Need Help With Ultra Hal TTS

[gladysk]

Hi Guys and Gals!

I have just started using UHTTS and I need a few pointers (or all of them if you know where I can get them!)

I am using VW Paul, but I guess my question applys to all voices:

What symbol can I use to change the way Ultra Hal speeks words?

What I mean is, when I get to the end of a sentence, it automaticaly speaks the word with a higher pitch. I wanna be able to control that specific action. I tryed putting commas, dots.. even "!" and "?".

The only time I am able to make a difference is when I put a space and a random letter after the end of my sentence to let Ultra Hal speak the word with a lower tone!

But it renders the letter so fast that it interferes with the way I want the speach to be read.

Help me out please.

And thanks in advance.

[jasondude7116]

The individual voice will change everything.
Try a different voice (the brand or sapi5 versus sapi4) and you will notice all sorts of different ways that the engine handles things. I personally did not use VW Paul or ....(I think) VW Kate because of that. There are a wide range of voices and every one has something you will like and not like about it. If you are looking for a certain kind of voice then tell me the attributes of the voice that you would like, and I will try to point out a few and their qualities.
   I have used all TTS voice brands, and most of their voices. I have also hade some experience making voices. If there is something I can help you with.....just holler.

[gladysk]

All I really want is to know if I can alter the words using "!" or "?" or even make pauses using "," or ":" and ";" to affect the way TTS delivers the sentence?

Is there any special character we can use "IN" Ultra Hal to give more lively or darker tones to the voices (I am not talking about the pitch).

Back in the '90s I had a TTS program on Mac, it used  those characters to affect single words, like the end of a sentence, making it sound like a question or a surprise. I could use "..." and it would really sound like taking a moment (at the end of a sentence) before giving the rest of an answer. (back then we didn't have as much voices thought!)

Thanks you.

[lightspeed]

hi gladysk, i understand what it is that you are asking , i have never personally tried doing that , i know the voice you are talking about with the pitch sound (i actually like them better . the only thing i could tell you is maybe try to use the voice to read a text and keep experimenting that way (with spacing etc. ,) if you just use a voice to read text and not through hal then any mistakes, etc. wouldn't be "learned" into hals brain .
Sorry i don't have a better or really any answer on this for you , but maybe someone else might , good luck !

[raybe]

HEY JASONDUDE, you said holler. Okay so you said that 'gladysk' can holler. Just wondering what other voices beside AT&T and the other ready packaged (older Neo and Cel) voices or voices with TTS would you suggest? I just posted and asked about 'Ivona' trying to find out whether it is compatible as well with lip sync and able to read all Window desktop messages? Of coarse preferable female voice.

Thanks,
raybe

[gladysk]

I sent him a private message thinking he would answer but jasondude's been ignoring my questions.

I think we should go elsewhere to find our answers!

[raybe]

Just remember gladysk that everyone here gives of their own free time. When possible most will reply but you never know what's going on so be patient. Tis the season you know. If jason doesn't have the time right now maybe someone will make a suggestion. Stay smiling and patient. If no reply in a bit I'll try a re-post later for suggestions.

raybe

[Art]

@ gladysk,
if I can alter the words using "!" or "?" or even make pauses using "," or ":" and ";" to affect the way TTS delivers the sentence?

I think you sort of answered your own question. The ability lies within the TTS and it's associated engine, NOT the UltraHal software.

Quite a while back with Hal, the ! and other punctuation helped to reinforce learning or statement relevance but I don't think that is the case any longer.

Make sure the TTS voice you choose is SAPI 4 / 5 compliant and that it will work with other TTS applications. Some are specific only to their unique engine (the software that drives them or allows them to operate).

Hope this helps a bit. Good luck!

[raybe]

Thanks, Art. I remember those things especially the (!) mark after your posting and like gladysk kind of fell into the Ultra Hal trap that there are other programs at work here and not just the Ultra Hal program.

Thanks,
raybe

By the way Art, do you have any other third party engines and or voices outside of At&t, Neo and Cel. (forgot how to spell the rest) that you like and can lip sync as well to suggest?

[Art]

@ raybe,

You should check out a company called Cereproc for some more "worldly" voices.  They sound quite authentic for their respective regions (Irish, Polish, Scottish, etc.). They are reasonably priced and the one I purchased works very well with UltraHal & Win 7 64.

Acapela and Loquendo are really great voices as well but I know one of these does not or will not work with Hal. I can't recall which at the moment but be sure to read the specifications first.

There is also www.Ivona.com for a really nice selection of voices and I found a new (to me) site today called: Linguatec @ www.linguatec.net

Hope these give you something to crow about!

UPDATE:
Acapela has several really nice TTS voices that work with TextAloud but NOT with other TTS enabled programs like UltraHal UNLESS you
purchase the Infovox Desktop. It comes with a language group and includes the Heather voice that everyone seems to like. It will cost you about $190.00 USD and will work on ANY TTS based program including UltraHal!! Now...just reach a little deeper into those pockets!!

[gladysk]

Thanks guys for all the info, I'll be sure to check all of this out... but it does not take care of my problem! lol

I'll keep surching and hope to find an answer.

[raybe]

Appreciate it Art. I just looked into Ivona and is SAPI5 compatible but will not lip sync for me using Ultra Hal. Support is looking into it as they thought it should lip sync just fine. Nice support from Ivona at least.

I will check Cereproc and Linguatec next if I have the name correct.(Thanks for the link)

Would be nice but the pockets aren't even deep enough to spare some change right now!!

Thanks again,
raybe

Hang in there gladysk and unless Art didn't answer your question then I'm also confused about what you want your voices to achieve. Sorry.

[Art]

@raybe,

Did Ivona ever get back to you regarding the lip sync with their TTS voices?

[NIGE]

Hey raybe, I also got one of their voices & the same thing, no lipsync??

[Art]

Nige,

Yeah, it's a real shame because their voices are so well done.
I love the Emma and Amy voices but the Hal character does not lip sync with them
and I've tried many ways to get it working but no luck so far.