ModelTalker

I was just chatting with Josh Kennedy, a Microsoft speech user, tonight on Skype, and he told me about a cool new SAPI 5 compliant TTS engine that's being developed. It's called ModelTalker.

Apparently with ModelTalker lets users create their very own SAPI 5 compliant TTS engines based on the users own voice.

I sent them some email tonight to see if they'll let me try it out. It's currently still in Beta form, but Josh tells me it's very easy to create your own voice. I've always wanted my very own SAPI 5 TTS engine. So ... If I can get ahold of it, I'll finally build my very own Rob Voice. :-)

Comments

• Anonymous
  August 22, 2006
  Hello Rob:
  
  What I've been looking for are TTS built on celebrity voices.  I would love the TTS of James Earl Jones.  That would certainly make my book reading though easier.
  Jim Nuttall -- Michigan
• Anonymous
  August 29, 2006
  I was supposed to be in a training class all day today, but it was just cancelled, so I have a few moments...
• Anonymous
  August 30, 2006
  I've actually heard a James Earl Jones TTS engine before that was very good. The company that produced as a proof of concept technology demo only, though... Too bad because it was incredible.
  
  Of course the first thing I had "him" say was: "Luke, I am your father!". And then it degenerated into other Star Wars lines changed around for my own entertainment.
  
  This company used some audio books of James Earl Jones reading the bible as the basis for all the acoustic data. It's a similar technique to what we use to create the  Anna voice, except we have an actual "Anna" voice talent that speaks exactly what we want her to speak.