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DEL.ICIO.USMy Ring-a-ling
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Everyone has a cellphone and everyone has an annoying ringtone and wants more.
If you want to contribute more of your hard-earned funds to Sprint, Verizon or whoever’s got your business, you can download endless annoying ringtones for a small fee.
Geekboy downloaded one from Sprint, the pleasing sound of crickets chirping. It is unique enough that I can detect its plaintive wail across a busy newsroom packed with reporters and editors watching Boston College barely escape Pacific in the NCAA tournament.
But paying for ringtones can get expensive, especially if you are like some of my friends who like to have a different ringtone for everyone on their speed dial.
If you like paying for ringtones, stop reading now.
If you want to experiment a bit with creating your own ringtones for free, keep reading. Be warned that the techniques we will be using to stuff your phone full of annoying new sounds may melt something, but I have uploaded a few dozen on several different Sprint phones and have yet to experience a problem. This may not work on non-Sprint cellphones. And of course, your phone has to be able to receive messages. Almost all phones are “web-enabled” now, so this should not pose much of a hurdle.
DISCLAIMER: If your phone quits working, it is your fault, not Geekboy’s.
If you know how to edit sound files on your computer, you are way ahead of the game. If you don’t, I will be writing a basic primer next Monday.
For the more adventurous type, let’s delve ahead.
Step One: Obtain a sound file
It is easy to find sound files. Search the web or obtain an MP3 of your favorite tune. You probably want something that doesn’t have vocals or a lot of bass in it. Cellphone speakers are not designed to pump out a lot of bass, and forcing them to will turn them into dust.
Step Two: Obtain sound editing software
For Windows, there are a lot of free sound editing programs out there. If you know of a free Apple sound editor let me know so I can post a link here.
For Windows, we will be using Wavepad. It is a great piece of software and the non-pro version is not only free, but devoid of ads and spyware.
Once you fire up Wavepad, go to FILE and open the sound file obtained in Step One.
You should see the entire sound file loaded — the wavy green blob is a visual representation of what you hear. We want to make the sound file 29 seconds long, since that is the length of time before most voice mail kicks in. I will be telling you how to do this step by step next week, but the more astute among you can probably wing it.
After you have trimmed the file to 29 seconds, you need to run it through a high-pass filter, which allows only treble to pass through, thus removing much of the bass. As mentioned earlier, a thumping soundtrack will destroy your cellphone speaker.
Select the entire wave and go to EFFECTS and choose HIGH PASS filter. A box will show up with a number in it. Change this number to 160 and press OK. Much of the bass has been removed.
Next, we want to make the sound file loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to pulverize the cellphone speaker.
Select the entire wave again and go to EFFECTS and choose NORMALIZE and punch in 80. Click OK and this will either reduce or increase the overall volume.
We are done editing the ringtone, so let’s save it.
Go to FILE and then SAVE AS. You want to save it as a WAV file at 8khz 16-bit mono. Make sure this is done correctly or the next step will not work.
You want to name the file something short with no spaces, I named mine “rt_tmbg.wav” because my ringtone is the the first few seconds of “Don’t Lets Start” by They Might Be Giants. I used the first few seconds and created a 29-second loop, which I will show you how to do Monday.
Step Three: Convert to ringtone format
Sprint ringtones are saved in a proprietary format with a “qcp” extension. You can think of a qcp as being a variant of an MP3.
To convert your ringtone you need another free piece of software, PVConverter.
Once you install PVConverter, open the folder you installed it to in Windows Explorer. Now, take the sound file you want to convert and drag it over the “PVConv.exe” icon, and it will automatically create the qcp file.
If the program itself pops up, simple choose “SAVE AS” and you should see the new qcp file show up in the folder.
Step Four: Upload the ringtone to your phone
This part is easy thanks to fellow geek Tyler Akins of Minnesota, who created an upload site. He created the site after his wife got a cellphone and wanted more ringtones. She, of course, has never used it, but you can! The site can be used to upload ringtones, images, games, and screensavers, but I have only fiddled with ringtones. Tyler assures me everything works though.
GEEKSPEAK: A true geek can create something magical with nothing, and for a time, Tyler was running the site on a 90mhz server stashed under his mother-in-law’s stairwell. The server was running Debian linux, Apache and PHP. He’s recently upgraded to a 500mhz machine, but is still pirating his mother-in-law’s DSL line. Good job Tyler!
Tyler’s site is pretty self-explanatory. Just put your phone number in the “SEND TO” field and fill in the other blanks. Click “browse” to find the qcp file you created and then click UPLOAD.
Wait a few seconds and your phone should sound an alarm indicating you have received a message.
The phone will warn you that the message is not “trusted” but feel free to ignore that.
What messages you see next will depend on your phone, but you should be able to figure out how to use the sound file as a ringtone. You are a Geekboy reader after all.
Next week: How to use Wavepad to create the perfect ringtone!
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Jeff
March 17, 2006 09:22 AM | Link to this
Geekboy,
Another software program that can be used for a small, one-time fee, is www.xingtone.com.
It seems a bit easier than what you posted, but it is not free. However, it does allow you to use any CD/DVD in your collection to custom make your own ringtones. The fee is well worth it!
By ENOUGH!!
March 17, 2006 10:35 AM | Link to this
The only thing more annoying than listening to some moron spout off on their cell phone in a public place, as if everyone else is interested, is hearing the stupid things people program as ring tones. Do they really think people are impressed? Yeah, we are all really impressed when someone calls you, and “In Da Club” starts playing. WOW, you are so cool! Put your phone on vibrate…no one cares.
Oh..and by the way, if you are going to use those infernal Nextel walkie talkies in public, turn down that freaking nerve rattling tone that sounds before every transmission!! Worse than nails on a chalkboard. Really….what is the benefit of talking to someone on a walkie talkie??? Are you so lazy that you don’t want to hold the phone to your ear?? Someone please explain this to me……and don’t tell me it’s because these “calls” are unlimited. Show some common decency, even if it costs you an extra penny or two.
I reckon these people are the same ones who feel the need to roll down their windows in traffic and turn their radio all the way up. “Hey, look at me…I’m a moron!!”
By Geekboy
March 17, 2006 02:07 PM | Link to this
Jeff, that does sound interesting, but I think it’s cool that people can actually make ringtones for free. Sure, it takes a little more time but it is fun … for some people. The less geeky will probably prefer a less complicated path.
And to whoever “Enough” is, I agree with you. People seem to forget the good manners their momma taught them when using cellphones.
By Deal
March 17, 2006 05:38 PM | Link to this
Well if you are at all familiar with Ableton Live which is a hybrid music program you can break a song down and transfer via Bluetooth. Its not free b/c it is a professional music program, just the way I make my ringtones.
By dan ham
March 20, 2006 09:00 AM | Link to this
people can also check out mobile17.com
it’s an easy service for creating your own ringtones with songs on your computer (and wallpapers with pictures on your computer). you can either choose to use it for free and wait in line behind all the other free users, or pay a small fee and have it sent to your phone instantly.