No-AI TTS question
I have an urge to make how-to and let's-explore videos, but the 2019 flu made it too painful to talk for long enough to narrate anything. That means my only options are either captions over voiceless videos or using a text-to-speech (TTS) program to read text I write.
What are my slop-free options for TTS programs and feminine voices folks would be willing to listen to?
I prefer a FreeBSD program, but one for Linux, Windows 7, or an easy to emulate older OS can work as well.
re: No-AI TTS question
I'm scared to use anything cloud-based because half of them say they're slop-powered and the other half don't imply they're not.
I have espeak-ng, but I would need some serious help making its speech reasonable.
I have Balabolka on Windows 10, but IDK if it still works on Windows 7 or older, if it isn't slop itself, or how to install SAPI voices other than Microsoft Sam, and I'd need help and/or pointers.
I also want to know what other options I have.
re: No-AI TTS question
I still welcome help and/or recommendations for alternatives.
Balabolka runs on Windows 7, and it found a SAPI 5 voice I sorta like: Microsoft Anna. Sorta because it trips on some word combinations.
re: No-AI TTS question
I was recommended RHVoice, and that seems like the most ethical option for voices.
RHVoice: https://rhvoice.org/
The second most ethical voice option seems to be abandonware SAPI 5 voices on the Internet Archive, virtually all made in 2010 or earlier.
And I can use Balabolka's command line utility, balcon, in both Windows 7 and Wine to make the voices speak plain and SAPI 5 XML text into .wav files.
Balcon: https://cross-plus-a.com/bconsole.htm