Text-to-Voice Conversion - any suggestions?

[Tiger_Claw]

Hi guys,

I’m ready to start making costume wave files for my Blue Iris application. Has anyone discovered a really good tool for this?

What I’m hoping for is something that allows me to select a text-to-voice conversion with the ability to choose from multiple voice formats. I did an internet search, but there are many tools available. The problem is figuring out which ones are worth the money and which ones to avoid.

Tiger

 

[fenderman]

Why not just record yourself?

 

[Tiger_Claw]

Do I dare type LOL again?


Is this an application that comes standard with Win7? :mask:

Tiger

 

[fenderman]

Sound recorder is built into windows 7. Very simple.
Audacity is free but much more complex.

 

[Tiger_Claw]

to save myself from hearing myself sick, I was hoping for a text converter with various voice options. I thought that this might be really cool since the wav files will play on my smart phone when I'm around others.

THIS MIGHT SOUND GEEKY, BUT IT WOULD BE REALLY COOL TO FIND A TOOL THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE COMPUTER VOICE ON STAR TREK OR PERHAPS THE GOOGLE MAPS VOICE.

OK, ok.. stop laughing, I'm a nerd at heart :livid:.


Thank you for mentioning the windows sound recorder. I didn't know it had this, but now I do and perhaps I can get my GF to create the nerd files for me. :shame:

Tiger

 

[fenderman]

http://www.readspeaker.com/voice-demo/
Just record the output with sound recorder or audacity

or use this that exports to mp3
http://www.text2speech.org/

 

[Tiger_Claw]

fen;

The British female voice in Read Speaker is GREAT. :headphones:

I followed your direction and used the Win sound recorder to record my text-to-audio conversion. Problem is that Sound Recorder outputs to a WMA format. Blue Iris only seems to recognize WAV format. Would you happen to have another trick up your sleeve for a WMA-to-WAV conversation?


Tiger

 

[bp2008]

Android OS has a pretty good text to speech engine (In later versions!!) and there are apps to make WAV files from it. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wireshock.tts&hl=en

You can even get it to use different accents. i.e. British or USA.

 

[Tiger_Claw]

http://www.readspeaker.com/voice-demo/
Just record the output with sound recorder or audacity

or use this that exports to mp3
http://www.text2speech.org/

Good grief :numbness:

I downloaded what I hope is a safe audio converter application called Freemake Audio Converter. This application allows you to convert WMV-to-WAV and provides control on bit rate, Hz’s, etc., etc.

I converted my test file using various settings and placed each one inside the Blue Iris audio folder. The sound file was visible and worked just fine inside the PC speaker configuration of BI, but for some reason I can’t get any of the files to display inside BI’s push notification to mobile app drop-down. It's almost like BI doesn't allow anything outside of the default wav options.

Tiger

Update;

I thought that the above issue might be related to file size. I identified the largest (default) sound clip as being the airhorn wave file. It shows 239 KB. I used the audio converter mentioned above and converted my test file to the mobile quality option. The resulting file was reduced to only 111 KB.

BI still won’t display this file inside the push notification section.

 

[icerabbit]

I just use osx text to speech ...

 

[Tiger_Claw]

I just use osx text to speech ...

Hey bro,

I've already created 9 outstanding audio files using Read Speaker. Conversion to WAV isn't an issue now, but I think BI limits the push alerts to its default (50) no matter what I use.

Any thoughts?

Tiger

 

[fenderman]

I just used an 11Mb wave file...so you are doing something wrong...

 

[Tiger_Claw]

I just used an 11Mb wave file...so you are doing something wrong...

Hi Fenderman,

Is your file visible from both the "Sound an alarm using PC speakers" as well as the "Send a push notification to mobile app" configure buttons inside the Alerts menu of BI?

Just for clarification...

I can see and use my wav files inside BI, but only inside the "send an alarm using PC speakers" config button. If you can see your custom wave file from both locations I might need to email Ken.

Maybe there is something about the tool that I'm using for the conversion, but I doubt that. I have three other wav files I downloaded from another source and use for my PC speakers. even these files aren't available from the push app button either.


Tiger

 

[fenderman]

ok, I see the problem. You are assuming that BI is actually sending the sound files from the sound folder to the mobile device. This is not the case. The mobile app has those sounds already. BI just tells it which one to play. To test this theory, temporally rename the sound folder or move the sound files elsewhere, you will see that the sound to pc speakers will not work, but push notifications sounds will still work on the app.

 

[Tiger_Claw]

ok, I see the problem. You are assuming that BI is actually sending the sound files from the sound folder to the mobile device. This is not the case. The mobile app has those sounds already. BI just tells it which one to play. To test this theory, temporally rename the sound folder or move the sound files elsewhere, you will see that the sound to pc speakers will not work, but push notifications sounds will still work on the app.

Damn,

No need to test. Your making perfect sense here. Is it possible to copy these custom wave files to my apple phone and have them work?

Tiger :wondering:

 

[nayr]

yeah; i highly doubt BI would stream the audio notifications to your mobile.. there local resources that are triggered.

that would have to be configured on the mobile app if it were configurable.

 

[fenderman]

Damn,

No need to test. Your making perfect sense here. Is it possible to copy these custom wave files to my apple phone and have them work?

Tiger :wondering:

Anything is possible but that is outside the scope of my knowledge....

 

[Tiger_Claw]

yeah; i highly doubt BI would stream the audio notifications to your mobile.. there local resources that are triggered.

that would have to be configured on the mobile app if it were configurable.

Ok, looks like I'm facing a slight detour here.

CRAP OLA!!!. :upset:

I'm going to send Ken an email and see if there is anyway this can work. Think of how cool it would be to have audio triggers that you tell you what location is being triggered vs. trying to remember a crap load of individual sound effect files.

Think about it...

In most cases you wouldn't even need to look at the phone if you did a good job creating and assigning these vocal audio files. Some people might be satisfied with assigning a doorbell ring to multiple cams. This is what I did, but I believe BI would be even better if we can add custom wav files to our mobile devices, i.e.,

Alert; Motion detected at the North Gate
Alert; Motion detected on the Front Porch, etc. etc, etc.


Tiger

 

[Tiger_Claw]

Hey guys,

I sent Ken an invite to this thread. Not sure if he will have time to respond, but its worth a try.

Keeping my fingers crossed :wondering:

Tiger

 

[Tiger_Claw]

Hey Ladies and Germs :laugh:

Ken responded back in a priv email. Both nayr and Fen were on the right track. The push notification options are "currently" limited to those installed at both locations, i.e., PC and mobile device. The word to remember here is "Currently" :smile-new:.

Ken mentioned that the idea is do-able, but would require the mobile BI app to upload the wav files from the PC server to the mobile device. As a matter of fact, Ken liked the idea enough to actually put it on his to-do list. :triumphant: Imagine that ladies... LOL

Ken is AWSOME!

Ken has always been polite and responsive in answering my emails. If anyone here is using BI and really enjoys it, shoot the guy an email and let him know. His application has turned video surveillance into something easy, dependable, reliable, responsive, customizable and truly enjoyable.

Tiger