Details Category: Android. Research and development. Updated 02/12/2018 10:54 Views: 37086
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To install and configure Russian voice in CoolReader it needs to be put on Android(voice). Android(today's version, not upgraded to version 4) already has a lot for this, but, alas, the developers CoolReader adherents of old traditions and voices. Therefore, it had to be on par with those already available on mine Galaxy Note : Samsung TTS And Pico TTS, put one more TTS - SVOX Classic TTS(we open at home Market Play and we find there SVOX Classic TTS, it is distributed free of charge, which cannot be said about the voices for it). Installed? Let's go to settings, there - Voice input and output, Text to Speech. Check the box Always use my settings. And enable (checkbox again) SVOX Classic TTS.
ACHTUNG, ACHTUNG! Rusen, freebie, don’t be stupid and refuse any automatic updates and upgrades as SVOX Classic TTS in general it is Russian Female Voice in particular .
Launch CoolReader, system menu choose Options/Read aloud. And that's it... It works just like on personal computers. Loud and good. Doesn't hiccup. I set the speed quite fast, it became a little more pleasant to listen to the voice of a female robot. But it will do for me. While I’m on my way to work, I listen to a book, and even at work when I’m visiting a fierce trifle: headphones in my ears, a device in my pocket, and sometimes knock on the keys, so as not to attract the attention of the observant management by the lack of keyboard chatter on my part.
SVOX Classic Text To Speech Engine voice engine for the platform is a program that allows you to play any Text Document in the form of a speech stream. Every device running Android OS has a built-in program that allows you to convert text into human speech. However, the disadvantage of this program is that it only supports foreign languages. The peculiarity of SVOX Classic Text To Speech Engine is precisely that this program knows how to “speak” Russian.
Using SVOX Classic Text opens up a lot of new possibilities. Thanks to it you will be able to voice various programs, play e-books and important messages. SVOX Classic Text supports more than 25 languages. Thanks to this set, this program is unique in its kind. There is also the ability to select voice accompaniment - there are forty options in total. To reproduce text in Russian, you need to download a special add-on to the program, which is easy to find on the Internet. For further work, just install the program along with this add-on and that’s it - your smartphone speaks Russian!
SVOX Classic Text settings when playing text allow you to set the program to be used by default. To do this, just go to the application settings and go to the “ voice input- conclusion". There you need to tick the “system installed by default” checkbox. After this, the user can also select the default voice.
On our website you can download Russian voice engines to your Android smartphone. The program itself is included activated by key and does not require registration, as well as 40 male and female voices in 25 languages, naturally including Russian. Now yours smart phone truly becomes such, give it any text or command and it will read any array of text for you, in the language you need.
Language engines and synthesizers ( TTS text-to-speech) have never been something perfect for the Russian language. Unlike the English ones, whose development was constant and steady, the best representative of domestic synthesizers for more than ten years was the male voice Nikolai from Acapela. In recent years, it has been competing with two quite decent female options - Alena (Acapela) and Katerina, later - Katerina II (ScanSoft RealSpeak).
For everyday use required some effort, and for mobile platforms, primarily Android, they were only suitable in conjunction with personal computer, forcing text to be converted into sound so that it can later be played with a standard Mp3 player on the end device.
Some hope for progress, as often happens, was given by the good corporation Google, see our material:
. Until recently, the maximum capabilities provided by the search giant came down to online work with their synthesizer. The result, frankly speaking, was not something revolutionary. With example Google work You can familiarize yourself with the TTS API at general information about the Club.
There were several other solutions tailored specifically for use with smartphones:
- Pico TTS supplied by default - without Russian language
- IVONA Text-to-Speech - unfortunately, support for Russian has not yet been implemented, although the official voice of Tatyana is presented on the developer’s website
- SVOX Classic Text To Speech Engine- the only working model. Software installation is free, trial period for evaluation. Final price ~ 3USD
And so, at the end of May 2014, Google Play their new completely free Google Speech Synthesizer appears. This product easily outshines past solutions using Russian TTS systems, moreover, in my humble opinion, this female voice is better than the available solutions for personal computers.
Below is a small demo fragment received from a smartphone with Google’s speech synthesizer installed - a Russian female voice (so far the only one available)
Entry received via standard program for fb2 FBReader with connected reader module 
Even if you do not perceive computer speech in the context of book scoring, this solution will allow you to upgrade your mobile friend. Google navigation will start reading street names for you, special applications will be able to read SMS text and numbers during incoming calls.
In addition, and this is very useful for visually impaired or blind users, you can now fully use TalkBack - an analogue of the Jaws screen reader familiar to many from working on personal computers. This system realizes the potential of Android for voice notification of all events on the phone, allowing you to control it without seeing the screen.
- Disadvantages of working with a synthesizer
- A significant disadvantage for a lover of audiobooks is increased energy consumption; in a couple of hours of dubbing, you will lose up to half the battery charge
- An annoyance recorded only when playing through a phone speaker: slight fade in - attenuation of the sound level at the beginning of a sentence. Via a wired headset, external device and bluetooth this effect is missing
- No support for custom accents and dictionaries
You can't expect any special miracles - it's just a computer, however, some coldness during reading may seem to some to be a pleasant respite from the excess of theatricality in the work of individual performers.
Installing the synthesizer is extremely simple.
Go to the product page in the store. Google Play will notify you as usual about compatibility with your device - Android required 4.0.3
and higher, then download and installation will occur. Then you need to download the “voice”:
Settings -> Accessibility -> Text-to-speech output -> Google speech synthesizer (do not be alarmed by the threatening warning, the manufacturer will not learn anything new about you through this program, he already knows everything for certain) -> download. And for peace of mind, reboot.
- UPD: October 2016
Screen reader for Android or smartphone for a visually impaired or blind person
The modern world is constantly progressing. Graduated wonderful software- a screen announcer, thanks to which a person deprived of vision can plunge into the world of high technology. We wrote earlier, and in this review Let's look at smartphone apps.
Speech synthesizer software looks like an application that provides translation of text information into voice.
The wide variety of these products never ceases to amaze users, so I suggest taking a closer look at the most popular ones.
Application classification
Already developed and released a large number of speech synthesizers, with their help it is a pleasure not only to perceive visually useful information, but also to hear.
These programs are divided into two types: paid and free.
Those programs that are “ball-based” have a more meager arsenal of capabilities, but can also be used; with paid versions, things are more fun, their vastness knows no bounds.
Russian-language speech synthesizers
For operating systems such as Android, there are many options for speech synthesizers, but most of them do not have Russian-language versions.
Let's look at a few of the most popular screen readers:
This program is developed for Android. Has high rates of speech synthesis, multilingual, has 25 different languages, including Russified.
The developers are Acapela Group S.A.. The approximate cost is 4 euros.
A multilingual speech synthesizer that is not commercial. Information processing in 37 languages, voice acting is good, there are many voice options.
Works on multiple operating rooms Linux systems, MacOS, Microsoft Windows and RISC OS. For correct voice reproduction, an extended dictionary was developed.
Due to non-profit activities, the program performs slightly worse than paid applications, but the developers have plans to improve performance.
Setting up TTS
Initially, you need to decide which speech synthesizer is most suitable. Download and install the application, then go to the TTS settings. Let's look at the step-by-step instructions:
- You need to start with the launch;
- Then you need to go to the application settings;
- Select and install the required language;
- Decide on speech synthesis;
- You should select an engine, most often “automatically”;
- Set the speech speed that suits you;
- Customize at your discretion Extra options, necessary for work.
When all parameters are set, if necessary, you can begin operation.
TalkBack is standard utility, which is usually built into the Android OS. This function was developed for people with vision problems, visually impaired people, thanks to TalkBack, can use gadgets without any problems.
When starting the program for the first time, you can use the instructions. Narrator has very extensive settings. On all devices, on different types firmware, there are slight differences in the service settings.
The main features of TalkBack are:
- Variable playback volume level;
- Ability to change voice tone;
- Voiceover of every keystroke;
- There is a distance sensor, thanks to which the sound level is adjusted;
- The device reports information about incoming calls and SMS, Caller ID principle;
- Convert speech to text and vice versa;
- Gesture control.
These are the main features, but there are also a wide variety of secondary ones.
TalkBack is an indispensable application for people who have lost the ability to see and use the same devices as sighted people
For the visually impaired, this is a real find. People with full vision this application will not be convenient, it can be annoying, and slow down the process of working on the device.
It will be quite difficult for a person who cannot see anything to set up the program on their own, so it is best to seek help from the people around you.
For gadgets running on Android, there is the possibility of voice assistance in control. TalkBack speaks all the icons that you can click on with your finger, or simply while moving around the screen.
The Explore by Touch feature helps with this. Eat detailed instructions, how exactly to use this function.
After reading the instructions, users have no problems operating the device.
In order to select the desired icon and activate the element, just press the icon with your finger, and a voice prompt will play. Scrolling, accompanied by different tones, also adds convenience.
Video: Acapela Tts Voices for Android
Conclusion
Having understood the work and functionality of screen readers, we can draw the following conclusions:
- The announcers are indispensable program for people with vision problems and blindness;
- Using such programs, you can voice any test information;
- Voice-produced information can easily be converted into written text;
- The cost of voice speakers is low, there are even free ones.
If your native language is not English and you do not write applications only for the iPhone, then you will have a rather difficult time if you want to find a suitable toolkit for developing the so-called. mobile “voice-enabled” applications.
This review provides a classification and describes the most worthy of the mobile TTS engines.
I am doing research in the field of interface design mobile devices for people with visual impairments. To implement one of my projects, I needed a voice generation engine with multi-language support (at least two languages - English and Russian). This was the reason for searching for a speech synthesizer.
For convenience, we divide TTS engines into three classes:
- commercial;
- free (solutions licensed under GPL, LGPL and softer licenses such as BSD License or wxWindows License, which allow commercial development of products);
- built-in (tools provided by the operating system itself).
Commercial engines
SVOX Mobile TTS
Price: n/a
Languages: 26, including Russian
high
Mobile OS: Android, Symbian, Windows CE/ Windows Mobile BREW
The SVOX company has the most “tasty” product from a technical point of view - SVOX Mobile TTS. However, since the company operates mainly in the B2B segment, they never responded to my two emails requesting a price.
The price indicated in the header refers to such operating systems like Windows Mobile and Symbian, but Acapela's business model varies depending on the OS chosen. For example, they most strongly promote the iOS direction, for which a separate website has been created. There you can register and get an evaluation version of their engine for free. Bare SDK price for former iPhone OS is 250€. Also from every item you sell in App Store applications, considerable interest is charged.
I note that Acapela provides “cloud” speech synthesis, as well as porting the SDK to any platform.
Free engines
Flite
Price: noLanguages: English plus the ability to compile FestVox languages
Subjective sound quality assessment: low
Mobile OS: Android, Windows CE/Windows Mobile, iOS, PalmOS
Possibility of developing commercial products: yes (CMU license)
In the desktop world, the Festival speech synthesizer is well known. It has a port called Flite for mobile devices and embedded systems, which is distributed under their own X11-like license, which allows the software to be freely distributed to anyone, as well as to build both commercial and free applications based on it. There are ports for Windows CE/Windows Mobile, PalmOS, Android and .
Instructions for compiling the engine for WM are included in the distribution, but on this platform eSpeak has one significant limitation - voice generation is only possible in a WAV file. The assembled TTS engine for Windows Mobile can be obtained.
ESpeak has been ported to Android. The easiest way to try it is to install the TTS Service Extended application from the Android Market, which allows you to switch between the built-in engine and eSpeak. This TTS engine is distributed under the terms of the GNU GPL.
Embedded Solutions
Built-in solutions are present only in Symbian and Android. For some unknown reason, Microsoft has deprived its mobile OS of the corresponding software interface (MS SAPI).Symbian
Price: no
Languages: English
Subjective assessment of sound quality: extremely low
Possibility of developing commercial products: yes
The Symbian Foundation's built-in TTS is hidden in the CMdaAudioPlayerUtility class. Although it doesn't say anything about it, it does allow speech synthesis. Unfortunately, Russian language is not supported. The quality of English speech generation is very low. Without preparation it is quite difficult to understand what exactly he said.
Additional language packs can be downloaded, but the list of supported phones is very limited. Installing packages for the Russian language on a device running Symbain OS S60 5th did not give the expected results; the built-in TTS did not speak Russian.
I note that there is a fairly convenient API extension called NSS TTS Utility API, a description of which can be found