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todd ellis A Zillion
Joined: 02 Jan 2007 Posts: 10493 Location: little egypt
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Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 1:13 pm Post subject: A great reason for text to speech - please take a look. |
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i saw this on linked in and ALMOST posted a snarky comment without clicking the link & learning more.
i'm glad i didn't.
this is the best reason ever for text to speech & i'm going to donate. _________________ "i know philip banks": todd ellis
who's/on/1st?
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Foog DC
Joined: 27 Oct 2013 Posts: 608 Location: Upper Canuckistan
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Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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That's just... I think I got something in my eye. Thanks Todd. I needed that today! _________________ Andrew Fogarasi
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Bailey 4 Large
Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 4336 Location: Lake San Marcos... north of Connie, northwest of the Best.
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Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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Todd... great idea! But when I read the following:
Quote: | Once you donate recordings of your vocal content, your contribution is irrevocable and it may be used by VocaliD or its affiliates for scientific research, the development of products (including those intended for speech impaired individuals) and for other purposes not yet known. |
I understand this is all voluntary, but does "other purposes not yet known." mean that your voice samples could be sold to another outfit making enhanced vocal announcements like "Clean up needed in aisle seven" ?
... or am I just thinking about worse case scenarios? _________________ "Bailey"
a.k.a. Jim Sutton
Retired... Every day is Saturday, except Sunday.
VO-BB Member #00044 .gif" alt="W00T" border="0" />
AOVA Graduate 02/2004 ;
"Be a Voice, not an Echo." |
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Mike Harrison M&M
Joined: 03 Nov 2007 Posts: 2029 Location: Equidistant from New York City and Philadelphia, along the NJ Shore
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Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:25 am Post subject: |
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Back in February 2008, I spent six hours per day for a week in the studio of a European speech technology company (subsequently purchased by another company) recording exactly what seems to be described here by VocaliD: completely nonsensical sentences. They were not archiving recordings of complete sentences or even words; they were going for the sounds made by the combinations of the different letters within the words.
I was not told who the end-user client was or what the samples of my voice were to be used for. The only thing they shared was that devices like GPS are able to speak complete sentences because all those archived voice samples of two-letter combinations are assembled on-the-fly to create the sentences.
VocaliD seems to be working for a great cause. Like Bailey, though, I'm a bit concerned about their expectation that donors will allow essentially open-ended (not yet identified) use of voice samples by their affiliates. Isn't that like asking someone to sign a blank piece of paper? _________________ Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.
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todd ellis A Zillion
Joined: 02 Jan 2007 Posts: 10493 Location: little egypt
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Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2014 7:36 am Post subject: |
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good point jim & mike -- i had not read the sign up details - so i missed that! i sent them an email asking a direct question and posted the same on the LI page --- 24 hours & no response. we'll see. _________________ "i know philip banks": todd ellis
who's/on/1st?
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Jen Gosnell A Hundred Dozen
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 1290 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 1:31 am Post subject: |
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This is super cool!
Could any of us imagine being without a voice? For me, it is misery. _________________ jen@jengosnell.com
https://www.jengosnell.com
Skype: jen.gosnell
971.258.2448 |
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ballenberg Lucky 700
Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 793 Location: United States
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Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 8:33 am Post subject: |
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Jen--the original stated use may be cool, but the ultimate unlimited and uncapped usage is reason to run away very fast....Would you like to record for a local phone company charity program and have your voice sold as per Siri? A few years back I was in the running, one of two, for a voice program along these lines for IBM--uncapped usage. I pulled out without a second thought. Don't know if the other guy stayed in.. There just weren't nearly enough digits in the fee |
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Philip Banks Je Ne Sais Quoi
Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 11048 Location: Portgordon, Scotland
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Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 8:38 am Post subject: |
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The fees for such jobs should be life changing, in a good way.
In the context of Todd's post, how much would I charge to give a disabled person a voice? Exactly the same as I would charge for pulling someone from a burning building. |
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chrisvoco Club 300
Joined: 14 Mar 2014 Posts: 380 Location: Local
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Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 9:09 pm Post subject: |
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An apparent majority of adaptive speech equipment is in dire need of this kind of thing.
For example, those that mount to wheelchairs and have separate little panels with pictures on them, providing rudimentary bits of speech, to allow you to communicate a need or a feeling, as in, "I want a glass of lemonade." Several of my wife's residents, being nonverbal, have panels like these. While they make communication possible, the sound tends to be more like the National Weather Service than a living human with feelings. The present state - "present" being loose, since they're expensive and thus cannot be replaced or upgraded very often - serves the purpose, but doesn't go far in correcting the boneheaded attitudes of folks within earshot.
Not to veer too far from the original post, but has anyone here provided speech for modern incarnations of adaptive speech devices? My wife gets a number of trade publications and catalogs in the mail for this equipment, and I'd be curious to know whether the manufacturers look for actual voice talent or simply prepare the audio themselves. I guess the easiest thing to do would be for me to contact them myself, huh... not that *I* personally would sound more human than what they've got, because I am a robot, but still... _________________ Finally, Ford stops starting to say things and starts. |
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Kristin Lennox Flight Attendant
Joined: 30 Apr 2011 Posts: 858
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Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 10:10 pm Post subject: |
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I've posted about this before, but a couple of years ago, my daughter spent several days in a studio recording for the ProLoquo2Go TTS a. It was kind of ground-breaking back then, because it was the first time non-verbal children could have an actual child's voice represent them, instead of a pitched up adult's voice.
It does have a bit of a computerized quality to it, but I still think it's quite good. If you want to hear my daughter's sample, click on the link, scroll down and click on "Ella"...
http://www.assistiveware.com/innovation/childrens-voices _________________ Always look on the bright side of life.
Dee doo. Dee doot doot doo dee doo.
my website |
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Jen Gosnell A Hundred Dozen
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 1290 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 1:18 am Post subject: |
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chrisvoco wrote: | because I am a robot |
LOL! You talk a good game, Chris, but I'm not buying it.
ballenberg wrote: | the ultimate unlimited and uncapped usage is reason to run away very fast |
I get it, Bill, and I would tatally understand the desire to work with the organization to restrict use of one's voice to the charitable purposes. Of course, they may be unwilling, as income from resale of the vocal samples may be a key part of their business plan, or some other reason. In that case I also understand that business is business, and one would be totally justified in walking away from a donation to avoid the prospect of unlimited reuse. I'd be curious, though, to talk to the company and find out what their prospective use cases are. Completely true that by donating with the unrestricted use clause one takes a risk of potentially losing future income. But I question the size of such a risk, and feel that in this case it may well be outweighed by the value of doing a good thing in the world.
Of course, it may not. Your mileage may vary. _________________ jen@jengosnell.com
https://www.jengosnell.com
Skype: jen.gosnell
971.258.2448 |
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todd ellis A Zillion
Joined: 02 Jan 2007 Posts: 10493 Location: little egypt
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 7:51 am Post subject: |
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i got a reply back from Dr. Patel, the founder of VocaliD -- which, in part, states:
We completely understand your concern about the legal wording - these things are often onerously written. We do not intend to use your recordings for other purposes or to provide them to a third party.
i get the necessity for the legalese and think any financial risk to me is infinitesimal compared to the good this project can do. _________________ "i know philip banks": todd ellis
who's/on/1st?
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Bruce Boardmeister
Joined: 06 Jun 2005 Posts: 7926 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:35 am Post subject: |
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More than 98% of my work involves just one legal document: an invoice that asks for payment for services rendered. Period.
On those few other jobs that require "employment agreements", "independent contractor agreements", "non-compete statements" and such, often many pages long, I usually think, "ahh, some lawyer got his/her hooks into you, making you pay stuff you don't really need." Oh well.
B _________________ VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005
I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. . |
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Lee Gordon A Zillion
Joined: 25 Jul 2008 Posts: 6844 Location: West Hartford, CT
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 10:33 am Post subject: |
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todd ellis wrote: | i got a reply back from Dr. Patel, the founder of VocaliD -- which, in part, states:
We do not intend to use your recordings for other purposes or to provide them to a third party.
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Then they shouldn't mind initialing an addendum to any agreement stipulating that. _________________ Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice
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Bish 3.5 kHz
Joined: 22 Nov 2009 Posts: 3738 Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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It's unfortunate that a good cause can muddy the waters by letting the lawyers write their agreements.
a) Legal position: We can use your donated stuff for whatever we want, including selling it to third parties.
b) Informal statement: But we have no intention of doing so.
Without getting into any discussion about the validity of the charitable work, we all need to take a stand against contracts that contain stuff like this. "Dr. Patel" may be a man of honour and integrity... but his successor or subordinates may not be. If they have a salable commodity on their books and a mandate to further their cause or raise funds to do so, policies may change.
Sorry to be a hard-arse, but too many things go by the wayside under the banner of, "it's for the children". All legal contracts need to be appropriate and relevant to their purpose. _________________ Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls. |
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