Voice Banking Anything New?

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dldugan

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Oct 5, 2018
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203
Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
09/2018
Country
US
State
illinois
City
Mahomet
I am considering voice banking. All of the threads seem to be closed. What are the latest developments? What have you tried? Is it worth it—your opinion please?
 
one of best things I did. Used model talker. Don't know what new
 
ModelTalker is definitely the best system for voice banking. Go to their website ModelTalker.org for details.

It is free to create your synthetic voice and involves carefully recording 1000 sentences using a pc or Mac equipped with a good quality microphone which you generally have to purchase separately. Once you’ve recorded the sentences, they create a voice for you, and there is a $100 one time fee to download it.

I ended up also buying the Predictable app for my iPad which can interface with my model talker voice. You can also use any of a selection of their preloaded voices. I like some of these better than my own synthetic voice. So when the time comes that I actually need to start using a synthetic voice, I can choose between my own, or one of the preloaded voices.

Here’s a previous thread on this https://www.alsforums.com/forum/general-discussion-about-als-mnd/41249-voice-banking.html
 
It is worth it in my opinion. I did mine immediately after diagnosis. It is a little time consuming but you can do it over numerous sessions. I used Model Talker. If you contact Team Gleason they will pay the fee for it.
 
I also banked with modeltalker, a long process of recording 1600 sentences, and I also purchased the Predictable app to use it with. I’m glad I banked my voice but not that pleased with the results because it sounds so mechanical, even more than voices on other speech apps, and the rhythm of sentences is sometimes hard for others to understand. But it’s probably the best that’s out there and they have your voice so you would benefit from any improvement in speech synthesis technology.

While I think banking is worth the effort, I wish I spent equal time recording and organizing phrases in my natural voice. I recorded a few but my speech was already going at the point when I realized I wanted to do it.

I am just starting to supplement my speech with Predictable and other speech apps and just text. So far I prefer just texting and feel I get my point across better this way. Maybe this will change as I (we) get used to synthesized speech.
 
If you have already had a significant change in your voice, I am not sure that Model Talker is a viable solution as the Model Talker voice will be a replicant of your current voice. I went through the process with fingers crossed, but my voice had changed so much before I started, the voice created sounds nothing like my voice prior to onset.

If you do go with Model Talker and you have a Windows-based device, the Narrator function built into Windows 10 will allow you to use the MT voice as well as several other voice options. The narrator is a little clunky right now, well a lot clunky, but it will read back whatever you type in Word or Note or Notepad. The good news is they are working to improve it with each release.

Dave
 
I don't know what is new, but I do know that Model Talker has worked well for me.

Whatever you choose, don't delay. Get this done before your voice degrades to a point that it is not possible to create a voice file.

Steve
 
Has anyone used Speech Assistant AAC? This is an iTunes app.
 
Yes, I use Speech Assistant app on my android phone, they have both apple and android versions of the app. It's easy to use and create custom buttons for your most used phrases. As I'm guessing you know, it is NOT an app that uses your own voice, it's a generic voice.
 
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