Windows 7: Adding TTS Voices

I don't believe this, we are two years later than the first response, and we still don't have an answer for voice language pack (or so) for Microsoft's Narrator, please if no solution from Microsoft on this issue exists, can anyone lead me to any software manufacturer that really do solve and care about accessibility?

I have the same question but for different reasons.  I am an online gamer and use Ventrillo to communicate with clan members.  It too uses the MS TTS Anna and frankly for me it's asthetics.  It seems strange to have "old blood and guts" announced as coming into our channel by someone that sounds like Barbara Walters sucking helium.  I also find it to be lacking in accurate conversion and forced to spell phonetically and many times it even strikes out there.  Hey MS guys---at least give me a three stooges choice---I'd take any of them.

This isn't quite what we need.

In my case, I'm using the Windows 7 SAPI to have Goldwave read a phrase that I've typed, and save it to a WAV file - this will then be mixed into another file later on in my workflow.

However, "Anna" just doesn't quite cut it - several phenomes are cut short  (she pronounces "remix" as "remee" for example) and as a result I end up having to try and spell things phonetically to get the SAPI to read things correctly.   However, I've tried the VERY SAME PHRASE with some AT&T Natural Voices on their demo website, supposedly using the Windows 7 SAPI but with a third party front-end, and they get it right.

There doesn't seem to be any way to install a third party SAPI-compliant voice directly to Windows Narrator or the Win7 TTS SAPI, and instead, I'm looking at a very expensive yet very redundant program purchase!

So, Microsoft, is there any option to install better voices?  or are we stuck with Narrator as simply a SAPI demo packaged as a Windows 7 accessability feature, with one less-than-stellar voice?

Hey Quelus,

Unfortunately, there is only one program that is Narrator in WIndows 7.

Narrator is the text-to-speech program in Windows 7 that reads what is displayed on your screen, including the contents of the active window, menu options, or the text you have typed. Narrator reads menus without leaving the active window and includes a pleasant, natural-sounding voice.

Narrator has a number of options that allow you to customize the way screen elements are read. You can:

■ Read Narrator menus without leaving the active window.

■Move around the desktop with the number keys using virtual focus, which allows you to move through the objects on the desktop and read aloud any content they contain.

■Move around the desktop with the arrow keys using virtual menus.

■Use bookmarks to find commonly used programs.

To know more about Narrator,

Hear text read aloud with Narrator

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/Windows7/Hear-text-read-aloud-with-Narrator

For your information:

http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windows7/

Apart from this, if you want any other text to speech programs, you can use your favorite search engine on the Internet to look for any third party programs.

Important Note: This response contains a reference to a third party World Wide Web site. Microsoft is providing this information as a convenience to you. Microsoft does not control these sites and has not tested any software or information found on these sites; therefore, Microsoft cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. There are inherent dangers in the use of any software found on the Internet, and Microsoft cautions you to make sure that you completely understand the risk before retrieving any software from the Internet.

Regards,

Savan – Microsoft Support.

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