Feedback on my voices

[eternal flax]

Please give feedback on the voices I can do

[sharp sedge]

I’ll focus on the first two since I can’t comment meaningfully on the third.

First off, it’s clear you have control over your voice. The ‘nerd’ is nasally and awkward, and the ‘warrior’ has the rough, gravelly tone you’d expect—both sound technically solid. They also seem like something you could keep doing for a while without any strain. All in all, as voices, these seem perfectly functional. The issue, though, is that they don’t really go beyond just sounding a certain way.

That said, they feel hollow.

For the ‘nerd’, yeah, you’ve got the voice, but what’s he actually feeling when he speaks? Is he frustrated? Nervous? That’s where the character comes from. Without that, it’s just a “nerd” voice, not an actual person.

With the ‘warrior’ you have something much stronger, in that it feels like you have some personal investment in the scene., the gravelly voice works, but it feels like you’re just playing the part without the deeper motivation. A warrior doesn’t just yell “I fight for my HONOR!”—there’s more going on. What’s driving him? What’s at stake for him? That’s what’s going to give the voice some weight. Is it pride, shame, revenge? That’s the kind of detail that will make the character pop.

TL;DR: Right now, you're focused on surface-level traits. In future, try rooting your reads in genuine emotion and personal stakes, lest you risk sounding hollow and uninspired.

[eternal flax]

So would you say the “nerd” voice is rather monotonous?

[eternal flax]

I’m not quite sure what you mean when you want me to add a driving factor to the voice

[sharp sedge]

It’s not necessarily monotonous, but it does lack variation in terms of emotional delivery. The voice has the "nerd" quality, but there's not enough variation in pitch, tone, or pacing to make it feel alive. It feels flat because it lacks emotional nuance. I wouldn’t describe it as fully monotonous, but it doesn’t show the depth of frustration, awkwardness, or any emotional undercurrent that could make it feel more real. More fluctuation in tone could help.

[sharp sedge]

When I mention a "driving factor," I’m referring to the emotional depth behind the character's motivation. Instead of just yelling a line, think about why this warrior is fighting. What’s pushing them? Are they fighting for honor because they feel a sense of duty? Or perhaps they have a personal vendetta? Without a deeper emotional connection, the line feels more like a surface-level shout. In both cases, I think the confusion is stemming from the fact that you're assuming there's an issue with your sound, with the 'voice'. That part's fine. But without the acting to ground it, it lacks depth.

[eternal flax]

I see

[white anvil]

Oh lawdy! Umm... @eternal flax.... are you aware that you are now level 1? You're getting closer to... um.....
.................

[eternal flax]

Thanks Mr Ellis
If I was to attempt more voice lines following your feedback, would it be fine if I pinged you to them?

[sharp sedge]

You can, but there's really no need to. I check these forums pretty often. If anything jumps out at me, I'll give my two cents eventually.

[eternal flax]

Oh yeah
How come you couldn’t comment on the Japanese one?

[sharp sedge]

I just don't feel comfortable commenting on a performance in a languange I don't speak. I just don't know enough about it to be like "this works, this doesn't" the way I can with an English read.

[eternal flax]

This was before your feedback but I wonder if you think it’s got that factor you talked about