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Ring tone hell


Omen II

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I thought I would share with you one of my (many) pet hates.

Someone at work today had a mobile phone that played Harold Faltermeyer's Axel F theme tune from Beverly Hills Cop. She was away from her desk so we all had to listen to this mid-80's synth classic ad infinitum.

What annoyed me was not the music itself (hec, if you must have a mobile phone, at least have a ring tone from the silver screen) but the fact that the penultimate note was clearly a semitone sharp. Moreover, a straw poll among my work colleagues suggested that the tempo was all wrong too.

Egad! Where do they find these morons to transcribe the classics for mobile phone use? Do they hear things differently from the rest of us? Do they have to change the notes for some reason to avoid re-use fees?

I am yet to hear Johnny's music butchered in this way but fear it is only a matter of time. To paraphrase Homer Simpson, Harold Faltermeyer must be rolling in his grave!

Damien :evil:

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Funny you should mention that. I don't owna cell phone, but if I were ever forced to own one, I would make my ring tone the Imperial March. It would be cool.

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I'm not sure about the royalties but there are some that do not sound anything like the original.

One problem that I've seen is scale of notes that the phones can handle. I don't know what that range is, but I think that it is only C - C or F - F.

For instance, there are some songs that I've heard that the lower notes are an octave higher because the phone can't handle it and the same for notes above it's range. A lot of times this can account for the strange tones that are supposed to sound like something but seem off.

I have the Deep Space Nine theme on my Nokia phone and the very first note is an octave higher than it should, but the following notes are where they should be.

As for the rythyms, maybe the phones are only capable of going so many beats per second, which could make portions of music that are fast, seem slower than what they should, whereas the other sections sound just fine.

I may be talking out of my back side, so someone please correct me if I am wrong.

Oh yeah, the best site for ring tones is Zingy.com

later,

stewdog1 :mrgreen: R.E.M. New Adventures in High Fi

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I am yet to hear Johnny's music butchered in this way but fear it is only a matter of time.

I've heard the Star Wars main titles and the Raider's March on other people's mobile phones, but I can't remember finding anything wrong with the transcriptions - and needless to say, they brought a grin to my face.

Marian - who'd find it cool to have the harmonica theme from Once Upon a Time in the West on his mobile phone, but doesn't think there's any sense in doing this as long as he doesn't have a phone that can play MP3s as ring tones.

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I have the "Imperial March" as my ring tone on my Verizon V-60 phone. I used a program called "The Coding Workshop" which I downloaded off of the internet, and had to pay $20 to register it in order for it to work. What it does, is it transcribes the notes for any piece into what numbers you have to press, and how many times you need to press them to get a certain note, in order to use that piece as your ring tone.

Sound a little confusing? Well it is.

I can sympathize with the women with the "Axel F" theme being out of tempo, because my phone cannot handle really fast tempos, or triplet notes. It only recognizes whole, half, and quarter notes......but not all that well cause my phone apparantly doesn't recognize them AT ALL.

So, I have it.....but it's played at a faster temo, prob. 100% faster than normal.

Most people don't recognize it. I may change it.

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The way people use cell phones pisses me off.

You will never catch me using a cell phone as I drive.

I hope everyone who does that learns an expensive and maybe even physically painful lesson.

People who talk on their cell phones while trying to make a purchase need a special place in hell. I will not give you quality service because you do not deserve it. You deserve rudeness, disrespect, and disdain.

People in a movie theatre should turn them off when they enter the theatre. I paid to see and hear a film, not your personal drama. You will earn my wrath if you do not turn it off. I will not hesitate to tell you to shut up, take it outside, or to be quiet.

People using cell phones in a restaurant will be asked by the waiter/waitress or manager to lower their voice. I do not go to dine and listen in on someone elses conversation.

People in the mall posing using your cell phone, yes we see you, but not the way you think, you are an ass, cell phones are a dime a dozen. Having one doesn't make you special.

All this goes to the fact that in an increasing rude society, cell phones are among the biggest contributor to this rudeness.

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I don't own a cell phone and find them equally anoying. They also disrupt police communications. Palm Pilots are a good substitute.

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In Mexico City, the land-based phone infrastructure used to be extremely inadequate for our needs, so as a result, a major portion of the population had to get cel phones. I'm not talking about New York or Los Angeles numbers here, I'm talking about waaay much more!

Most of their annoying habits have been covered in Joe's post above, but there's one more that I find even more annoying: 10 and 11 year-old children who have their own cel phones! :evil: I mean, I can understand parents giving their 17 year-old daughters a cel phone so that if they're out at night and get a flat tire or something like that, they can call for assistance, but what the hell does a kid need a cel phone for?!?!?!?!?

And their conversations? They just call each other to check say it's cool that they're watching Spiderman on the opening weekend!

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Joe, your post reminded me of the idiots at the theater each time I went to see LOTR, or Harry Potter. Each time, 2 viewings each, without fail. One woman even had the nerve to get pissed when the usher asked her to leave the theater.

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I love your signature IrishCal! Time Bandits...great movie! LOL

Jamesyboy - who needs to see that film again..it's been awhile...

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It my dad's favorite movie, that and Das Boot, and he loves that line. He took me to see it when I was 6 and it stuck with me all these years. To this day he'll watch both movies at least once a month. I don't mind sitting through Time Bandits repeatedly when I visit my parents, but if I never see Das Boot again it will be too soon.

On the subject of ring tones. I heard someone's at the supermarket last week, and it was the opening celeste solo from Hedwig's theme. It sounded right in both tempo and octave.

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Are you anywhere near Fairfield Texas? My brother has that on his cell phone (or used too). That would be some kind of crazy coincidence!

Jamesyboy - who would like to visit Austin for awesome blues music!

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I'm just under 100 miles south-southwest of Fairfield actually.

Austin is the place to be in Texas if you want to listen to just about any kind of live music imaginable. I'm only about 60 miles north of Austin, and I'm down there all the time. The last time I went down for a concert was last summer to see Russell Crowe's band 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, at a small venue. Not a bad band really, the show was very enjoyable.

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You will never catch me using a cell phone as I drive.

I agree with you, in part, on some of your comments except the one above. Yes, it can be considered dangerous (if you allow your concentration to be disrupted) but because of some instances and/or careers (much like my own) talking while driving is not only necessary, but part of the business. There is no way around it.

If you take your eyes off the road, which I do not btw, then you are a hazard and should definately not use the phone while driving. But if you're a professional driver, and do not let it distract you, then I feel as though it isn't a problem.

I run a limousine business, we are CONSTANTLY on the phones checking flight schedules, making sure drivers are in the right spot, quoting prices to customers, calming idiotic and livid customers down........etc.........so therefore, I need to have the phone on 24/7 (except while I'm in the theater. I DO turn it off then.), and there are many many times that I wind up on the phone while driving. It's un-avoidable. And, I feel as though the headsets do more harm than good, they get in my way more than the phone itself. I am always snagging the wire while turning the steering wheel which yanks the piece out of my ear and, more often than not, causing me a small temporary pain. Plus, turning my head to change lanes...etc... does the same. SO, I try not to use them.

Anyway...that's my little piece.

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Using a cell phone "with your hands" while driving is illegal in Austria, for good reason. If you don't want to use a headset, there are those devices that let you put the microphone and speakers into the car so you don't have to "wear" anything. At least 50% of the people I see driving across an intersection at red are using cell phones. Of course, the most stupid thing I've seen was someone on a bicycle holding a cell phone in one hand while driving across an intersection at red...

but what the hell does a kid need a cel phone for?!?!?!?!?

Well, I do understand that. Or rather, I do understand that parents give their children cell phones. Not so they can call their friends all day long (which they're probably likely to do though ;)), but so they can reach each other when it's necessary. If the parents are working, for example, and their child is at school, I can see why they'd feel better knowing they can call each other if something happens.

Marian - who doesn't have a problem with cell phones but rather the way many people use them. ;)

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but what the hell does a kid need a cel phone for?!?!?!?!?

Well, I do understand that. Or rather, I do understand that parents give their children cell phones. Not so they can call their friends all day long (which they're probably likely to do though :P), but so they can reach each other when it's necessary. If the parents are working, for example, and their child is at school, I can see why they'd feel better knowing they can call each other if something happens.

That's why I agree about the older teenagers, who are already going out on their own, unsupervised. But IMHO, a smaller kid shouldn't be out unsupervised. In school, you have supervision from teachers and school officials, who have all the necessary contact phones for the parents; if anything should happen it's even better if they are the ones to call, since they can give more reliable information. Also, if kids feel the need to call their parents, they can always go to the office and be allowed to.

Marian - who doesn't have a problem with cell phones but rather the way many people use them. ;)

Now on this I think we can all agree! ;) Cell phones are useful tools, but there's just no discipline in their use.

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More gifts to get Ren,

An HK faceplate, a HK waffle iron, an HK shot glass,

hmm...what next.. ;)

maybe HK unmentionables ;) J/k! J/k!

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I am yet to hear Johnny's music butchered in this way but fear it is only a matter of time.

I've heard the Star Wars main titles and the Raider's March on other people's mobile phones, but I can't remember finding anything wrong with the transcriptions - and needless to say, they brought a grin to my face.

Marian - who'd find it cool to have the harmonica theme from Once Upon a Time in the West on his mobile phone, but doesn't think there's any sense in doing this as long as he doesn't have a phone that can play MP3s as ring tones.

In another thread I told you that there is a radio ad here for Nokia that uses the Star wars main theme. You hear the theme, the girl picks up the phone and then asks, please can you phone again (just to be able to hear her nice polyphonic ringtone again). That is is done three times and everytime you har the Star Wars theme. Really cool, and I would buy a Nokia just because of that!

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I have the Harry Potter theme on my phone. I use Nokia Composer to make it, sometimes with help of free sites that have the notes posted, instaed of paying some site to send it. I'm planning on changing it to "Across the Stars!" By the way, the piano sheet music is out now and the book too.

Book contents include Across the stars, Arena, Duel of Fates (again), meadow picnic, and Star Wars main theme, and something else but I can't remember off the top of my head.....

book has the Drew STruzan cover.

Here's some cell phone anecdotes.

1) I was sitting in a restaurant when I saw this guy outside on a park bench talking to himself then i saw him yelling and getting angrier, pounding his fist onto the bench. I thought he was a schizo, Then he turned his head, and I saw that he had one of those hands-free headsets on his head.

2) One guy even used his cell to call when he was in the public restroom.

Suddenly, he says: Hey how's it going? The guy in teh next covered stall was surprised thinking this guy was talking to him; he was going to answer: "I'm taking a piss." But the first guy kept going on talking the conversation....on the cell to his girlfriend on the toilet.....

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