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Index:
About ModelTalker Speech Synthesizer:
ModelTalker is a speech synthesis
system designed specifically with the needs and interests of AAC device
users in mind. What makes ModelTalker special is its use of a personalized
voice in speech synthesis. It does this by using a database of recorded
speech. The database is obtained by recording someone whose voice we wish
to emulate. This person records a set of words and phrases using a software
program called InvTool. When the person is done recording, InvTool runs
those words and phrases through a computer program that stores them in
a database in a way that can be accessed by the ModelTalker synthesizer.
Then, when speech is synthesized, the longest continuous strings of speech
are appended together. So if someone is trying to synthesize a phrase
or sentence that has been recorded and stored in the database, the resulting
synthesized speech will sound as natural as recorded speech. If, however,
someone is trying to synthesize a more unusual phrase or sentence, shorter
portions of speech will be appended. The resulting synthetic speech will
sound less natural, but it will still be in the same voice as the person
who was recorded. We synthesize speech this way so that all possible words,
phrases, and sentences can be synthesized even though only a limited number
of words and phrases have been recorded.
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