Truetone ringtones have revolutionized the world of cell phone ringtones. They are far more versatile and sonically superior to the older polyphonic or monophonic ringtones. Truetone ringtones produce an exact digital replication of any song, or for that matter, any sound you would like to use as a ringtone. Because of their versatile nature, Truetone ringtones are quickly becoming the most popular way to personalize your cell phone.

There are a million ways to customize the humble cell phone, but without a doubt, the most popular way to personalize a phone is to select a custom ringtone that perfectly fits your mood, personality or even your job. Truetone ringtones make this easier than ever before for a variety of reasons, not least of which is their exact digital replication of any music or sound you choose.

So what exactly makes Truetone ringtones different from their earlier counterparts?

Actually, Truetone technology is an entirely different format from earlier monophonic and polyphonic ringtones. Let’s discuss the differences between the different types of ringtones, to give you an idea of why Truetone ringtones are superior to other formats. In the beginning were the humble monophonic ringtones.

These ringtones could produce only one note at a time. Obviously, this produced a very limited and unrealistic reproduction of music or other sounds. But after a few years the polyphonic ringtone was introduced. Polyphonic ringtones were a huge step forward in that they could reproduce many sounds at the same time. For example, many modern polyphonic ringtones can produce 32 or even 64 sounds simultaneously, providing a much more realistic version of a song or other sound effect.

A  Digital Snapshot

But Truetone ringtones work and a completely different way. Think of it like this: a digital camera takes a digital “snapshot” of a scene. This digital snapshot can then be saved as a computer file, edited, e-mailed, or reproduced in a hundred other ways. A Truetone ringtone is similar in that it takes a digital snapshot of sound. This allows a perfect reproduction of music or other sounds which can be edited, e-mailed, downloaded,
uploaded, or generally used in any way you would use any other computer file.

Truetone Ringtones are more versatile

Because of the digital snapshot format that Truetone ringtones provide, they are much more versatile. In fact, they are not simply limited to reproducing music, although they do this very well. They can also reproduce speech or any other sound you throw at them just as easily. This means that your ringtones do not have to be “tones” at all; they could be punch-lines from favorite jokes, a strange sound you heard your pet make, quotes from
movies or TV shows, or pretty much anything else you can imagine.

Because of their wonderful versatility, Truetone ringtones are considered to be the wave of the future in cell phone ringtone technology, and are becoming more and more popular with phone buying consumers every day. And because Truetone ringtones can be any sound at all, it is also possible to create your own customized ringtones from any audio source you
choose.

Truetone Technology

Most new phones include Truetone ringtone technology, allowing you to take advantage of the wide variety of music, quotes and other sound effects currently available as ringtones. And if none of these options perfectly suit your personality or mood, you can simply create your own Truetone ringtones from any audio source you desire.

The cell phone and their various ringtones have become status symbols. Ringtones show that you’re up to date and happening. You can even take a test that defines which ringtone best suits your personality. You can truly display your lifestyle and certainly your musical taste on your sleeve.

This article will describe briefly what ring tones are, what’s currently available and what the future holds. It will also suggest a caveat to consider prior to downloading the multitude of formats of available on the market. Prices are low and the sky’s the limit, so read on.

•  Just What Are Downloadable Ringtones?
•  A Caveat Before You Buy!
•  What’s Available?
• A Brief Glimpse At Ancient History.
• Ringtones – Where Do We Go From Here?

Just What Are Downloadable Ringtones?

Ringtones are the sound that a regular or cell phone makes when it’s rings. Early ring tones were simple chimes and on later models, a combination of chimes. Limited numbers of ringtones were available and mostly consisted of different patterns of tones or chirps. An example of one of the most infamous ringtones was the ominous” ring ring…ring ring” that is reminiscent of Todd Beamer’s last telephone call on 9/11. You can hear that ringtone featured as an intro to Neil Young’s famous song “Let’s Roll.”

Ringtone technology developed quickly and has progressed a lot since that song was recorded. Originally, you purchased a cell phone and had a choice of monophonic ring tones that produced a one note song. The number of songs was extremely limited and downloadable ring tones were simply an Engineering student’s good idea.

Because of lightning speed technology and numerous service providers, one of the latest and greatest features available today is downloadable ringtones. When you’re surfing the ‘Net you’ll find plenty of sites offering tones by today’s hottest musicians; you can pick monophonic, polyphonic or true tone formats. More on that later.

A Caveat Before You Buy!

The first thing you need to know before you select, buy and download a suitable ring tone is if your cell phone is up to date enough to utilize this feature. Like everything else in technology, cell phones have evolved very quickly. As a result the cell phone that you purchased just a year ago may not have the ability to fully access the type of ring tone currently available. So make sure you check. Re-read your manual or call your service provider to find out. It’s possible that you can upgrade your phone for a reasonably low fee.

What’s Available?

Ringtones are divided into three formats.
1. Monophonic
2. Polyphonic
3. True Tone or Real Tone

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.

1) 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.

2) 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.

3) 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.