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Ringtones Explained - Monophonic, Polyphonic or Whatever Phonic Rings Your Bell Downloadable Ring tones - The Latest Trend
To understand this type of technology, a person needs to have a physics/mathematics background and understand musical composition. Luckily, all that is needed to know is what types of ringtones are available and what they sound like. The following is a description of three types of ringtones, monophonic, polyphonic and true tone. Most websites offer samples of each and once you hear an example, you’ll know what type you’ll want to use on your cell phone. A) Monophonic Ringtones Some of the first cell phones came equipped with the capability of having a one tone ringer. “Monophonic” is the simplest of ring tone technology that uses a midi format. This “one note wonder” changed ringtones. Gone were the chirps and chimes; now you could play a song. A monophonic ringtone is single notes playing a song. You can recognize your favorite song but it sounds a little lame. Most monophonic tones are offered free of charge because of more full bodied tones now available, but if you’re trying to make a statement, however, read on. B) Polyphonic Ringtones Polyphonic ring tones also use midi technology but the tonal quality is richer and has more depth. This is because polyphonic ringtones can play up to 40 notes or more. A quick example is the sound produced when Windows XP® starts up. It reproduces the sound of an orchestra playing a note rather than one instrument playing the same note. Polyphonic with its richer tonal quality sounds better than monophonic but when compared to MP3 quality it sounds pretty weak. Midi format may be adequate for basic ringers and great for greeting cards but if it’s real sound that you want for your cell phone, keep reading. C) Truetone And Mp3’s The future of sound for ringtones seems to be hifi quality. The real tone or true tone ringtones that can be downloaded onto your cell phone are equivalent to an MP3 player quality and sounds a little like an iPod. True tone technology will allow the user to hear recorded voices such as Austin Powers announcing “You’re phone is ringing, baby, yeah”. This recording is so convincing that people will be looking for Mike Myers. Songs like Outkast’s “Hey Ya” and the Starsky and Hutch theme song are downloadable as well. With a built in microphone you can record your own or someone else’s voice. True tone ringtones will even mimic a real old fashioned telephone ring. How’s that for retro? A Brief Glimpse At Ancient History In the almost ancient past, cell phones came with one ringer and no features at all. Wall paper was something that decorated your home and SMS was unheard of. Cell phones were big and cumbersome and used only by the elite or as marketing gurus put it, “Early Adopters.” Very few people owned cell phones because of the size and expense. Digital technology changed all. All of a sudden a lot of people were buying and using cell phones. This was confusing because every time a phone rang, everyone in the room started to rummage through their bags and pockets to answer it. A unique sound was the answer and that is how ring tones of every description came into being. Ringtones – Where Do We Go From Here? Some technical websites declare that the cell phone of tomorrow will replace the MP3 player of today. This will be possible once a dual use battery is invented that can hold a sufficiently long enough charge. The power would last more than a few hours and be easily recharged. The “techies” declare that memory capabilities must be enhanced so that the user can download and store hundreds of thousands of songs. This isn’t that far off, in fact an MP3 player being replaced by a cell phone is considered possible within 5 years according to most technical websites. Other Products Available On Ringtone Websites Sound mixers and Recordable Devices A 2002 Motorola cell phone came with an audio mixer that could harness the hundreds of musical instruments in a midi format. This cell phone has greatly evolved and allows you to program special effects. Effects include echo and reverb to name just a couple. You can program your own ringtone, download it onto your phone and then enhance it with the above hifi effects. Wall paper and Logos Many cell phones are used to connect to the Internet and also do double duty as palm pilots. This has necessitated a larger screen and with that you need special wall paper. You can choose from a multitude of assortments. Your favorite logos are also downloadable. Logos of every sports team are available. Java Games Whether you’re waiting for the dentist or the bus, passing the time is far quicker by playing a computer game. Java games are available from the same websites that offer huge assortments of wallpaper and ringtones. Google the word Java Game or Gamer and there’s lots of websites sites to choose. SMS (Short Message Service) ICQ (I Seek You) was the pioneer of the SMS technology and still remains on the cutting edge of SMS technology. ICQ is pretty advanced and still progressing. It offers the availability of staying in real time communication and allows a large address book. As part of the ICQ community, there are message boards, chat rooms and user lists available. ICQ also offer unique ringtones as well. SMS Google is catching up quickly and now provides the user with the option of text messaging a query directly to its web site using a cell phone. What Can You Say About Ringtones So there you have it, what can you say about ringtones? It seems in today’s wireless world and with cutting edge technology, quite a.bit. Gone are the days where a single bell chime or as Lily Tomlin put it so well: “one ringy dingy, two ringy dingy” had to sound to get your attention. Today the choices are endless so shop around for what suits you best in your own unique ringtone. Stay in touch! About the AuthorLillian Fuller is a talented freelance writer providing tips about free cell phones, cell phone plans and cell phone ringtones.
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