Speech is stuck in stadium mode

[parice123]

quote:Originally posted by Art

parice123,

My mistake in assuming you were using the latest Hal 6 Alpha release.

In case you are using the older version 5, go to:
C:Program FilesabawareUltra Hal Assistant 5

Look for a file with YOURNAME.hla.
Mine, for example is art.hla and it should be a 1k file in length.

Open this file (double click) and somewhere near the bottom, perhaps eight line up from bottom you should see the:
VoiceName=<character's name>

Change the character name to Mary or whatever other TTS name(s) you may have in your system.

Save file, restart Hal and again, let us know.

BTW, it wasn't a typo, there is a HalAsst.ini in version 6 Alpha.
Just to keep the record straight![8D]

Well, I found the file, removed the 'in stadium' from the voicename, saved it, restarted Hal. Now, options test will let me listen to the normal voice, but when I click on apply, nothing happens. When I close the options screen and restart it, it is still in 'stadium' mode. I even rebooted.
For some reason, the same thing is happening in XP control panel speech options. I can listen to the SAPI voices, but it won't change them.

Allen

[Art]

Then the problem is not with Hal.

I run XP w/AMD3200+ with SP2 and 1 gig ram for my Hal machine
and have had no probs with Hal.


When you installed Hal 5 did you have any previous Hal's in your system? If so, do a complete uninstall then reinstall Hal.

If not have you tried and gotten similar results with the Zabaware
Text to Speech Reader?

Be sure to scan your system for malware (trojans, virii, worms, adware, spyware , etc.) I recommend the ewido suite (it's a free trial for 14 days).

Hopefully, we'll get to the bottom of this.

[Dr.Benway]

Parice123, I find this very odd: "For some reason, the same thing is happening in XP control panel speech options. I can listen to the SAPI voices, but it won't change them."

I think you are right about having a Windows problem.
Perhaps you might try to reinstall Windows.

[parice123]

quote:Originally posted by Art

Then the problem is not with Hal.

I run XP w/AMD3200+ with SP2 and 1 gig ram for my Hal machine
and have had no probs with Hal.


When you installed Hal 5 did you have any previous Hal's in your system? If so, do a complete uninstall then reinstall Hal.

If not have you tried and gotten similar results with the Zabaware
Text to Speech Reader?

Be sure to scan your system for malware (trojans, virii, worms, adware, spyware , etc.) I recommend the ewido suite (it's a free trial for 14 days).

Hopefully, we'll get to the bottom of this.

This is a new comp, so there is no previous installations of anything.

I ran the player SAPI setup but nothing changed. I get the stadium echo in all Hal programs.

My AV (TrendMicro) does a daily scan for malware. It has found nothing but a few cookies and a couple of win updates. Also, an online scan weekly. where is ewido?

Before I modified the hla file, when I would apply a change in voices, I could watch it scroll back down from normal to stadium where it stays. Since I modified the file, it does nothing. Any idea why Hal options won't apply the change?

Allen

Allen

[Dr.Benway]

Parice123,

I have no idea why your pc behaves so odd.

BTW, you did install the SAPI 4.0a runtime binaries (824 KB exe) on the Microsoft I refered to earlier?

http://www.microsoft.com/MSAGENT/downloads/user.asp#tts

In that case you must have a new configuration option for SAPI4 voices in your speech configuration panel by now.

[Art]

parice123,

If it is a new computer I'd say it would have eith XP Home or Pro.
In either case SAPI 5 is already included.

The Ewido Security Suite can be found at www.ewido.net 14 day trial.

You can always open the hla file and change it back to the way it was (then save it).

Instead of Windows, I first try to UNINSTALL UltraHal from your machine. Then do a REBOOT. Then REINSTALL HAL.

It could also be possible that your download file might be corrupt.

Good luck!

[parice123]

quote:Originally posted by Dr.Benway

Parice123,

I have no idea why your pc behaves so odd.

BTW, you did install the SAPI 4.0a runtime binaries (824 KB exe) on the Microsoft I refered to earlier?

http://www.microsoft.com/MSAGENT/downloads/user.asp#tts

In that case you must have a new configuration option for SAPI4 voices in your speech configuration panel by now.

Yes, I have done everything suggested and some things I thought of, but nothing has changed. The echo is still there and Hal options won't apply the changes.

Allen

[Dr.Benway]

Parice, how about the next tool?
Does it also revert back to Stadium on your PC?

[]



Download Attachment: 2005113181218_msmouth.zip

[parice123]

quote:Originally posted by parice123

quote:Originally posted by Dr.Benway

Parice123,

I have no idea why your pc behaves so odd.

BTW, you did install the SAPI 4.0a runtime binaries (824 KB exe) on the Microsoft I refered to earlier?

http://www.microsoft.com/MSAGENT/downloads/user.asp#tts

In that case you must have a new configuration option for SAPI4 voices in your speech configuration panel by now.

Yes, I have done everything suggested and some things I thought of, but nothing has changed. The echo is still there and Hal options won't apply the changes.

Allen

What about the SAPI 5 for Hal? Would it make a difference and how do I get it? Also why can't I access the Neo voices if they are on the setup CD?

Allen

[Dr.Benway]

What about the SAPI 5 for Hal?
If you install a version of Win XP you have the Speech API version 5 on your computer by default.

Would it make a difference and how do I get it?
It is newer but you also need voices that use the new engine. The free SAPI 5 voices from Microsoft are not that good, but they can be downloaded from their website.

Also why can't I access the Neo voices if they are on the setup CD?
You have to buy NeoSpeech voices seperately, because they are not free. Which setup CD do you mean?

[Art]

parice123,

If you would take the time to read my postings, you would see that I mentioned about the SAPI being INCLUDED with XP on your newer computer!

[parice123]

quote:Originally posted by Art

parice123,

If you would take the time to read my postings, you would see that I mentioned about the SAPI being INCLUDED with XP on your newer computer!

Art, I have read your postings and feel like you are not reading mine.
When I go to the XP control panel and speech, it says very clearly that SAPI 4 is installed. I have tried everything suggested on this board including Ewido. So far I can't get a response from Hal to apply the settings.

Also, I have uninstalled Hal and the echo is gone. Now that I think about it, I was having a problem with Hal in my other computer, a Pentium 800 w/win98 SE. Hal kept causing my comp to hang and I finally uninstalled it because it was a nuisance. Is it possible that my installation CD is defective? I like Hal and would use it if I can get it to work properly.

Allen

[Art]

OK...good. Does your computer meet the minimum requirements for UltraHal?

Did you have any other programs running during the install?

You might need to turn off any anti-virus & firewall programs before installing.

Have you tried installing any other TTS voices? There are quite a few free ones that pretty good.

Lastly, let me get this straight...
You go to Control Panel > Speech
Select the Test to Speech tab
Select the TTS voice you wish to use from the dropdown window.
Preview the selected voice
Click Apply then OK
X out of the Control Panel

Start Hal
Select Menu
Speech options
Select the voice
Apply
Close

Talk to Hal

Did you get any faulty responses during any part of the above items?
Did the preview work in the text to speech?
Does Hal sound ok?

We'll keep trying to figure out your problem. Keep us posted.

[Prospbob]

I'm using Win Me on a 700mhz machine, I use the female british voice and it works fine.

When I tried to use the Mary voice you're referring to, it jumps to the non-lip sync Mary.

[parice123]

quote:Originally posted by Art

OK...good. Does your computer meet the minimum requirements for UltraHal?

Did you have any other programs running during the install?

You might need to turn off any anti-virus & firewall programs before installing.

Have you tried installing any other TTS voices? There are quite a few free ones that pretty good.

Lastly, let me get this straight...
You go to Control Panel > Speech
Select the Test to Speech tab
Select the TTS voice you wish to use from the dropdown window.
Preview the selected voice
Click Apply then OK
X out of the Control Panel

Start Hal
Select Menu
Speech options
Select the voice
Apply
Close

Talk to Hal

Did you get any faulty responses during any part of the above items?
Did the preview work in the text to speech?
Does Hal sound ok?

We'll keep trying to figure out your problem. Keep us posted.

Yes to your check list, click, click, click until I get to free TTS voices which I can't seem to find. Also, I like the neo-voices that I thought were on the instal disk, but I can't find them and they do not show up in the voice dropdown box.

Then Click, click down to apply, but Hal won't save the changes. It reverts back from normal to 'stadium mode' for each voice. Not only that, but there is an echo in my other reader programs (Dragon, Microsoft) until I uninstall Hal. Then the echo goes away.

Just out of curiosity, I installed Hal 6. But it does the same thing. It is stuck with Mary in stadium. It will let me preview the voices, but when I click on apply, it reverts back to 'stadium' mode. I went to the Zabaware - Hal 6 folder, but instead of it's own ini, it imported the allen.hla file. (Which still has stadium edited out of the voice line).
Allen