Bill Jenkin

You might be interested in this development from Adobe – a sort of "Photoshop for audio editing".

From the BBC New website:

“… Adobe unveiled Project Voco [during November 2016]. The software makes it possible to take an audio recording and rapidly alter it to include words and phrases the original speaker never uttered, in what sounds like their voice….”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-37899902

Dave Mundy

The techy bit was interesting, when I think of how many 1/4 inch tape edits I did changing the order of vox pops and removing countless ‘ums’ and ‘ers’ in radio interviews!

Brian Curtis

But now you can "create" the "vox pops" getting them to say what you want them to say! Would it work on our politicians?

Dave Mundy

Probably, but who would believe anything a politician said anyway?

John Howell

Actually what [the presenter] did [in the demonstration] was very basic, you notice he took words from a ‘list’ of two and transposed them, the inflections were similar so it worked. Or rather it would have worked had he or the program been accurate in  selecting each word. Try again with a list of five and transpose the first and fifth items and see what happens.

I think we may have finally hit on a use for Muzak, if you don’t want your words messed with make sure there’s music playing at the same time!

The Goons got there first, remember the tale where every time the Scotsman spoke you could here bagpipes playing?

Graeme Wall

Scottish Doctor (with bagpipes): “You’re lucky to be alive, Mon!”
Seagoon: “Why?”
Scottish Doctor (with bagpipes): “I tried to kill you three times!"