On my Windows desktop, I love using the "Microsoft David" voice for text-to-speech (TTS). I tried using TTS on my MacBook Pro, but I didn't like any of the English voices.
How can I install the Microsoft David voice on my Mac (assuming it's even possible to use third-party voices)?
As the title says, when I go into the speech recognition section in the control panel, and then the text to speech option located to the left, there are no voices available when I am in the speech properties menu's text to speech tab. I click on voice selection, and expect to see voices such as Microsoft David, but nothing is there. Only blank box. The same result occurs when I attempt to use third party TTS software such as Balabolka to access voices like Microsoft David. Nothing shows up in the software's drop down menu. Have I somehow removed the voices from my computer? How can I gain access to the default Windows voices again?
Videos
If it costs money, that's okay, but I can't find one. Once I download the software it only has the same voices that MS word has. I am editing a novel, and I want to listen to it with a not-so-robot-like-voice.
edit: I've outlined 5 different ways to do this, all with differing pros and cons
special thanks to this post by u/jiayounokim Method 01:
Link to download APK is here v0.5, link is in chinese: here's a screenshot of the english translation
After downloading and installing, select this option shown in the image here
This will open the Preferred engine settings, select the engine shown in the image here
Change the language by clicking this setting
Input this code block to change the language into en-US-ChristopherNeural:
<speak version="1.0" xml:lang="en-US"><voice name="en-US-ChristopherNeural"><prosody rate="${(rate-100)?c}%" pitch="${(pitch-100)?c}%"><mstts:express-as style="serious">${text}</mstts:express-as></prosody></voice></speak>Use an epub reader with TTS feature (like Google Play Books), then open TTS feature and enjoy!
If you want to change it to a different language/voice, try out other voices here and then get the id of the name in here.
e.g. I tried and want to use the voice package, Monica (Neural) in English (United States)
I will look for the id of Monica (Neural) here
The language is "en-US", and the id is "en-US-MonicaNeural".
I will now substitute these two information to the code block below.
<speak version="1.0" xml:lang="language here"><voice name="id here"><prosody rate="${(rate-100)?c}%" pitch="${(pitch-100)?c}%"><mstts:express-as style="serious">${text}</mstts:express-as></prosody></voice></speak>which will make it:
<speak version="1.0" xml:lang="en-US"><voice name="en-US-MonicaNeural"><prosody rate="${(rate-100)?c}%" pitch="${(pitch-100)?c}%"><mstts:express-as style="serious">${text}</mstts:express-as></prosody></voice></speak>If the TTS is too slow for you, you can change it in Android Settings > Accessiblity > Text-To-Speech > Speech Rate. Or maybe your epub reader has a built-in speech rate and pitch setting (like Moon Reader+).
found a chinese thread which is the origin of the app
Why use Microsoft Azure's TTS?
It's much better and sounds more natural than the default TTS engine (Google TTS)
Has a variety of voices which you can choose from based on your preferences.
Why use TTS at all?
If you love reading books, this TTS engine is so good that it's practically turns all your books into a decent audiobooks. Official audiobook are still better but the voices sound natural enough that it gets the job done.
Edit:
I found out Android's Microsoft Edge also has this feature, it has less voices but it's still has a variety of good ones. Method 02: Using Android's Microsoft Edge
Just open your novel in Microsoft Edge (maybe via Royal Road, WuxiaWorld, Google Play Books, etc.),
open the options (three dots in bottom middle of the screen)
then click Read Aloud.
You can choose from a variety of voices by clicking voice options on the top right.
(e.g. Microsoft Christopher Online (Natural) - English (US), which is my favourite voice among the ones available).
Edit: I saw that the system-wide TTS isn't working for some of you, here's an alternative I found.
Method 03: System wide TTS engine using TTS Server app
Download the
zipappropriate apk file or just the largest sized one if you don't know in this github link (note:you have to login to your github account for link to workchanged the link, you don't have to log in now.)Extract the zip file
Install the apk
The app is in broken English so it's a bit easier to navigate, although you might need to change it in the app settings.
Click the "+" on the top right
Change the language in to your desired choice (e.g. English US)
Choose your chosen voice
You can get a preview of the voice by putting words in the preview form and then hit play.
Exit out of the app and go to Android Settings
Search for Text to Speech or go to System > Language & Keyboard > Text-to-Speech Output (it will vary on your phone but this is the general idea).
Change the engine to TTS Server
Use an epub reader with TTS feature (like Google Play Books), then open TTS feature and enjoy!
Too slow? try this: Hamburger Menu (Top Right) > Settings > Turn on User DNS to resolve API IP
"This is a lot of work, is there an easier way?"
Well you can change the voice of the default TTS Engine on your phone (mostly Google TTS or Samsung TTS). I noticed that the default voice is bad, but some of the other voices is a slight upgrade.
Method 04: Adjusting Google Speech Services/Samsung TTS Engine
go to Android Settings
Search for Text to Speech or go to System > Language & Keyboard > Text-to-Speech Output (it will vary on your phone but this is the general idea).
Click on the setting icon near the TTS Engine
Find Install Voice Data
Find your language of choice (English US, English UK, etc.)
Download/Choose among the various voices in there
Go back and then you can preview the voice. You can also change the speed and pitch of the voice.
Use an epub reader with TTS feature (like Google Play Books), then open TTS feature and enjoy!
Bonus: If you're using Google Play Books for book reading and using Google TTS, you can go to Google Play books setting and turn on "High Quality Voice" (Idk how much of a difference this makes but it should be better).
Method 05: another TTS app
Download the TTS Apk in this github link
Install the TTS
In your Android Settings, find Text-To-Speech settings.
Change engine from the previously installed Text-To-Speech to this new one.
Use an epub reader with TTS feature (like Google Play Books), then open TTS feature and enjoy!
If you want to change the default voice (Jenny+) to another,
Open the installed TTS (it's in Chinese so it's a bit hard to navigate).
Next Click this to enable customization.
Double click the name of your choice to choose and hear an example of said voice (i.e. Christopher, Sonia, etc.)
There are other settings in there, here's a link to an album of screenshots and their corresponding translation.
(I'll update the links to the pictures later.)
As the title says, when I go into the speech recognition section in the control panel, and then the text to speech option located to the left, there are no voices available when I am in the speech properties menu's text to speech tab. I click on voice selection, and expect to see voices such as Microsoft David, but nothing is there. Only blank box. The same result occurs when I attempt to use third party TTS software such as Balabolka to access voices like Microsoft David. Nothing shows up in the software's drop down menu. Have I somehow removed the voices from my computer? How can I gain access to the default Windows voices again?
I’m trying to recreate a specific tts voice from the announcer from half-life and in my research I’ve found articles where they say they used Microsoft SAPI back in 1998 and added some effects to it.
Here’s an example
https://youtu.be/cSehhpW6stE?t=45
I essentially want to know if the only way to purchase and use TTS voices is remotely. Are there any local voices or ways I can setup a server in my own home and attach a dataset or something to use? Everyone keeps saying they buy different voices and etc. But what are they buying? Just access to the services or an actual dataset for a neural voice? really don't understand anything. If anyone can try to explain what's going on? really want to be able to purchase a voice and use it locally to read text highlight or pdf's or etc but want to use natural sounding voices. completely understand how that might be impossible but I'm curious as to why and how can access tts readers that aren't shit sounding. Speechify is great! But I'm not paying a subscription unfortunately. Thanks to anyone that has read this far and decided to reply haha.