1/7/11

A New Model for Synthetic Speech

It's I!

Toshiba Research Europe posted a letter on the LibriVox forum asking if it was OK with us if they contacted certain of our narrators to create synthetic voices of them for text-to-speech applications:

http://forum.librivox.org/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=30499

Today I got a private message through LibriVox from Dr. Buchholz, asking me if I'm OK with being a model!  This doesn't require any involvement from me - they process my recordings to break down how I pronounce the various syllables in their various intonations.  And they probably won't attribute the result to me; I'll probably be known as something like "U.S. male with little natural accent".

Toshiba is (at least at first) planning to improve computer-generated spoken texts. (They already have their technology aboard some GPS models.) But someday, when you buy a new "smart" refrigerator or car or some-such, you may be surprised to hear it using my voice!

1 comment:

  1. I wanted to let you know that I posted a review on an audio book that you recorded. (This is the second in a series of classic reviews). Check it out: http://bookgateway.com/2011/01/kidnapped/

    You did a great job as usual. And it makes sense that you should get a professional job... even if only for a fridge. :)

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