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Poll Majell Barrett-Roddenberry as the computer voice moving forward?

Would you like Majel as the Voice going forward?

  • Yes, she is the voice.

    Votes: 21 43.8%
  • No, Time to move on.

    Votes: 13 27.1%
  • Certain Circumstances ?

    Votes: 14 29.2%

  • Total voters
    48

valkyrie013

Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
So, After Barrett passed in 2008, her son, Rod Roddenberry announced on Twitter that they’d been able to capture every vocal sound necessary to technologically recreate his mother’s voice. So, using old recordings of Barrett’s voice, companies like Apple could employ a process called phonemes analysis to create new audio files in Barrett’s voice.

This also means that Star Trek has all the sound recordings to recreate any word or phrase for her to remain the computer voice going forward.
Now, I'm a realist, some series wouldn't have to, but shows TNG onward, like Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy could use Majel, but any previous, or like discovery, far future, or some private ship, i wouldn't impose the requirement.
For me it would be a nice homage to her and her role through out 20+ years as THE computer voice. Plus to me it would sound wrong for her voice Not to be the computer voice :)
Star Wars already does this with Luke, AND Vader voices in there series as well.

what do ya'll think?
 
I like the idea for 24th/25th Century shows. Might as well make use of what they put so much effort into. Plus it's a technical marvel in its own right that they can recreate her voice. And they have Rod's permission. She recorded her voice so future series or films would be able to use it.
 
I can't answer, because I haven't heard what it would sound like. Some sample phrases created from the audio files would go a long way towards convincing me it's viable.
 
I've been happy with all the nuTrek AI voices. Seems close enough to MBR to me. It may be her, I don't know. Maybe using the samples has been costly? I don't know. A clear example of her may be too jarring after all this time.

But... yeah, no, whatever, I am happy.
 
If they hadn't made the effort to create a database for precisely that purpose, I'd say they don't have to recreate her voice from scratch. But since they did, it would be silly to not use it at all.
 
Only in certain settings i.e. Kirk-era USS Enterprise (late 2260s to 2270s), a scuttled 24th century ship or shuttle or runabout found in a different century, 24th century Starfleet Headquarters and other 24th century Starfleet buildings, 24th century EV suits, Lost Era starships and starbases.
 
No, time to move on. I couldn't care less about her as the computer voice, the voice should be customizable anyway, having an official starfleet wide computer voice never made a lot of sense to me.
 
I am reminded of a deal recently announced between James Earl Jones and Lucasfilm re: the usage of the database generated from his voice work as Darth Vader across the decades to continue creating new material from it. I am surprised that such arrangements weren't made and acted upon re: the Widow Roddenberry's voice-work, although comfortable with the current talent under contract.

There's a huge difference between Darth Vader and the TOS Enterprise's computer voice.

Plus, there's no point in recreating her choppy, overly loud computer voice for SNW, and if they want a more TNG-sounding voice going forward, I would think it would be far easier just to get some stand-in to record the lines rather than using some voice database, if there even is such a thing in this case. Like, does the viewing audience really care if they're hearing computer-Majel or computer-Jane?
 
No, time to move on. I couldn't care less about her as the computer voice, the voice should be customizable anyway, having an official starfleet wide computer voice never made a lot of sense to me.
Starbases had male voices IIRC
 
The Roddenberry Archive has been pouring through all the painstakingly recorded data Majel made of her voice just before she passed. This has been a passion project of Rod’s for over a decade, and we are hoping to have a working model of her ship VO sometime this year if all goes as planned.

If they hadn't made the effort to create a database for precisely that purpose, I'd say they don't have to recreate her voice from scratch. But since they did, it would be silly to not use it at all.
 
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Well, Picard S3 is said to introduce 2 new voices, a Starfleet one and a civilian one. And is hinted that it will Not be Majell. Boo.

Jessica McKenna does the voice in LD, while Bonnie Gordon Does it in Prodigy.

Honestly, I just want what happened with the Berman Era, if we can't have Majell, then just have 1 person do it through out all the current series, not a mish mash of different voices for different ships. So hopefully the "New" voice is one of the 2 that already have the gig on the animated versions, but I doubt it.. people always want to leave there own stamp on things.. :brickwall:
 
I still think Number One should make a reference in Strange New Worlds that she made an AI version of her own voice because she was testing out some new system upgrades; implying her voice ended up becoming The Voice of Starfleet.
 
I still think Number One should make a reference in Strange New Worlds that she made an AI version of her own voice because she was testing out some new system upgrades; implying her voice ended up becoming The Voice of Starfleet.
So you want Rebecca Romijn to do the computer voice?
 
If they can do it and all parties are happy for it to happen then why not? I don't hate it not to be Majel, but at the same time I'd prefer it to be. I think the futurist part of both Majel and Gene would actually think it pretty cool.
 
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