Why Are Bundled Ringtones so Lame?

[Jason Dunn]

Ok, is it just me, or does anyone else find it highly ironic that we have a Smartphone capable of playing WAV files (which means we can play anything), and the bundled ringtones on the Orange SPV that I have are all glorified MIDI files? It's sick I tell you, sick! :lol: I wonder why Orange or any of the other carriers don't bother to include a few cool ringtones?

I'm happy that Microsoft leapt over everyone else in this department - I've seen phones evolve from basic ringtones, to offering MIDI support (or the equivalent of it), to "polyphonic ringtone support" (which means "Hey, we can finally play more than one tone at the same time!"), and on the Nokia side of things I think there are a couple of other sound "standards". WAV/MP3/WMA is a no-compromise solution, because even a fat WAV file ringtone is perhaps 100 KB - not huge when you have several MB of storage on your Smartphone. I can certainly understand why older phones were using varients of MIDI, but with most high-end phones having real amounts of storage, I'm very happy that I'm not stuck with the bulk of the mobile phone users who think this sounds cool (http://www.us.ringtones.com/midi.asp?filename=mls-tf-50cent-pimp.MID). Revel in your ringtone glory my fellow Smartphone users! :rock on dude!:

[brntcrsp]

ooo fun thought, and a cross site posting - I can make my own ring tones using PocketJam (http://www.siliconmachines.com/pocketjam/index.htm) on my Pocket PC (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,16102) and then move them to a Smartphone. :rock on dude!:

[Jason Dunn]

ooo fun thought, and a cross site posting - I can make my own ring tones using PocketJam (http://www.siliconmachines.com/pocketjam/index.htm) on my Pocket PC (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,16102) and then move them to a Smartphone. :rock on dude!:

Now that's a cool idea! Woo hoo! :D

[TANKERx]

Try using the SAPI software from Microsoft and then you can have a sexy computer voice like on Star Trek. :D

Good thing about that is...... it's free!

I downloaded it a couple of years ago to make ringtones for my 9210 and it's been impressing people ever since :D

[brntcrsp]

here's a test one from PocketJam:
http://www.notneb.net/assets/G.wav

[Jason Dunn]

here's a test one from PocketJam:
http://www.notneb.net/assets/G.wav

Not bad, but it still sounds kinda' MIDI-ish, ya know? :wink:

[brntcrsp]

that's the problem when you only have two synths and a drum kit. :D you're limited to only two instruments at the same time. So it essence it is like a limited midi. But it sounds better than the one you posted - also my skill is limited. Real artists could produce something cooler.

[g0097]

I'm very happy that I'm not stuck with the bulk of the mobile phone users who think this sounds cool (http://www.us.ringtones.com/midi.asp?filename=mls-tf-50cent-pimp.MID). Revel in your ringtone glory my fellow Smartphone users! :rock on dude!:

Its ironic that the ringtone you linked to in fact does sound cool to me! LOL I have been playing it for the last five minutes and laughing hysterically!! I totally agree here though...most of the stock ringtones for phones are pretty bad. I have a <will not say "other" brand name hear> phone that does come with pretty good ringtones however...I think....and I also have the ability to add wav files as my ringtone. I wish I could use mp3 files however. Would save me a conversion step.

[kevin0406]

This is being debated in the ring-tone industry right now.

Just because a phone can have an MP3 quality ring, it doesn't mean its the best sound to let you know your phone is ring-ing.

high quality music can be confused with television, radio etc.

[Jason Dunn]

high quality music can be confused with television, radio etc.

Indeed. Which is why the ring tones I created weren't rip-offs of songs or TV shows. ;-) I agree there's something to be said for a "ring" sound that actually sounds like a ring, but by the same token that doesn't mean that you can't create good ring tones with MP3s or WAVs.

[TANKERx]

I never have songs as ringtones because when I did, I missed so many calls not knowing that the song I could hear was the phone.

Our brains are programmed to recognise 'alert' sounds, whether they be beeps, sirens, rings or (as in my case) the Star Trek whistle (always manages to get my attention), but when you can hear a song in the background, the brain isn't trained to that sound with something you need to take attention to (in terms of phone calls).

[David Horn]

I use a WAV of the old style telephones with bell ringers. It's really loud and never gets confused with anything else and sounds good.

What more could you ask for?

[Jason Dunn]

I use a WAV of the old style telephones with bell ringers. It's really loud and never gets confused with anything else and sounds good.

Yeah, I have one of those too - it's retro, and pretty darn cool, because it stands out nicely from all the other ring tones...until everyone starts using it that is. :lol: