Resolved by CochranRobotics!
Hey guys.
I have asked this question in another thread, but I decided to create a new "assistance required" thread as my issue relates to Windows 8, where as the other thread was really related to Windows 7, plus I'm still having problems. I really hope someone can help with this.
The issue
I'm in the middle of a transition from moving from a Win 7 to Win 8 laptop, and I'm having a real pain in the butt issue using speech synthesis voices with the new Windows 8 machine and new ARC install.
As Richard may remember, I mentioned in the other thread that I copied the .exe file for a Cepstral voice from my Win 7 machine, reinstalled it on to the Win 8 laptop, and added the activation key. The voice worked on Narrator and other 3rd party apps such as screen readers, but it never worked on ARC so I thought that was the problem. I have since reset the laptop back to the "Out of the box" state, and started again.
My new Windows 8 Toshiba Satellite laptop comes with three pre-installed voices, but only one of them works with ARC. I have installed a fresh version of a trial Cepstral voice and a 30 day trial of an Ivona voice, and neither one works with ARC either.
I have tried each and every variation of the "Speech synthesis" settings for each voice and they have made no difference whatsoever, and keeps using the one Windows voice. The only thing that does change is the "Rate".
Have any of you guy's faced this issue with Windows 8, and/or does anyone know what can be done so I can use the voices I want to use? I really want to get this working and I don't see why I'm having these problems, as using Cepstral with ARC on Windows 7 was no problem at all. Please help. confused
Many thanks.
Steve.
That so is weird... I assume you've uninstalled ARC then downloaded a fresh copy and then reinstalled it....?
i use swiftalker from cepstral.it has some settings and works whit. win7 and 8
swiftalker
@Richard.
Yeah it's a fresh install on the new machine. Do you reckon un and re-installing it migh work? It's worth a go I guess.
@nomad.
Thanks for replying. I have Cepstral Lawrence working on my Windows 7 machine with no problems at all, even with robot sound effects. But ARC point blank refuses to use anything except the one voice mentioned earlier on Windows 8.
Is your Windows 8 32 or 64 bit? What about the Win 7 where it is working? I haven't tried voices yet on my 64 bit machine, but I absolutely can't get autohotkey to work correctly on it (even the 64 bit version).
If I get some free time in the next day or two, I will try the demo version of Cepstral and see if it works for me on either a 32 or 64 bit windows 8 install.
Alan
My HP PC is Win 8.1 64bit and speech works with all my installed voices, both 3rd party and built in...
Another thought is maybe it is a locale/region/language preference issue. ARC has issues with some functions when the locale settings are for other countries than North America. I wouldn't think it would have an issue with UK locale settings, but it is probably worth looking into.
Alan
Ignore my suggestion about locale settings.
Both 32 and 64 bit Windows 8.1, for me, ARC ignores the Windows default TTS engine and uses Microsoft David.
When changing speech settings in ARC, the only change I can make that has any impact at all is between male and female. If I switch to Microsoft Hazel, it is actually playing the female version of microsoft David, not the Hazel voice. Switching to Zira male or female play male Microsoft David, as does the trial download of Cepstral Lawrence.
Richard R, what 3rd party voice are you using?
Alan
@Alan, I am using Cereproc (William, I believe)