours that suits itself to conversation but not to speeches. I don't know if you're up for doing this too but what I was thinking of doing was an English -> Manc dictionary, like I'd say something with the accent I first posted with and then I say it in my real Manc.
Like for: "Perchance, are you looking at me?" I'd say:
"Yeah, alright, knobby, wind yer neck in, eh?".
Between us, we could offer IIN a public service. I'm sure there's not many non-Brits that have heard, "Ahh, howay, pet, I'm ganning oot for a bit". Not that you probably ever say that. :P
I agree with the conversation thing. The thing that makes my accent obvious is the words I use, if that makes sense? And with speeches you have to say certain words, instead of the ones you'd actually use in a conversation:/. My accent might have sounded noticeable on the clip, but the only thing which I thought had my accent was when "er" sounds turned into "a" sounds, although I'm not sure, since I can't notice my own accent obviously.
And I like that idea, but I don't think I say nearly enough Geordie phrases to do it. I could easily say things like "gannin' oot", but I never say them, so it would probably be a bit unnatural. I'd probably be able to do it with words though, like just saying a list of different words in my accent:).
Yeah, I know exactly what you mean about the accent. It was funny to hear you drop the T in "altogether" because I do that too. The sweetest bit of yours was "dedicate" or *ahem* "dedikeet" and there is just so much dedikeeting going on in that speech.
I tried the Gettysburg Address in my real accent but it sounded like I was taking the pee. Dedicate undid me too because of the flatness of the "cate" bit in my accent. And liberty sounded like "libba e". At least there was no flat "u" sound. Me saying sunshine or monkey is so different than most, I get people doing impressions of me. :/
And how do you say sunshine and monkey? you should record it in your next clip:D!
I even drop the t out of fourteen. It's just "faw'een". And if I don't put monkeys and sunshine in a recording, I'll just a special one just for you, to make up for not sending you me singing Life on Mars (I got as far as recording it, but what sounded good in my head did NOT record well). And I'm not being modest. It was REALLY bad. :/
P.S. Going back to red was a good idea. I didn't realise how much I used your colour to pick out your words in posts.
And I can't believe you actually recorded yourself singing Life on Mars, I could never do that:L! I'm not sure why, but I'm imagining that you say monkey like Johnny Vegas does on the PG Tips adverts, haha.
I think that I most likely will post another recording again at some point, btw, although I'm not too sure of what I'm going to say anymore. Are you considering adding another text with a list of phrases or words or something, so we can compare how we say them? I'm not sure who else would be interested in doing that, but I know I would:).
You're close with Johnny Vegas. I used to do an impression of him saying "Monkey" and friends went mental over it. :D
As for the list of words, you little genius! I never thought of that. That would have been a far better way of doing this. I'll come up with a list that covers all the phoneme sounds and chuck monkey and sunshine in there too. :P
Ooooh fireworks!!! I loooove fireworks!! Don't beat anybody up with your lovely prosthetic leg. Keep it in your pants, ok?! :*
I don't know how people in other countries survive without a holiday specifically for blowing shit up!
It was a fun night, but dammit I shouldn't have brought the mead with me. Still a little bit tipsy... >.< I have a wine problem guys. The problem is.... I drink all of it. D:
If you do, you still won't have anything to compare it to. :P
AND I'll eat string cheese. *barf*
Okay, they're both true. Blah! You evil stalker. :P
And I still "might" put my voice on there. I personally don't like my own voice but we'll see when I record it. haha
Not sure how you'd co-ordinate such a thing, though. :)
I just need to figure out if my touch pad is capable of such a task. It does have a mic, so it should work. ::)