Loud and Clear Panel Review
Review updated:
Loud and Clear is an app aimed at helping strengthen the voice through daily speech exercises. Reviewers liked how easy it was to use and enjoyed tracking their progress. However there were issues with the voice monitoring and some found the vocal exercises repetitive.
Highs
- Easy to set up and use
- Can track your progress
- Free
Lows
- Voice monitoring levels were inconsistent
- Exercises felt repetitive to some
Meet our Review Panel
The 5 reviewers in our review panel were asked to test out Loud and Clear for 4 weeks before sharing their feedback with us. Loud and Clear also provides physical exercises curated by physical therapists. Some of the reviewers also tried the exercise function, however, this panel review focuses on the voice training.
Tech confidence rating: Ranges from fairly unconfident to very confident
Location: The 5 reviewers are located in Dorset, East Sussex, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and West Midlands.
Gender
- Men: 3
- Women: 3
Age range
Years since diagnosis
Backkground
Loud and Clear is an app aimed at helping people with Parkinson’s strengthen their voices through daily speech and movement exercises.
It was created by Steven Darroh, an American speech pathologist based in Texas.
Seven told the Tech Guide: “The idea came from seeing how effective voice therapy is for people with Parkinson’s but noticing that a majority of people lose their hard-earned vocal gains once therapy ends. So I built this as a supplement.”
Loud and Clear is currently available in 195 countries and is free to download and use. The company is registered as a non-profit organisation in the USA.
“It’s all free because we wanted to remove every external barrier possible,” Steven added.
First impressions
Loud and Clear can be used on either a smartphone or a tablet. The first time you use the app, you’ll need to create an account with a username and email address. One reviewer commented how pleased they were about the “minimal” information required to get started.
When using the app for the first time, all six reviewers said the instructions were “very clear” and set up was “easy”.
One reviewer said the app was “straightforward” and “user-friendly”, while another called it “intuitive”.
I found the screen looked occasionally cluttered.
“It’s a pretty basic application so therefore needs nothing fancy to get one going for the first time,” a 64-year-old reviewer said.
Most reviewers found the app was easy to read and accessible. “The text is quite large and it uses a plain font. The dark blue on white was easy to read and it’s well spaced,” said a 68-year-old reviewer.
However, they also said that some screens were “cluttered”. “These were awkward to read as I have my iPhone on larger text, so the app data overlapped text ran over to the next line.”
This experience was shared by another: “I found the screen looked occasionally cluttered with the use of different sized fonts and busy looking windows.”
Daily use
The app offers vocal warm-ups that help you to increase your volume and modulate your pitch, followed by more everyday speech practice.
The goal of the app is to help you regain the volume of your voice, and speak more confidently. All the reviewers have difficulty communicating, particularly with the volume and clarity of their speech.
The voice exercises
Loud and Clear also provides physical exercises curated by physical therapists. Some of the reviewers also tried the exercise function but this panel review focuses on the voice training.
The exercises are called Voice Builders in the app and each session takes 5 minutes to complete. All the Voice Builders include a warm up and then a series of exercises to complete such as reciting tongue twisters, completing common phrases and telling jokes.
Most of the reviewers liked the Voice Builder exercises. One commented on how “very easy” it was to integrate into their daily life. “It only [takes] a few minutes at a time.”
However, two reviewers were not a fan of the exercises. They found them “annoying” and “repetitive”.
One of them told us: “The concept is great, but some of the exercises were either boring or annoying like reading irritating jokes that weren’t funny, or completing sayings.”
The other reviewer, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 13 years ago, said: “The exercises became repetitive very quickly. More variety and more realistic conversational exercises would help.”
This reviewer felt that the sessions seemed random and the feedback given after each exercise was too general.
“The exercises [were] lacking in meaningful feedback. There was… no clear rhyme and reason to the methodology implemented by the app. I was making noise for the sake of making noise.”
A reviewer who can no longer speak publicly for work because their voice has deteriorated in both volume and quality, said the app should try to be more inclusive of users outside of America.
“It really does need a thorough overhaul to make it appeal to a UK audience. The American accents are quite raw in the content. Though friendly and approachable, it’s very much geared towards the American market.”
You can also join a weekly voice class with founder Steven on Fridays. The sessions take place on Zoom and are recorded if you can’t join live.
The same reviewer above watched a selection of the recordings, but “felt a bit out of place” as the classes “were clearly aimed at an American audience”.
Voice level monitoring
When doing an exercise, a voice level monitor provides visual feedback on whether your voice is ‘too loud’, ‘too soft’ or ‘in the zone’. If the app indicates that you’re speaking too softly, it asks if you’d like to try the exercise again.
Four out of the six reviewers in the panel had issues with this part of the app.
One reviewer who is also completing NHS speech therapy said: “My main gripe involves the voice level monitor recording my voice level during exercises. I was often aware that my voice level was well in the range of acceptability and yet the program application recorded otherwise and this resulted in occasional poor results.”
Another reviewer found the monitor inconsistent. “The accuracy of this varied from session to session. Some days the app required many repetitions and in the end I was shouting so loudly that family members could hear me. Other days at the same volume the app accepted the volume level.
Tracking and Rewards
The app tracks your progress. You can see your longest streaks, and time spent training your voice.
Most of the reviewers liked these features calling them “motivational” and “useful”. One reviewer said: “I do like to track my progress in whatever form of exercise I take. It’s helpful for comparison purposes and to judge progress and improvement or decline over time. And it’s a good memory jogger of where I am in the overall scheme of things.”
However one reviewer did not like the tracking oor the streak records. They said: “I understand why this feature exists, but I did not find it especially meaningful or helpful. Spending more time on the app did not mean that my speech was improving. There was no direct, measurable correlation between [them]. At times it felt more like the app was rewarding participation rather than genuine progress.
They continued: “Most importantly, I think people with Parkinson’s need feedback that feels meaningful and specific, rather than generic praise for simply completing exercises.”
Value
Loud and Clear is free to download and use. All but one reviewer felt the app was good value and worth trying.
A reviewer who has problems maintaining voice volume said: “It’s extremely good value for anyone who has difficulties in speaking and enunciating clearly.”
Another reviewer added: "It is free, effective, and convenient so very good value.”
This sentiment was shared by another reviewer who said: “It’s free and it has the potential to do good. What more can I say?”
When asked how satisfied they were with the app and how likely they would recommend it to someone else with Parkinson’s the responses were very mixed.
There were two reviewers who were unsatisfied with Loud and Clear and said they wouldn’t recommend it.
For one of them, their main issue was that they found the voice exercises too boring. “It’s a pity because I love the concept and there was so much additional information and related tasks. However as I hadn’t enjoyed the speech element I wasn’t interested in the rest.”
It’s a useful mobile, use-anywhere application to allow Parkinson’s sufferers to help themselves in restoring or maintaining their voice levels.
The other reviewer who didn’t get on well with the app said: “Personally, I found it disappointing. I found the entire experience very tedious and underwhelming. There is potential there, but a lot of work needs to be done to improve the present version of the Loud and Clear app.”
The remaining four reviewers were very positive about the app and said they were very likely to recommend it.
The reviewer who is also doing NHS speech therapy said: “I now have a mobile option to help strengthen my voice levels while I’m on the go as well as being at home.
“Overall, it did what it said on the tin. It’s a useful mobile, use-anywhere application to allow Parkinson’s sufferers to help themselves in restoring or maintaining their voice levels.”
A reviewer who struggles with a weak, quiet voice, said “It makes me think about projecting my voice.”
Another reviewer added: “The app would be very valuable for someone who is struggling with voice strength and volume.”