[bookshare-discuss] Re: OT: synthetic voice shock
- From: "Estelnalissi" <airadil@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:24:27 -0400
Dear James, and Booksharian Friends,
Better voices for Bookshare books! can't wait to turn one of my wanna reads
books into an MP3, and if I don't have the computer sense to follow your steps,
I'm lucky to have many Booksharian friends who can follow them while scanning
with one hand and fixing dinner with the other and listening to Mystery Science
Fiction Theater or whatever it's called in the background, at the same time. I
hadn't listened to them other than on my desk top where I like the way JAWS
reads because I didn't like the Daisy voice and don't have a Book port or
Victor Stream. When I am at the computer, I validate compulsively, and only
listen to Bookshare downloads when I'm eating a meal or shuffling stacks of
books. But an MP3 player I can afford and I'll be able to read Bookshare books
while I'm doing other things. Right now I lug my old NLS talking Book machine
around with me. Those books are usually splendidly read, so it's worth it. I
seem to live by the principle that you can't have too many books so soon it'll
be a talking book or MP3 player keeping me entertained at all times.
Always with love,
Lissi
Thanks so much for explaining your methods!
Always with love,
Lissi
----- Original Message -----
From: James Nuttall
To: bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2008 3:39 PM
Subject: [bookshare-discuss] Re: OT: synthetic voice shock
Hello Susan:
It takes some work to transform a Bookshare book into an audio MP3 book with
a natural sounding text-to-speech reader. Here are some of the steps that I
follow.
(1) I take a Bookshare book into Microsoft Word and save it as a text file.
(2) I then take this text file into a program called TextAloud which you can
get from www.nextup.com
you can then save this text output as an audio MP3. You use natural
sounding human voices such as the NeoSpeech voices which can also purchase from
www.nextup.com
(3) you can then place these MP3 files on any MP3 player or on a device like
a Victor Reader Stream.
James Nuttall
----- Original Message ----
From: "Rogerbailey81@xxxxxxx" <Rogerbailey81@xxxxxxx>
To: bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 3:18:40 PM
Subject: [bookshare-discuss] Re: OT: synthetic voice shock
The synthetic voice is certainly not as pleasant to listen to as the human
voice, but as we can all see, it has its advantages. One is that there are not
enough human readers available to read all the books that Bookshare can give us
access to. I just got a Victor stream and even though the screen reader voice
on that device is advertised as human sounding it sure does not sound human to
me. Another advantage to synthetic voices is that human readers always give an
interpretation to what they are reading by tone of voice or other nuances. NLs
readers, being professional actors, are less likely to editorialize with their
voices, but, especially when reading a work of fiction, they often give their
own dramatic flair and thereby, their own interpretation to the reading. RFB&D
readers, however, are very poor at hiding their opinions on the subject matter
as expressed in their voices. Synthetic voices, on the other hand, do not
interpret. They allow me to decide on my own interpretation much as I did when
reading before I lost my eyesight. Despite the advantages, though, that robot
voice does take some getting used to. I remember my revulsion at it at first
myself, but I got used to it and I am quite confident that anyone else could
get used to it too. You might want to reassure them that they can get used to
it. Also, there is a website that has examples of some really human sounding
synthetic voices. I visited it a long time ago and I am not sure I remember its
URL and I am not checking it right now, but I think that it might be something
like NaturalVoices.com. If not, try variations and similar names. I do not
recall if the voices are for sale, but they are the best synthetic voices I
ever heard. In a message dated 7/30/2008 11:59:10 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
slger123@xxxxxxxxx writes:
Hi, possibly OT, but fastest way I could figure to reach booksharians..
I post to a mailing list for support for macular degenerates in various
stages
of vision loss. Explaining how to use Bookshare invokes a major YECH
about
robotic voices. Indeed, the demo on the bookshare website is pretty bad,
far
worse than natural voices that might be less repellant. There should be a
steady flow of baby boomers becoming eligible for bookshare who might need
some
help overcoming what I have termed synthetic voice shock. see more just
posted
at http://asyourworldchanges.wordpress.com.
so, how can we help? Is there an alternate bookshare book reading site?
podcast? demo? How can I refer Vision Losers to the most positive and
helpful
introduction to book reading?
Please let me add my appreciation for how much easier Bookshare made my
rite of
passage into partial sight two years ago. I found it easy to get admitted
to
membership then realized how much reading I could do, so went out and
bought
the book reader devices I needed. I'm still a novice scanner with 3 books
yet
to be submitted so I especially appreciate the volunteer corps work. I'd
like
to make this possible also for older people to cross the chasm of
assistive
tech.
advice?
susan
"As Your World changes" blog at http://asyourworldchanges.wordpress.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Get fantasy football with free live scoring. Sign up for FanHouse Fantasy
Football today.
Other related posts:
