Audible alerts via TTS or similar

[znelbok]

I use to use the TTS option of the IV drive to create voice announcements/alerts in the kitchen when I had a full client running.

Now that the client has passed away and I am using an iPad I am missing that feature and looking for an alternative.

Amazon announced notifications was now an option but that is yet to be implemented into CQC and I am suspecting that I woun't be able to use it because my ISP has me behind a NAT and hence there is no port forwarding options available to me (so my CQC/Echo setup is dead in the water).

What I am thinking is use the existing TTS feature in CQC to output a .wav file to a specific location and then have something play that file.  File name will always be the same.  As to what that something is, I'm thinking a Raspberry Pi with some software installed that is simple and can take a command to play a file - either from a network share or local.

A RPi with a built-in/add-on amp connected to a small speaker (say something like the Elk speaker enclosure) would be small and easy to mount up high out of the way and give me audible alerts.

Dean - is it possible to have the TTS feature in CQC output a wav file?

Anyone know of any software for a Pi or other hardware that may be suitable for this feature?

[Dean Roddey]

Well the Speech II driver already does that because we can't do TTS from the background for some stupid reason that only MS knows. They don't allow it. However, the driver assumes he owns that file and will be playing it back himself, so sending it somewhere else would require a lot of changes.

You might do as well to just let the PC do the output, which will be sent to an audio output on that machine, and just send that audio output to a powered speaker or something.

[znelbok]

But I dont want to run a PC - electricity is too expensive - we have the highest cost in the world and I am already looking at bills in the order of $1000 quarter. There is no way I can justify a PC to TTS. That's why I want to make a "device" that can do it.

I'll have to change tact and see if I can find something that will run on the Pi and do TTS

[Dean Roddey]

I meant use the PC you already have running CQC, and just run the output to a powered speaker, or put a little amp in there and run a speaker level connection to a speaker. If the amp is volume controllable you could also have control over the announcement volume.

[znelbok]

Typically yes, but mine is virtualized with no sound.

I also want the same thing in the shed when I am working up there away from the house.

Looks like it will have to be TTS on a RPi with CQC creating the string.

[znelbok]

Well the Speech II driver already does that because we can't do TTS from the background for some stupid reason that only MS knows. They don't allow it.

Came across this today

https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/p/conver...verviewtab

Appears that MS do allow (or it can be done) for files to be created for TTS.

[Dean Roddey]

We do create files. That's what I was talking about. Normally you don't need that. It's a lot of overhead and slows things down a lot. Normally you just feed the text to the engine and it comes out the audio output directly. But, at some point along the line, in their infinite wisdom, MS stopped allowing that to happen in the background where the drivers run. So the speech driver has to create a file, then play it back via a media player instance. Bizarrely that is allowed in the background which makes not allowing TTS not make any sense given that you can still do it, you have to just do it far less efficiently.