TTS plugin - change the voice

nonstopradio · July 02, 2014, 01:37:09 AM

Hi all,

does anybody know, how to switch the TTS plugin to another voice than Microsoft Sam? I have installed in my computer the Czech voice, I can use it in another software for TTS, I made this voice also default for my computer but I see in RadioDJ TTS plugin only the Microsoft Sam voice. Where can I made some setting to change it? Is it the reason that my Czech voice runs as SAPI5? Do I need a SAPI4 voice?

Thank you very much in advance!

Jan

Marius · July 02, 2014, 08:17:42 AM

But, do you see the new voice in the voices list of TTS plugin?

On a forum a similar question was asked and this is the response:

QuoteIt's definitely not related to SAPI version--the most likely problem here is that a voice vendor (in this case Acapela) has to explicitly implement support for certain System.Speech features. It's possible that the Acapela voices that you have support everything that is required, but it's also possible that they don't. Your best bet would be to ask the Acapela Group directly.

Is there somewhere a downloadable demo for that voice, so i can test it?

Compdoggie · July 02, 2014, 03:55:31 PM

There has been a running problem with TTS in 64 bit versions of windows. Do a google search on TTS voices not showing up in windows. It has something to do with the default voices in the Program Files directory and the voices in the Program Files (x86) directory.
If you purchase a new voice from Ivona.com they install in the 64 bit directory.

The solution for my needs was to build a 32 bit version of Windows 7 and all older voices will work without any problems.

Marius · July 02, 2014, 03:59:50 PM

I'm using Win7 64bit with ivona installed in Program Files (x86) and it works without any problem for all voices, including the foreign ones.

nonstopradio · July 03, 2014, 02:05:16 AM

The problem is not the 64 or 32 bit system, I use Windows XP 32 bit (I have bad experiences with 64 bit Windows 7 or XP).

I do not see the voice in the TTS plugin in RadioDJ. I have there only Microsoft Sam. But I can choose the voice in Control Panel Windows - there I have Microsoft Sam and Eliska (Czech), which works normally, I can switch to Eliska voice there but it has no influence on the TTS plugin.

I have a reading software called Balabolka and there is also possible to choose between those 2 voices. But Balabolka has 3 "categories" of voices, where can I switch them. First is SAPI4, there I have no voice, then is SAPI5 - there I have both and then there is Microsoft Speech choice and there I have also nothing. So I thought that it has something to do with the SAPI version. What is not clear to me is, that in Balabolka I see both voices under the choice SAPI5, so it seems that the technology of both voices is the same, then logically I should have both of them in RadioDJ, but I have not.

Yes the voice comes from Acapela but they have no demo version, only on their web page is an online demo.

I do not think, that Acapela can "block" some types of the software for using their software, because in Balabolka it works and it is also a third party software coming from Russia, so it is mystery for me why I do not see the voice in TTS plugin. I can ask Acapela why it does not work this way, but I do not know what to ask them because the voice works normally in other software.

Thank you very much for your next ideas!

Marius · July 03, 2014, 09:52:03 AM

For the moment i don't have other ideas.
Searching by "acapela voices .net" lead to this:

QuoteUnfortunately there is a bug in System.Speech.Synthesis.

Microsoft Support

--> A badly implemented enumerator causes the acapela voices not listed with .NET 3.5 or 4.0 under Windows XP, Vista, 7, Server 2003, 2008 and 2008r2.

This bug is corrected by default in Windows 8 (and Server 2012) for .NET 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5.

Anyway, it's at least strange that for other voices (live the Ivona) there is no problem. As for other software which sees the acapela voices, they may use other components or they are not written in .net.

Compdoggie · July 03, 2014, 03:22:27 PM

Here is a link at Microsoft concerning the problems I spoke of and some possible solutions. The easy fix is to purchase new voices from Ivona.com.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-pictures/windows-7-64-bit-tts-voice-selection-problems/6b4153df-0ffb-4977-b26c-a313b418db96

nonstopradio · July 03, 2014, 06:22:22 PM

Thanks for your replies.

It really seems that there is a bug in .NET framework and because of it the Acapela voices are not working. I see we can not do nothing with it.

Thanks fot the link to Compdoggie, 64 bit Windows are not my case. But the text can bring some ideas to Marius because there is written somethin about using certain VB statements, I am not the VB programmer so I can not understand it fully.

I am now thinking about how to put Acapela voice "instead" of Microsoft Sam, so Windows will think that it is Sam and real it can be another voice.... I am not sure if it is possible but I am going to search for some ideas in Google

Unfortunatelly I can not use Ivona voices because they have no Czech voice, I am wondering too, that Ivona voice works but Acapela not.

Thank you!

best regards
Jan

nonstopgospel · July 03, 2014, 10:49:28 PM

Quote from: nonstopradio on July 03, 2014, 06:22:22 PM

Unfortunatelly I can not use Ivona voices because they have no Czech voice, I am wondering too, that Ivona voice works but Acapela not.

Thank you!

best regards
Jan

Hello nonstopradio, you can check this site http://www.ispeech.org/text.to.speech I see one Czech voice, I hope you can use it. Happy Testing..

NonStopGospel Radio

nonstopradio · July 05, 2014, 06:34:14 PM

Hello Nonstopgospel, ,yes, you are true, they have a Czech voice. Thank you for the link. I contacted them via the contact form now, and waiting for the answer.

Thank you and have a nice day,
Jan

nonstopradio · July 27, 2014, 10:16:12 PM

I have tried in the meantime several things. I installed the voice from Acapela and the RadioDJ on Windows 7 computer, it behaves the same way like in the Windows XP (could not switch to this voice in RadioDJ TTS plugin).

Also I tried to install the same Acapela voice to a testing machine at work, with Windows 8. There I can select the Acapela voice in the TTS plugin, but there is another problem that the voice could not say anything (causes error and RadioDJ crashes. Also the application Balabolka crashes with the voice. But under the Acapela voice manager, the voice is running and can speak normally, but only there.

So it really seems like a Windows problem which has nothing to do with Radio DJ, problem is not in the plugin.

I send a request to Ispeech for the Czech voice, if they have some price list or test version or how to download but unfortunatelly they did not answered me till now.

nonstopgospel · August 04, 2014, 10:41:25 PM

I am having a bit of problem with TTS Plugin. Can someone please tell me how to rectify this issue. I believe all the TTS plugin are in the plugin folder.

When I open the RadioDJ it isn't nowhere to be found. I have all the other plugins. Thanks in advance folks.

NonStopGospel Radio

DAB54.fm · August 25, 2014, 02:41:05 PM

Hi guys

Where can I get the plugin ? I've looked all over the net and just don't seem to be able to find it!

I'm interested in it as it would solve a problem that I'm sorting for our internal house system within our pubs

Regards Sean

FL Coast · August 25, 2014, 03:33:47 PM

Quote from: DAB54.fm on August 25, 2014, 02:41:05 PM
Hi guys

Where can I get the plugin ? I've looked all over the net and just don't seem to be able to find it!

I'm interested in it as it would solve a problem that I'm sorting for our internal house system within our pubs

Regards Sean

It is in the Disabled Plugins Folder inside RadioDJ. Move the content of the Plugin TTS folder into the Plugins folder.