Author Topic: Where/how to download other voices for microsoft text-to-speech.  (Read 6630 times)

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Offline SciTech02Topic starter

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Where/how to download other voices for microsoft text-to-speech.
« on: September 14, 2008, 11:32:44 PM »
I currently have 3 default voices on microsoft text-to-speech: microsoft Sam, Mike and Mary.  However, these voices are really mechanical and hard to understand (especialy if you don't know what they're supposed to say).  In various media, I have heard much more natural text-to-speech voices, but when I try to search for other voices, I keep finding ones that you have to pay for.  ???  I figure there has to be more voices available for free download than the ones I mentioned above (I have a seperate desktop pc with Vista that has a voice called microsoft Anna that I can't find anywere on the net). 

So I ask you guys if you know any other voices I can use with microsoft text-to-speech, or websites where I can freely download these said voices.  This is more of a typical windows question, but the software section seemed to best fit the question (windows is software).  Again, any imput will be appreciated.
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Offline Webbot

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Re: Where/how to download other voices for microsoft text-to-speech.
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2008, 01:08:49 PM »
Not sure how to answer that but on a related note .....

I made a text to speech routine on a home computer, later converted it for a PC (but cant find that code). Was thinking about trying to write it for a micro-controller !!

The original wasn't that big. Thought you could either have it in a library that you link in with your own code - or - have a dedicated board that you could send it a String of text via the UART. Latter may be better as its time sensitive so you would have more control on a standalone board. Either way you would need a small amplifier to drive the speaker. You can either send it some plain English text and it speaks it - or you can send it a text string of phonemes with pitch levels so that you can fine tune the output a bit.

And - yes - its very mechanical sounding. But could be fun.  Anyone interested ??

Webbot

PS. I've already got a backlog of tutorials that I'm doing - so it would take me a while
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