University of Cincinnati professor develops voice training app for transsexuals
Don’t like the sound of your own voice? A new app developed by a local professor could help you change that.
Vesna Novak, a professor of engineering and computer science at the University of Cincinnati, began her research for TruVox in 2021. At TruVox, users complete exercises to work toward sounding more masculine or feminine.
Anyone can use the voice training app, but its target audience is transgender people and especially trans women.
While trans men often notice a change in their voice after taking testosterone, “estrogen has no effect on the voice of trans women,” Novak said. That can be stressful and even scary. There is debate in the trans community about whether transgender people need to change their voice to conform to public norms. Still, Novak said, it can pose a safety risk.
“You don’t necessarily want to go to the wrong bar and sound like that,” Novak said.
Some transgender people have surgery to change their voice, while others seek singing lessons and therapy. But these options can be expensive. Novak hopes her app can help make voice training more accessible to anyone who wants it, whether they’re transgender or not.
The Enquirer asked Novak about the app and how it works. Read her answers below.
What kind of research was involved in the development of TruVox?
Novak and her team interviewed more than 20 transgender people before developing the app and have since surveyed more than a dozen users.
She also worked with academics who study communication disorders, speech therapists and a psychologist to develop the exercises. Currently, undergraduate engineering and computer science students are working on the rollout of the app, and Novak is also working with academics at New York University as part of a federal grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Can I use the app if I’m not trans?
Yes.
“Everyone should be able to sound the way they want,” Novak said.
Do the app’s exercises target different qualities of the voice, not just pitch?
Yes.
Currently, there are four exercises that target pitch and one that targets volume. The developers are adding a fifth pitch exercise and a second volume exercise soon, and are also working on resonance exercises to be introduced in the fall.
How do you keep people’s attention when they don’t like hearing themselves talk?
The app does not play recordings of your own voice.
Instead, the app uses charts to show users whether they are on the right track.
According to Novak, users tend to like this objective, numbers-based feedback the most.
Are there no videos on the internet about voice training? What’s the difference?
Yes, there are other free resources online to help with voice training. However, they don’t provide the kind of feedback that TruVox does.
“Learning voice from a video is like learning yoga from a video,” Novak said. “You can do the thing, but you have no idea if you’re doing it well.”
How long do people use the app before they notice results?
Some people may see results after just 15 minutes of trying a particular exercise, Novak said.
But generally speaking, she said it will probably take four to five hours to notice a real difference. If you stick to a regimen, you will see better results over time.
People who work with a singing teacher regularly—for example, once a week—can use TruVox as daily homework to reinforce the concepts they cover in one-on-one training.
Is it necessary to open an account? What level of data protection is guaranteed?
You can create an account, but it’s optional. That’s important, Novak said, because some users don’t want people to know they’re trans.
To protect user privacy, the app analyzes voices but never stores that data on the server, Novak said.
Right now, you have to use the internet to use the app, but Novak hopes that in the future, people will be able to download the exercises to a device and use them without having to do a Google search.
Does TruVox use artificial intelligence?
NO.
Early versions of the app used AI-generated sound clips as voice samples, but Novak said users didn’t want to use them as role models because they “didn’t want to sound like a robot.” Now, voice actors provide the sample clips.
Is TruVox free?
Yes.
Which languages are available in TruVox?
The app is only available in English.
How can I use TruVox?
The app is available on the TruVox website.
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