(covers information from several alternate timelines)
The computer voice was an audio interface program designed to allow computers to express information verbally. Many space-faring cultures, such as the United Federation of Planets, the Romulan Star Empire and the Cardassian Union, equipped their computers with this feature.
200,000 years ago the Iconians equipped a facility launching Iconian probes on Iconia with a female computer voice. (TNG: "Contagion")
Starfleet starships utilized computer voices by 2256, a feature which continued to be used throughout the 23rd and 24th century. (DIS: "The Vulcan Hello"; TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")
Kirk reacting to the reprogrammed computer voice
The computer voice of the USS Enterprise was reprogrammed in 2267 on Cygnet XIV, with the intent of giving it a less mechanized personality. The resulting modifications caused the computer to address James T. Kirk in an increasingly amorous manner, as well as giggle. This modification was short-lived. (TOS: "Tomorrow is Yesterday")
While most Starfleet computers utilized female voices, the M-5 multitronic unit in 2268 had a male voice. (TOS: "The Ultimate Computer")
In the alternate reality, the USS Vengeance had a male computer voice. (Star Trek Into Darkness)
In the mirror universe, the ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701) had a male computer voice. (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror")
After Bynar modifications to the USS Enterprise-D in 2364, the starship's computer for a short time used both the usual female and a male voice. (TNG: "11001001")
Starfleet environmental suits were also equipped with a computer voice. (Star Trek: First Contact; VOY: "Day of Honor")
The 32nd century starship, owned by Cleveland Booker, had a male computer voice. (DIS: "That Hope Is You, Part 1")
Contents
Appendices
Background information
The original computer voice
The computer voice on most Federation starship and fixed installation computers was portrayed by Majel Barrett-Roddenberry since the early days of the original series (first appearing in "Mudd's Women"). The computer voice in TOS and TAS was very rhythmic and mechanical.
Following the original series, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry continued to play Starfleet computers; however, it became a far more normal-sounding female voice. She continued the role on TNG (with the exception of some early episodes), DS9, VOY, and ENT. There is only a single word spoken by a computer voice in the entire run of Star Trek: Enterprise, which is when Majel Barrett's computer voice of the USS Defiant twice states, "Working..." in the episode "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II".
She further provided the computer voice in all of the TNG films, through the alternate reality reboot film Star Trek. This 2009 contribution was her final performance both as the computer voice and in a Star Trek project before her death.
Additional computer voice performers
- Barbara Babcock, Beta 5 computer (TOS: "Assignment: Earth")
- Harve Bennett, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) flight recorder (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)
- Kay Bess, La Sirena (Star Trek: Picard)
- Ursula Burton (ENT: "Terra Prime")
- Roxann Biggs-Dawson
- Cardassian ATR-4107, reprogrammed (VOY: "Dreadnought")
- Automated repair station (ENT: "Dead Stop")
- Eugene Cordero, Sam Rutherford's cybernetic implant (LD: "Veritas")
- Judi Durand
- Frank Force (pseudonym for Leonard Nimoy), USS Excelsior turbolift (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)
- Jenette Goldstein, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) (ST: "Q&A")
- Julianne Grossman, USS Discovery (DIS: "Context Is for Kings" onward)
- Bill Hader, USS Vengeance (Star Trek Into Darkness)
- Doug Hale, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) refit (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
- Jessica McKenna
- USS Cerritos (Star Trek: Lower Decks)
- Sam Rutherford's cybernetic implant (LD: "Moist Vessel")
- Nichelle Nichols (TAS: "The Lorelei Signal", "The Infinite Vulcan")
- Loretta Shinosky, USS Cabot (ST: "The Trouble with Edward")
- Fabio Tassone, Booker's ship (DIS: "That Hope Is You, Part 1")
- Kirk Thatcher, Vulcan memory test (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
- Tasia Valenza
- Teresa E. Victor, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)
- Marcy Vosburgh (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
- Annabelle Wallis, USS Discovery's artificial intelligence, Zora (ST: "Calypso"; DIS: "Forget Me Not")
- Colette Whitaker, Starbase 28 (ST: "Ask Not")
- John Winston, ISS Enterprise (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror")
- Lynnanne Zager, Jellyfish (Star Trek)
In addition to the names above, several unknown performers provided voices for various other computer systems, including:
- Unknown actor
- Bajoran transport (DS9: "A Man Alone")
- Cardassian ATR-4107, original (VOY: "Dreadnought")
- USS Enterprise-D (TNG: "11001001")
- Haakona (TNG: "Contagion")
- Relva VII outpost (TNG: "Coming of Age")
- Starbase 173 (TNG: "The Measure Of A Man")
- Unknown actress
- Age-gauging device (PIC: "The Impossible Box")
- Baran's mercenary vessel (TNG: "Gambit, Part I", "Gambit, Part II")
- USS Cerritos, holodeck simulation (LD: "Crisis Point")
- Iconian gateway (TNG: "Contagion")
- Relva VII outpost test computer (TNG: "Coming of Age")
Trivia
When Google first developed voice technology in real life, they named it "Majel" in honor of Majel Barrett. (AT: "Context Is for Kings")
Apocrypha
In many of Activision's video game releases, Judi Durand voiced the Federation computer voice.
In the Star Trek: Legacies novel Captain to Captain, Captain Una is momentarily distracted by hearing the Enterprise's computer voice after many years, which was modeled after her own.
