TextAloud @ Giveaway of the Day 6/16

[tinjaw]

Get it. Get it. Get it. Get it. Get it. Get it. Get it. Get it. Get it. 

TextAloud is the program today at Giveaway of the Day. I own this program and it rocks.

TextAlouds unique Text to MP3 or WMA conversion can save your daily reading to audio files to download to your portable player. Listen to email, online news, or important documents while you exercise, work or commute. TextAloud is easy to learn so you can put it to work for you right away.

Everything is user friendly, from the help function to the VCR style playback controls. It has never been easier to keep up with the information you really need. Includes Firefox toolbar. Support for Natural Voices, Neospeech, Cepstral, Acapela BrightSpeech and Elan, and ScanSoft RealSpeak Voices.

Developer's product website is here.

[Curt]

I own this program and it rocks.

Some years ago I bought a couple of voices, but have not been able to regain them for this new PC of mine. I don't really remember anything about which voices it was, or even from which company - it was VERY seldom I used the program - but I am sure it was not TextAloud. Maybe AT&T NaturalVoices. No, I don't recall.

Listening to TextAloud with the few voices I have installed right now, I realize I will have to buy me some voices (again). Not one of the standard voices are acceptable to me. So please allow me to ask for your opinion on which voices to buy?


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[Grorgy]

thanks tinjaw, i've been going for a look there lately but hadnt got around to it, so i might have missed this, was never too sure i wanted it, so i never bothered but as a freebie i will surely give it a try.

[Curt]

Can I just rant a little about speach programs that will not cooperate with each other, so you'll have to buy more voices to do the same thing? I have several voices, but they are agent's voices. MSAgent, that is.

[attachthumb=#]

But none of the other speach programs will acknowledge the presence of these voices:
$$$.$$ right out of my pocket!  Øv!

øv :

interj bah! boo!
  (uf) ugh! yuck!

[Curt]

...allow me to ask for your opinion on which voices to buy?

I like Heather from Acapella and Mike from AT&T  best, but I am not impressed with any of the Text_To_Speech programs / voices I have heard so far. Isn't there something better on the market? Or are they maybe just way too expensive?

[BigJim]

Get it. Get it. Get it. Get it. Get it. Get it. Get it. Get it. Get it. 

I'd like to add a comment to Tinjaw's remarks: GET IT!!

I've been using Text Aloud for some years - used to use it all day long while driving big trucks all over North America. It has read literally VOLUMES to me. Also great for proofreading your text for final edit. It's amazing how often you can overlook your own mistake in the 'printed' page especially when it's something that didn't trigger the spell checker, e.g. contextual errors like mistyping 'that' instead of 'than'.

I have AT&T Natural Voices but prefer the NeoSpeach offerings. Ten out of Ten!! Get it!

[tinjaw]

So please allow me to ask for your opinion on which voices to buy?

I'd imagine it is really going to be up to your personal taste. However, the two voices I bought to use with it are AT&T Mike and AT&T Ray. I am also not sure if there have been any voices released after those that are better. I may end of buying another if there is a newer one that is better, but I am pleased with Mike and Ray.

[BigJim]

AT&T voice are quite good. I have Mike and Crystal. IMHO the NeoSpeech are even better. Hope you give them a test listen, at least. I'm pretty sure that you can do that on the Text Aloud site. The quality becomes an even more important issue when you crank up the speed as I do. I have found that you can quickly accommodate to listening to fast input; "speed listening".

[nosh]

So please allow me to ask for your opinion on which voices to buy?

Listen to Neospeech Kate and Scansoft Jennifer. Also check out Loquendo voices.

Oh, and for a hilarious but not entirely politically correct experience go to
http://www.neospeech.com/demo/demo_text.php [Internet Explorer only]
and have Miyu [Japanese] read the passage from your post pasted below.

Some years ago I bought a couple of voices, but have not been able to regain them for this new PC of mine. I don't really remember anything about which voices it was, or even from which company - it was VERY seldom I used the program - but I am sure it was not TextAloud. Maybe AT&T NaturalVoices. No, I don't recall.

[Curt]

Did any of you listen to Heather from Acapella (direct link to .wav file)?
I think she can compete with the best I have heard.

... go to
http://www.neospeech.com/demo/demo_text.php [Internet Explorer only]
and have Miyu [Japanese] read the passage from your post pasted below.

Some years ago I bought a couple of voices, but have not been able to regain them for this new PC of mine. I don't really remember anything about which voices it was, or even from which company - it was VERY seldom I used the program - but I am sure it was not TextAloud. Maybe AT&T NaturalVoices. No, I don't recall.

Wow; that was fun! 

--

Another thing is, have there been any real development in TextToSpeach programs lately? I was sadly surprised listening to all these voices reading. I don't think they have improved much  since my first TextToSpeach program some 3 years ago! Some, but hardly noticeable.

[Curt]

Also check out Loquendo voices.

You gotta help me out on this one! I believe I have been all over their site, but I cannot find anything to imply that they have a product to offer to the private home user. Have they? I found no voices either.

But the Loquendo site made me realize that TextToSpeach development really is taking place! 

[nosh]

I checked out their site, they seem to have a 'contact us' link instead of the usual 'Purchase' so I guess you'll have to do just that. A Google search for downloadable demos or outright purchase brought up some third party sites which indicates that SAPI voices are available for purchase. Your safest bet it to buy directly from Loquendo after contacting them.