Visual Voice Pro

Soundpool

Ripples of underwater audio.

A sound wave, like any other wave, is caused by a vibrating object. A vibrating object could be the vocal chords of a person, the vibrating string and sound board of a guitar or violin, the vibrating tines of a tuning fork, or the vibrating diaphragm of a radio speaker.

The Soundpool uses a microphone to detect sounds from approx 43hz (very low sounds) to 11025hz (very high sounds) depending on the microphone used. It creates an effect that looks like dropping a stone into a pool, however we are dropping a sound into a pool, so we can see what it looks like.

The louder the sound, the stronger the ripple.

The soundpool moves the sound around to random places on the screen, so that you can see the effects different sounds have.

By pressing the keys from 1 to 10 there are 10 different underwater pictures, from tropical fish to jellyfish, or even the inside of a swimming pool!

Spirals

Bright, stimulating lights respond to your voice.

This scene is more responsive to the frequencies and wavelength of the noise being made in the room. When there is no noise, the screen turns black. When noise is heard, vibrant and bright orbs of colour collide with each other in a beautiful special effect. The colours change and the activity of the shapes become more excited and active when different wavelengths are produced. Making a low noise, like banging on a drum would make a deep effect, making a high pitched noise would make a sharp effect.

If you make a very pure note, like the note from a musical instrument or if you whistle, you create a beautiful, symmetrical flower-like light show. If you create a sound with lots of "noise" like a cough or a growl you will create a messy noisy splodge of colour.

All the colours and shapes blend together and change over time.

Colourblocks

Walls of bold colour.

In this scene, the screen is divided into a series of blocks. As noise is heard, different areas of the screen light up in different colours, creating a strong abstract association between action and reaction. As the noise in the room dies down, the blocks slowly fade to pastel colours and then to white. This should enable people to clearly see the connection between the sound they make and the effect it has on the room.

By using large blocks of colour, if the room is darkened, or softly lit, the entire colour of the room can be changed by making loud noises. The louder the noise, the more vibrant and bright the colours.

Wavestation

Learn voice control with this fun bouncing game.

A waveform is seen traveling down a tunnel. The waveform is linked to the microphone, so any noises will show up as vibrations of frequency. If the room is silent, the waveform appears as a straight line. The waveforms of past sounds fade out quickly into the background so that you can see the full shape and complexity of the waveform. The waveform is very responsive so students will instantly be able to see the direct interaction between the sounds they make and the vibrations / waveform. The waveform can respond to loud / quiet noises and high / low frequencies. It is also very good at demonstrating the human voice, so even talking / singing will produce a direct effect. This can be a good way to introduce students to a more accurate control of their own pitch and volume.

The game element comes in when you press the Space Bar on the computer, a ball shoots in from the side. The teacher can fire off one ball at a time to begin with, or multiple balls. The balls are different sizes/shapes.

The balls land on the waveform and can be bounced up and down by the different vibrations. This is a bit like when you bounce a balloon around without letting it touch the floor; you must bounce the balls around without letting them fall. If the balls fall off the waveform it disappears off the screen. This will teach students how to control sounds they create very precisely. It is also a lot of creative fun.

Garden

Gentle fireflies float across the garden.

This final scene is more calming and relaxing. It begins with a gentle woodland scene, with trees, grass and a summer sunset. As sounds are made, small lights flitter out magically from behind the trees. This makes a beautiful “fairy garden” or magical woodland, as glowing shapes flit and dance around the screen.

There are several different effects, from the glows of vibrant fireflies to the soft shimmer of floating orbs. This effect is very useful in speech therapy, in encouraging the student to make a loud noise to scare the fireflies out of the trees. If they are too quiet, nothing will appear, but make a loud noise and they will reveal themselves. This is great for individuals, or groups working together on their speaking and listening skills.