TTS Windows Desktop Software

[marcusus]

Hi,

I'm visually impared due to a worsening glaucoma this last 2 years not helped by the bull s h i t covid. As I'm left with near 10% of eyesight and I need my computer to go on writing, I'm looking for TTS software.

I use dragon professional individual 15 to dictate but I lack the previous set up I had in an earlier Windows 7 with textaloud + acapela/loquendo/AT&T pro voices. This box being more and more instable after 16 years of service, I had to set up a new one but it doesn't go well along with outdated ressources.
I've looked online with no luck in torrents, closed websites and nowadays online TTS sites.

Do you guys know any good DESKTOP tts software with realistic human voices as using word forces me to switch from windows7+ windowblinds to hight contrast mode (same for many other apps/windows core dialogs). In order to prevent this I've tested windows10 (and 11) with only few improvmebts in that department.

Sure there are online services like play.ht or naturalreader but at $600/year for I don't know how many uses, it seems far fetch for my finances.

Thanks in advance.

 

[juanamm]

Hi @marcusus , I have moved your thread to this section where it will have more visibility.
I hope you have luck with what you are looking for.

 

[marcusus]

Thanks a lot for your help on that.

 

[goswami99]

I am very sorry to hear about your condition, I hope that it doesn't worsen further

As for TTS software, I can not vouch for them but I saw that Nuance Dragon Professional Individual 15 (the software you use), NextUp TextAloud 4 (a recent version that will also work on Windows 10/11) and NaturalReader Professional 16 are good TTS programs that also have treatments for recent versions available.

@Mirkec has posted treated TextAloud previously, here is the link - https://www.teamos.xyz/threads/nextup-textaloud-version-4-0-65-teamos.182225/

Unfortunately even though NaturalReader Premium/Ultimate is available, the natural voice packs are not bundled with them and have to be bought separately. I could not find any recent version with bundled natural voices.

There is also Panopreter (the freeware version) that according to the website "reads text aloud with natural sounding voices"

I also found a freeware called "Balabolka" but that depends on installed voices and doesn't include realistic voices.

 

[DannyShane]

Hey Marcusus, are you still looking for TTS software? Like yourself, I too have been looking for some TTS software because I have vision problems as well. I have been trying to find something that implements the Google Deep Wave Voice technology, unfortunately, most of the stuff I have found were utilizing it in Google Chrome Extensions instead of full-fledged programs. However, I did come across a few options the other day, but I can't remember the names of them right now. I am going to do some more research and I will get back to you ASAP.

I'll let you know as soon as I find it.

 

[marcusus]

As both of you implied, the issue isn't the software as textaloud for example is available as some other applications, the issue is voices, above all premium one.
I have the last textaloud version, easily available on a portable software site (as outside teamos links are forbidden , I don't know if sites names are also, anyway...) but the basic voices bundled with it is somethin near prehistoric. Almost.

I've seen that dragon individual has a text to speech options that I have to test for the voice quality but I'm afraid the option wiill be limited to be used inside the software. I have to check, I'll let you know.