Reader Question on Character Voices: "What do the OCs sound like?" · 7:22am Sep 8th, 2016
Yesterday, a reader named Starlight Nova asked me the following question:
If the main OCs in The Iron Horse: Everything's Better With Robots! were voiced, what would they sound like?
Being a fan of voice acting and animation and all that, I have in fact considered such a question a lot! 
Part my process of writing the characters is having a sense of their voices and mannerisms. So, if you're curious about what the characters roughly sound like - at least to me - then check below the break and find out my response to Starlight Nova!
Again, since there is no official casting, take this as merely MY interpretation. You're free to hear any voice that you like.
I've stated before that Turing Test sounds like the vocaloid Avanna, especially as she's heard in the song "Sad Machine" by Porter Robinson, which I consider to be Turing Test's unofficial theme song.
Gadget has a voice that is less distinct in my head. But since she's younger and kind of geeky, probably something like Connie from Steven Universe.
Umahara is based on Grant Imahara, so he'd sound like him.
Blue Blazer is very chipper. She's enthusiastic and tends to emphasize words when she speaks. I think she'd sound a bit like Lindsey Naegle from The Simpsons. (Sorry for the long video; this was literally the only video I could find with a decent amount of her talking.)
Interesting note: My illustrator, Greenfinger, thinks she sounds like Carol Channing (or at least a bad impression of her). I have no idea why. 
Grace has a beautiful, feminine voice, and she's fond of teasing and toying with her victims before showing her cruel, merciless side. It was hard for me to pick an example of what I mean, but a pretty good idea would be Alexis Tipton's role as Kurumi in the anime Date a Live.
Her speech mannerisms are based off of the monstrous character Double from the game Skullgirls.
Link here with her lines at starting at 2:06.
Glory sounds a lot like Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor. Deep, confident, sinister. Though he's more at home with his physical side, he's not an idiot. He just knows what he's best at and defers to Grace, because he's utterly devoted to her as her "knight":
Vanderbull... well, he's gruff, slightly pompous, with a deep voice. I can't really find a sample that matches what I hear in my head. The closest I can think of is Mr. Herriman from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, but less pompous and without the faux-British accent. I did find at least one appropriate clip, though...
Choco Mint is smarmy and lays it on pretty thick when he's trying to charm someone, almost to the point of being insufferable. He's actually a nice guy, but it doesn't come out much in this particular story. Only one voice I can hear for that - Handsome Jack from the Borderlands series:
Unit 004, someone has suggested, might sound like one of the Cybermen from Doctor Who. Close, but he's less like the David Tennant era, and more like this:
Unit 002 has a decidedly less "cute" voice than her younger sister. You'll see more of her later, but part of what makes Umahara dislike talking to her is that her voice isn't as refined. Someone suggested Orianna from League of Legends would be a good voice for Turing, but I actually think it fits 002 to a tee!
Let me know if there's anyone else who you're curious about!
when i first read your story i imagined turing test sounding like this
Turing test = Hnngh...
Also... will Turing ever modify herself to at least look more like a pony by replacing her 'grill' mouth with a proper mechanical pony equivalent?
Uhh...sorry if I destroyed your vision, but from the beginning of the story, I've heard Turing Test as...well...what I'm more familier with...
4198464 Ooh, if she sounded like that, I'm not sure anypony could spend more than five minutes with her.
4198491 It's possible Turing could upgrade herself, but keep in mind that "more realistic" isn't always a good thing with robots. They have certain robots that can "talk" similarly to humans, but the uncanny valley effect is strong (i.e. they're super creepy). So, if she did, she'd probably test it to see if it worked or just scared the hell out of everypony else.
4198579 The turrets aren't too far off either, but Turing isn't quite so sing-songy as that. A lot of folks have commented that they hear GlaDOS from Portal as well, but that's a bit too dry to me. Still, like I said, there is no official voice cast or anything, so she can sound like whatever you wish.
4198649 yeah but it is better than microsoft sam
Now I really want to hear Coco Mint do the Buttstallion line for some reason xD
Also, really awesome voices for all your characters :3
From his first appearance, I imagined Vanderbull being voiced by DrWolf.
i always heard turing with aya's voice
https://youtu.be/JdBToUvmPfk
I approve your choice for Unit 004
4198659 That would be a funny choice
vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/halo/images/8/89/Arby_n_the_Chief_logo.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110507104926&path-prefix=it
static2.fjcdn.com/comments/It+r+tiem+2+dai+tod+_b978846c8797ac45970c4d86b27d8099.jpg