Voice changer hardware or VST

[Zipede]

Looking for some advice,

I need a voice changer that can change a spoken male voice into a female voice with a slightly robotic feel, I need a clean sound so it's easy to understand the words spoken, I don't need loads of effects. I have been considering the Roland VT-4 as that is the sort of price range I can reach. Are there better options around, Hardware or vst? Preferably not stand alone software.

[whyterabbyt]

For plugins, Antares Throat and/or Mutator

[Zipede]

Youtubing Antares Throat now, it looks nice, thanks.

[whyterabbyt]

There are various other plugins that will give you pitchshifting etc to make the voice higher, or robotic effects (any vocoder for that) but Throat is still one of the best for that kind of male->female tonal/formant change.

Ircam TRAX is another, but its more expensive.

[Zipede]

The IRCAM sounds amazing, but yeah it's pretty expensive! They don't appear to offer a trial version

[kidslow]

You don't say whether vocoder is an option. If it is, on the hardware side Electro-Harmonix Iron Lung Vocoder has a "Gender Bender" knob. Of course if vocoders are an option, you have good free VSTs from TAL and Full Bucket, though maybe not with all the bells, whistles and gender bending.

[Zipede]

You don't say whether vocoder is an option. If it is, on the hardware side Electro-Harmonix Iron Lung Vocoder has a "Gender Bender" knob. Of course if vocoders are an option, you have good free VSTs from TAL and Full Bucket, though maybe not with all the bells, whistles and gender bending.

Vocoder is an option, and I have tried the ones you mention, they are all good, but when you want to pitch up, it starts sounding like a little squeaky pixie or gnome talking. I'm really trying for a natural sounding female formant change.

[kidslow]

Seems like Antares Throat might be your best choice. I have no experience with it. On the hardware front, depending on your time horizon, you might also look out for the Boss VT-1, which seem to come up cheaper (when they come up) than Roland VT-4 ... and now I'm curious if there was ever a VT-2 and why Roland decided to rebadge those from Boss? I see Roland had released a VT-3.

[arkmabat]

This guy sounds convincingly like a female-- it's just a really nice pitch shift afaik? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lATdwvE4lLU

[V0RT3X]

Madrona Labs Virta has some neat tricks

[kidslow]

This guy sounds convincingly like a female-- it's just a really nice pitch shift afaik?

Sounds more processed to me than a pitch shift. I wouldn't claim to be an expert, but just those vocal curves sound very digitized to my ears, more than a really nice pitch shift would do. Listen to the word "feel" for example.

[pekbro]

melodyne

[kidslow]

For some reason I don't mind full-on digitized over the top, ala vocoder, but just slightly off from what I expect of a human voice hits me like nails on a chalkboard, worst with Antares Auto-Tune. I know it can't be just me. I'll take a beautiful human voice over pitch correction every time.

Have been wondering if an analog-type tube saturator like Voxengo Warmifier or tape like u-he Satin would reduced that digitized uncanny valley that I hear. I have Melodyne 5 essential so will have to play around and find out.

[Zipede]

Seems like Antares Throat might be your best choice. I have no experience with it. On the hardware front, depending on your time horizon, you might also look out for the Boss VT-1, which seem to come up cheaper (when they come up) than Roland VT-4 ... and now I'm curious if there was ever a VT-2 and why Roland decided to rebadge those from Boss? I see Roland had released a VT-3.

Yes, in my price range Antares Throat sounds like it may be the best option, I was disappointed to see it has ilok though. I looked at VT-1, it sounds good also, some convincing female voices.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynkrr0C-kcQ

There is a scambaiter on youtube called Kitboga, apparantly he uses a Roland VT-4, the female voices he gets is quite convincing also, but I am not sure if the VT-4 is his only tool.

For some reason I don't mind full-on digitized over the top, ala vocoder, but just slightly off from what I expect of a human voice hits me like nails on a chalkboard, worst with Antares Auto-Tune. I know it can't be just me. I'll take a beautiful human voice over pitch correction every time.

I agree, for a sining voice. What I am trying to achive is a slightly robotic female voice for some narration, no singing. Something like the computer's voice in the original Star Trek series. I've tried asking my wife and sister to do the voice for me, but they don't put the right expression into the words, I need a lot of material, so a voice actor would be too expensive.

Madrona Labs Virta has some neat tricks

Thanks, I'll check it out.

melodyne

I thought about Melodyne too, but it seems to be more on pitch correction, than a vocoder effects.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I may just go for the VT-4 after all, it seems like it would be the least hassle, if it doesn't fit my needs can send it back and go for Antares Throat, but I do dislike ilok.

[whyterabbyt]

If its just a small amount of narration ie a single file, give me a shout, I can bounce it through Throat for you.