How to Use Clownfish on Discord

Clownfish is a free voice changer that works system-wide on Windows, so it can alter your voice in Discord calls, games, and any other app that uses a microphone. This guide walks you through installing it, setting it up as your Discord input device, and applying voice effects during a call.

What You’ll Need

A Windows PC (Windows 7 through Windows 11)
The Discord desktop app (the browser version does not support custom audio devices reliably)
Clownfish Voice Changer installed – download it only from the official website (clownfish-translator.com)
A working microphone and speakers or headset

Step-by-Step

Install Clownfish. Run the installer you downloaded. Follow the prompts; it will install a virtual audio device called “Clownfish Voice Changer” and add a small fish icon to your system tray (bottom-right corner of your screen).
Restart your PC. This ensures the virtual audio driver is properly loaded. It’s not always required, but it avoids weird audio glitches later.
Open Clownfish. Double-click the fish icon in the system tray. The main window opens with tabs like “Voice”, “Sound”, “Player”, and “Translator”. You don’t need to configure anything here yet – the default settings work fine for basic use.
Open Discord settings. Launch Discord, click the gear icon (User Settings) at the bottom left, then go to Voice & Video.
Set the input device. Under “Input Device”, select Clownfish Voice Changer from the dropdown. If you don’t see it, click the refresh icon next to the dropdown or restart Discord.
Keep the output device as your normal speakers/headset. Leave “Output Device” as your default – Clownfish only changes your mic input, not what you hear.
Test your voice. In Discord’s Voice & Video settings, speak into your mic. You should see the green input bar move. Then click “Let’s Check” (or the mic test button) to hear yourself. If you hear your normal voice, Clownfish isn’t active yet – see the next step.
Enable a voice effect. Open the Clownfish window (click the tray icon). On the “Voice” tab, check the box next to “Enable Voice Changer”. Then choose an effect from the dropdown – for example, “Robot”, “Alien”, “Female”, “Male”, or “Child”. Adjust the “Pitch” slider if you want to fine-tune it.
Test again. Repeat the Discord mic test. You should now hear the modified voice. If not, make sure the input device is still set to Clownfish and that the “Enable Voice Changer” box is checked.
Join a call and use it. Once you’re satisfied, join any voice channel or call. Your voice will be changed for everyone in that call. To turn it off mid-call, just uncheck “Enable Voice Changer” in Clownfish – your voice returns to normal instantly.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to select Clownfish as the input device. Installing it isn’t enough – you must manually pick it in Discord. Many users install, then wonder why nothing changed.
Using the browser version of Discord. The web client often doesn’t expose the Clownfish virtual device. Use the desktop app.
Not enabling the voice changer. Clownfish can be installed and selected, but if the “Enable Voice Changer” checkbox is unchecked, you’ll just hear your normal voice.
Setting the output device to Clownfish. That routes your game/audio through the virtual device, causing delays or no sound. Leave output as your default speakers.
Adjusting pitch too far. Extreme pitch shifts can make your voice robotic or unintelligible. Small adjustments (like +/- 10) sound more natural.

Tips

Use the “Hear yourself” option in Clownfish (a small speaker icon) to preview your voice before joining a call – it saves embarrassing surprises.
Create a hotkey to toggle the effect on/off quickly. In Clownfish, go to “Settings” → “Hotkeys” and assign a key like F6. This is handy for when you need to speak normally mid-call.
Combine effects with the “Pitch” slider for more variety. For example, “Alien” with a high pitch sounds more extraterrestrial.
If your friends say you sound like a robot even when the effect is off, check that “Enable Voice Changer” is unchecked and that the effect is set to “No effect”.
Keep Clownfish updated – older versions may crash with newer Discord updates.

Troubleshooting

Discord doesn’t show Clownfish as an input device. First, restart Discord. If it still doesn’t appear, restart your PC. If that fails, reinstall Clownfish – the virtual driver may not have installed correctly. Also ensure you’re using the 64-bit installer if your Windows is 64-bit.
You can hear yourself but others can’t. Make sure Clownfish is selected as the input device in Discord, not just in Windows sound settings. Also check that Discord’s “Input Mode” is set to “Voice Activity” or that your “Push to Talk” key is working.
Your voice is choppy or cuts out. This usually means the virtual device is overloading. Lower the “Quality” setting in Clownfish (Settings → Audio Quality) or close other apps that use your mic (like game overlays).
Clownfish doesn’t affect games or other apps. Clownfish works system-wide, so it should affect any app that uses your mic. If it doesn’t, make sure the app’s input device is set to “Clownfish Voice Changer” in that app’s own settings – some games have their own audio settings.
Clownfish crashes or freezes. Run it as administrator (right-click the tray icon → Run as administrator). Also check that your audio drivers are up to date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Clownfish free?
Yes, Clownfish Voice Changer is free for personal use. It’s supported by ads, but the core voice-changing features are free.

Will Clownfish work on Mac?
No, Clownfish is Windows-only. Mac users can try alternatives like Voicemod or MorphVOX (both have free versions).

Does Clownfish affect the sound of music or games?
No, it only processes your microphone input. Other audio plays normally through your output device.

Can I use Clownfish with push-to-talk?
Yes, Clownfish works with any Discord input mode. Just set your input device to Clownfish and use Discord’s push-to-talk as usual.

Why does my voice sound robotic even with the effect off?
This happens if the “Enable Voice Changer” box is still checked but the effect is set to something like “Robot”. Uncheck the box or set the effect to “No effect”.

Is Clownfish safe to download?
Yes, if you download it from the official website (clownfish-translator.com). Avoid third-party download sites that may bundle unwanted software.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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