How to get proper pronounciation for english Loquendo voices

Update 27.2.2012:
The files below are still valid and the info helpful, but I was able to create fully functional V7.3 Kate for TT.
All info on Loquendo mods can be be found in that thread : :link:
It might be helpful to create better voices for IGO/Primo too as they use similar engines.
Only major difference is that IGO uses a slightly different folder structure.

I took the time for a better understanding of the TT Loquendo engine and found a way to improve the english language.
These changes are only for the US, UK and AU voices - where the australian files replace the ones for british english.


Explanation:
You might have noticed that you GPS often gets a street or town name completely wrong.
Hoping the next map will solve the problem you only notice minor changes or none at all.
The reason for that is that most manufactures do not use the Loquendo voice features by default but instead uses a phoneme file for localizations.
For other devices using the Loquendo engine the modifications should work in the way, meaning you can even use them in Windows or on your mobile to read Ebooks a bit better.


Limits and problems:
I neither have time to check everything nor do I know the correct pronounciation of local names.
The data used for these modifications are from other voices and "made to fit".
You need the Loquendo 7 engine on your device, but most things will work with the 6.5 engine too.
To get full use of the changes you must use a corresponding menu language on your device!! This means for the US you choose US english and for the UK/AU you choose british english!
You can use the US lifes together with UK or AU, but you can not use the UK and AU on the same device.
Reson: TT does not offer AU english for the menu and the same goes for many other GPS providers, so I had to modify the UK files accordingly


Installation:
Make a backup of your loq_tts folder!
Use the archive to overwrite the contents of your loq_tts folder, make sure to unpack correctly and not into a sub folder.
In case you are asked, confirm to overwrite existing files.
Last but most important step : delete the phoneme file (make backup!). If you forget this step you instructions will come out pretty messed up!
PW:downunder


If you think the original was better and you want to revert back:
Delete the loq_tts folder,
restore the loq_tts folder from your backup,
copy the phoneme file back.




Download:
US english: [Please Register or Login to download file]
UK english: [Please Register or Login to download file]
AU english: [Please Register or Login to download file]
Au english if you have only UK english in the menu [Please Register or Login to download file]
In case australian english is available as a menu language use the files for AU english, otherwise use british english for the menu and the australian files from the last link.

In case you want to do some additional changes you can do that in the file english**.rex - the ** represent the language.
They are not included in every version, so I added the one I have :
3858
Unpack and copy the file into the folder tts_loq\english** - were the ** represent the language.
After that open the file englishUs.ide (in the same folder) with an editor and change the line:
;"RegExp" = "EnglishUs.rex"
to
"RegExp" = "EnglishUs.rex"
This will activate the exclusions made in the .rex file.
Same goes for the other languages but you have to change the name of the EnglishUs.rex to EnglishGb.rex or EnglishAu.rex
Also you have to edit the .ide file that belongs to your language

DU,
I spent a lot of time modifying the TTS_LOQ folder and the other TTS functions to my programs that I uploaded here. Also know that my English voices have been modified to be 20% louder. Please know that quite a few members have moved to my programs because most [if not all] other programs uploaded by others are too low in volume. So, I have to ask, what is your folder going to do to my TTS_LOQ folder? Do any changes in my programs have to be made? Thanks.

It should not cause any interference at all as only the lexicons are changed.
Lexicons change the way names, listed in the lex files, are pronounced.
They have no effect at all on modifications done to Igo/Primo or the voices.

But due to being blind I created the wrong folders for the above archives, I will correct that and reupload them.
If you want to check in the meantime, download the US archive and check the files,
you'll notice that you might have similar files but the lex for IGO are incomplete and much smaller.
Was on the way to bed, but I'll do the files first, so give me a few minutes ;)

Edit: Just noticed the whole path structure is different to standard Loquendo systems, I will have to change the folders and modify the files again.
Will do that tomorrow and disable the links until fixed - sorry for the mixup!
Would you know of any bad pronounciation error that you can test for?
I would be most interested in things that were wrong from map to map to rule out the phoneme.

Downunder35m wrote:It should not cause any interference at all as only the lexicons are changed.
Lexicons change the way names, listed in the lex files, are pronounced.
They have no effect at all on modifications done to Igo/Primo or the voices.

But due to being blind I created the wrong folders for the above archives, I will correct that and reupload them.
If you want to check in the meantime, download the US archive and check the files,
you'll notice that you might have similar files but the lex for IGO are incomplete and much smaller.
Was on the way to bed, but I'll do the files first, so give me a few minutes

I think you should know that I updated my English .lex files a while ago and made changes to the pronunciations regarding map changes and bridge names. BTW, I used "Textpad." I can't do anything about UK or Australia .lex changes because I don't know what to change to LOL.

EDIT: If you want to see what I mean, you can download this [Please Register or Login to download file] It's my TTS_LOQ folder. Go to English US, English6.9.lex to view what I did and how I did it. Just know that if you make any additions that they MUST be at the beginning [not in the middle]. If you make them anywhere else, you will break the format and TTS will not work anymore.

Ok, was not aware that you modified your lex files already :(
In that it might be better that you check my US files if there are any additions you'd like to include and to remove them from the first posting.
By the way: only the link for deposit files works.

DU,

I PMed you.

DU,
It's asking for a password.

Passwords as usual: downunder
PMed you too as your suggested Tool is not opening more files than the other editors I tried ;)
Must be some different encoding, not even the Lexmanger will open them :(

DU,
PMed you again.