Text To Speech (TTS) software for Windows?
Hello all,
A long time ago, I purchased a TTS product from Loquendo and I was looking at updating to the product they demo here: http://www.loquendo.com/en/demo-center/tts-demo/english/
As an aside, the only other TTS that I have found with even better quality is: http://www.ispeech.org/ but it is an expensive SAAS solution. I provide this URL as an FYI only.
It is important that it is stand-alone (NOT SAAS) and allows for multiple languages. The above Loquendo demo URL is quite remarkable. Unfortunately, they offer no method of actually purchasing these products (nor the voices). They provide a link to Nuance but the Nuance site doesn't even mention TTS products. I am confused?!? Email request go unanswered... yet they continue to leave that amazing demo page up (about 2 years old now). Does the product (that created these audio demos) exist or is it actually vaporware?
Anyhow my questions are:
1. How can I purchase this Loquendo [Windows based) TTS product and various voices?
2. If Q1 is unlikely, than what other TTS product (of similar or better output) is available for purchase?
3. Why does it seem as though TTS development has come to standstill? The URLs provided are both from about two years ago and I haven't seen any improvements since that time.
NOTE: I have already reviewed the TTS Wikipedia information, checked out IVONA and a few others listed there. CereProc is pretty amazing and may actually answer my EE question. However, I am hopefully looking for someone to add to what is already available on this Wiki entry and what I already know.
Thank you
A long time ago, I purchased a TTS product from Loquendo and I was looking at updating to the product they demo here: http://www.loquendo.com/en/demo-center/tts-demo/english/
As an aside, the only other TTS that I have found with even better quality is: http://www.ispeech.org/ but it is an expensive SAAS solution. I provide this URL as an FYI only.
It is important that it is stand-alone (NOT SAAS) and allows for multiple languages. The above Loquendo demo URL is quite remarkable. Unfortunately, they offer no method of actually purchasing these products (nor the voices). They provide a link to Nuance but the Nuance site doesn't even mention TTS products. I am confused?!? Email request go unanswered... yet they continue to leave that amazing demo page up (about 2 years old now). Does the product (that created these audio demos) exist or is it actually vaporware?
Anyhow my questions are:
1. How can I purchase this Loquendo [Windows based) TTS product and various voices?
2. If Q1 is unlikely, than what other TTS product (of similar or better output) is available for purchase?
3. Why does it seem as though TTS development has come to standstill? The URLs provided are both from about two years ago and I haven't seen any improvements since that time.
NOTE: I have already reviewed the TTS Wikipedia information, checked out IVONA and a few others listed there. CereProc is pretty amazing and may actually answer my EE question. However, I am hopefully looking for someone to add to what is already available on this Wiki entry and what I already know.
Thank you
David Johnson, CD
longuendo is now now a SAS product http://www.loquendo.com/en/products/text-to-speech/tts-online/
ASKER
@ve3ofa
Thanks but I am specifically looking for a Windows based app. Loquendo's applications were sold to Nuance. Still have no word about what happened to these apps.
BTW, it is SAAS. SAS refers to Serial Attached Storage and Statistical Analysis Systems. :-)
Thanks but I am specifically looking for a Windows based app. Loquendo's applications were sold to Nuance. Still have no word about what happened to these apps.
BTW, it is SAAS. SAS refers to Serial Attached Storage and Statistical Analysis Systems. :-)
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ASKER
@rathinasamy:
Thanks for the reminder of Neospeech. It appears that they are still improving their product. Although, I do not think it is as good as CereProc.
But the Neospeech URL led me to the SpeechTek conference link which opened me up to other potential vendors. Thank you.
@infoplateform:
Thank you but I am guessing you didn't have a chance to check out the examples I had presented. Your URLs are very old and only link to free TTS products (mostly based upon Microsoft's SAPI API and voices). There is nothing I can use in these URLs. Besides, it is extremely unlikely that any shareware author could make a TTS product that is as good or better than a commercial TTS product.
Thanks for the reminder of Neospeech. It appears that they are still improving their product. Although, I do not think it is as good as CereProc.
But the Neospeech URL led me to the SpeechTek conference link which opened me up to other potential vendors. Thank you.
@infoplateform:
Thank you but I am guessing you didn't have a chance to check out the examples I had presented. Your URLs are very old and only link to free TTS products (mostly based upon Microsoft's SAPI API and voices). There is nothing I can use in these URLs. Besides, it is extremely unlikely that any shareware author could make a TTS product that is as good or better than a commercial TTS product.
ASKER
Darn...
Neospeech appears to have gone SAAS only. To make matters worse, they are charging $1000 for 1 hour of TTS audio! Are they for real? I can hire a voice actor (with much better vocals) for less money.
Neospeech appears to have gone SAAS only. To make matters worse, they are charging $1000 for 1 hour of TTS audio! Are they for real? I can hire a voice actor (with much better vocals) for less money.
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Any other thoughts?
ASKER
Unless there are no further suggestions, I will pursue the CereProc products.
rathinasamy gets points for some valuable suggestions.
Thanks to all for participating.
rathinasamy gets points for some valuable suggestions.
Thanks to all for participating.
ASKER
Thanks for the participation.
I was hoping to learn something about TTS that I didn't already know but I guess this is the best I am going to get for now.
Again, I appreciate everyone who helped out.
I was hoping to learn something about TTS that I didn't already know but I guess this is the best I am going to get for now.
Again, I appreciate everyone who helped out.