While still messing around with speech applications and feeling very depressed last night I got a message from Kit to say that he has bought me a present. Botanicula the new game from Amanita Design. I won't describe it, click the link. That cheered me up no end and it was part of a Humble Bundle. I already have most of the bundle but nevertheless it is good to see all my favourites there. If any of you need to buy a present for a child or daft adult then try these. They are made by small independent companies and offered very cheaply. Just like the old days of the internet, so they deserve support.
Looking for details about coding speech had become a chore. Nowadays searches seem swamped by commercialism. Even putting the word 'free' in does not help as the 'free' applications are usually crippled in some way. Just finding anything about writing scripts or codes for computer speech at the level I wanted proved very frustrating. I felt the days of the amateur who knew nothing but just wanted to mess about were almost gone. How often do we look at the html of our web pages these days?
If you are interested, for the Panda I used the online cartoon maker Xtranormal that offers some free online facilities but the speech is very limited, though they offer a good range of voices. Cat and Dog I used Noodle Flix.
I find this more interesting because it gives you access to some of the scripting language. There are no instructions so all one can do is tinker and work it out, but as you see at this level it is pretty simple. Note the vowels though, they are not so obvious, I should also warn that you will freeze up the application if you try it and make mistakes. So don't blame me. I don;t have access to the new voice software at present so my voices still sound very robotic. To make them more realistic each word needs editing and that takes so long it is not practical, but it is fun and I think one learns something about the nature of language and hearing.
Can you work out what the script below says?
[[slnc 1000]]
[[inpt TUNE]]
w {D 120; P 108.3:0 110.3:29 115.5:58 121.3:79}
1EH {D 125; P 131.5:0 140.9:68 139.9:80}
l {D 85; P 133.6:0 120.9:53}
k {D 80; P 106.1:0 102.7:19 102.7:38 106.2:69}
AX {D 70; P 112.3:0}
m {D 80; P 100.6:0}
t {D 75; P 100.9:0 103:47}
IX {D 75; P 112.6:0}
n {D 70; P 97.7:0 99.8:29 103.2:50 109.8:71}
1UW {D 135; P 121:0 126.4:41 146.5:81 149:93}
d {D 45; P 146.8:0 144.5:56}
AX {D 65; P 146:0}
l {D 70; P 137.5:0 132.4:50}
f {D 110; P 121.4:0 120.8:23 123.2:36}
l {D 65; P 161.4:0 165:69}
1IH {D 95; P 158.3:0 135.6:26 119.7:47 117.3:58 118.1:84}
k {D 85; P 116.6:0 117.6:41}
s {D 165; P 121.6:0 115.2:18 112.4:39 113:67 117.1:100}
[[slnc 200]]
D {D 75; P 99:0 101.3:53}
IX {D 80; P 107.1:0 106.1:50 103:75}
t {D 95; P 97.9:0 100.2:26 104.8:47 113.6:74}
1AO {D 110; P 125.6:0 120.7:14 119.1:32}
k {D 85; P 124.8:0 138.5:35 164.8:88}
=IH {D 65; P 169:0 165:23}
N {D 80; P 144.5:0 131.7:56 122:81}
h {D 65; P 112.8:0 111:15 115.5:38 127.1:69}
1EH {D 100; P 142.5:0 152.8:45 153.1:55 149.2:75}
d {D 50; P 138.6:0}
m {D 80; P 129.2:0 125.9:31 125.1:63 126.8:88}
1UW {D 105; P 131:0 141.2:71 141.5:86}
v {D 55; P 138.2:0 136.7:55}
IY {D 75; P 138.9:0 133.1:60}
y {D 65; P 127.5:0 125.5:54}
UW {D 85; P 126:0 121.6:41 114.1:82}
t {D 85; P 113.3:0 120.1:24 130:47 142.7:71}
1IH {D 70; P 161.3:0 153.1:29}
l {D 60; P 121.1:0 104.7:58}
IX {D 65; P 96:0 88.2:31}
t {D 65; P 85.5:0}
IY {D 210; P 84.1:0 81.4:50 75:100}
[[slnc 200]]
[[inpt TEXT]]
[[slnc 1000]]