Gadgets can be useful, helping to make our lives easier. They can also be a fantastic source of entertainment, which is what most people think of when it comes to voice-changer devices. Voice changers are sometimes seen as a novelty, perfect for pranks but not fit for much else.
Would it surprise you to learn that there are many practical uses for voice changer gadgets? When used in the right circumstances, they can be extremely useful – protecting our identities and potentially even keeping us safe.
Here are 5 of the many reasons to use these handy devices.
1. Fending off nuisance or malicious callers
Do you keep getting the same old annoying calls from pushy salespeople who are not willing to take no for an answer? Or are you receiving more worrying calls and want them to stop? A voice changer can be handy in both of these situations:
- Getting rid of pushy salespeople. Unfortunately, some salespeople and telemarketers can be more aggressive in their approach when speaking to elderly people or young women who they perceive as being home alone. A voice changer gives you the chance to change genders or ages if you wish to, hopefully stopping those nuisance sales callers from pursuing the same tactics.
- Stopping malicious callers. If a malicious caller is targeting you, the first thing to do is report it to the police. However, using a voice changer can also scare off such callers. If the caller hears a different voice (for example, that of an angry or protective partner) answering the phone, they may stop calling for good. Some malicious callers ring up houses to find out if someone is home alone or to identify potential targets for burglary. Criminals may lose confidence if a tough, deep voice answers the phone. You can even record a voice mail message or automated response in a different voice and set it to answer the phone – with the appearance of someone being home, at least for the first few seconds until a malicious caller hangs up - when you’re out or away on holiday, to further deter potential burglars or intruders.
You may also find that being able to switch gender or otherwise alter your voice is helpful when you’re the one making phone calls. For example, a young woman calling a garage for a quote for car repairs may be given a higher quote than an older man asking for the same thing – simply because the garage owner makes an assumption that the woman won’t know the fair price for the work due to a lack of knowledge or experience with vehicle repairs. If you use a voice changer to call first as a man and then as a woman, you’ll be able to expose businesses that adopt this sexist approach and demand a fair quote.
2. Making discreet enquiries
There are lots of situations in which you may need to ask questions or seek information without disclosing your identity. For example:
- When researching a competitor’s business and looking for evidence in a divorce or other personal legal case
- Catching a cheating spouse or finding out if a friend is talking behind your back
- Private detectives regularly use voice changers to make discreet enquiries, asking all the questions they need to without ever being identified by their voice. You can even call your closest friend or family member and not be recognised if you use a good quality, subtle voice changer device.
3. Fobbing people off when you’re busy
Ever wanted your own secretary? With a voice changer, you can be your own secretary or receptionist – which comes in particularly handy in a business or office situation when you want to fob someone off. If you’re swamped with work or want to avoid a particularly persistent client or unpleasant confrontation, answer the phone using voice changer gadgets. You can play your new secretary, politely informing the caller that you are too busy to come to the phone.
Of course, living such a double life in the office can be a difficult and confusing business to manage, so it’s probably best used only for those rare conversations you really want to avoid!
4. Voiceovers, presentations and PR events
If you’re planning an event, presentation or video and you don’t have a large budget for actors, extras or additional team members, a voice changer could help. With just one of these clever devices, you can play a cast of hundreds in your production. You can lend credibility and professionalism to any event with the smart, prudent use of a voice changer. For example, you can use one to introduce yourself at an event, record multi-character scripts, and add extra voices to presentations.
5. Protecting your identity
Most of us like to keep our personal and professional lives separate. However, there are situations in which your hobbies and other personal activities could affect and possibly harm your work life – particularly in the online world.
For example, if you like to express your opinions in a podcast. These opinions (i.e. political) or the language you use to express them may not be compatible with your professional life or your company's values, so you may want to keep your identity secret when recording your podcast. A voice changer can provide complete protection from a colleague or boss identifying you if they happen to hear the podcast.
What to look for in a voice changer
The most important quality of a voice changer device is authenticity – the voice must be believable as a human voice, or it will never be effective for any of the above purposes. It would help if you also looked for portability, compatibility with the phones you use, and the number and variety of voice-changing options available. Charge time, battery life and ease of use are also very important.