[school-discuss] manual for setting up a facility to audio enable the gutenberg books (first cut)

[mikee <meschman@engima.com>]

hello,

here's an outline :

1 - Install RedHat 7.2 with all the trimmings on an available machine.
2 - Install emacspeak with all the trimmings
http://emacspeak.sourceforge.net/
3 - verify correct installation of emacspeak by having it read a local file.
(this must be a viavoice outloud install)
4 - install the attached files in a new directory under your home directory,
from which you will edit books into audio format for viavoice.  the attached
files include a number of examples you can process then listen to.  by 
following a viavoice marked-up text while listening, you can get a good idea 
of what is possible.
5 - move the .txt book from gutenberg you wish to audio enable into this 
directory.
6 - edit the viavoice commands into the text - this is time consuming.

before doing anything else replace - and " with spaces

it will take me a couple of additional weekends to write a guide for this.
but, here's a thumbnail list :

`v1 use voice 1 (there are 8)
`vf set voice frequency range 
`vb set general level of voice inflection
`vs set word reading rate
`p introduce a pause (this establishes the reader's rythm and pacing)
and correlates to puncuation to a great degree)
`1 `2 `3  set the inflection for a phrase (3 different options). `1 is 
mildest. `3 is exclamatory.  do not use two of these phrase inflection 
commands in the same phrase (results usually ugly) - it is better to break 
the phrase with additional puncuation if you think you need `1 (mile 
inflection) and `3 (exclamatory) in the same phrase.

7 - run (command line) :
./cmdlinespeakfile your-viavoice-edited-text-file (from the directory the 
viavoice edited text is in).  this executable is attached and contains our 
mods to output to a file. it is attached to this email.  a file of the same 
name comes with emacspeak/viavoice package, but, that one does not write the 
.au file.

8 - this will create a temp.au file.  if you run this three times in a row 
without deleting temp.au in each iteration, temp.au will contain all three
sets of inputs.

9 - install audacity :
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

10 - run :
audacity
set preferences to record in stereo is OFF,
format is .wav, sampling rate is 44100 (high quality mono)
exit, then reenter audacity to set the preferences.

11 - in audacity, under projects pull down menu, import audio selecting 
temp.au

12 - listen to temp.au in its entirety with a printout of the marked up .txt 
input to ./cmdlinespeakfile and put a mark on the printout by each 
"unplesantness"  you hear (and time marking if you're quick enough).

13 - delete temp.au and re-edit the .txt file to remove the "unplesantness".

this is a case of doing as much as you can stand - the third episode of time 
machine (play/download at http://www.engima.com) represents about 20 hours of
play-listen/edit iterations.  i spent one day doing all of the war of the 
worlds, it is not as refined as episode 3 of t.m., but might be "good enough".


hint ---> if the voice "winds down" (i.e. finishes an octave lower than it 
starts) in a long phrase, then you need to :

a - break up the phrase with commas
b- remove `2 or `3 and use `1 (mildest inflection)
c - a and b

use `p100 at every comma as in replace ", " with ", `p100 "
use `p300 for . or ? or : or ; or ! or ? but don't remove the puncuation - 
just tag it with the `p string
at end of paragraph, use `p500

use `p1000 at end of titles for chapters, sections etc...

(from shell command line in appropriate directory : 
./cmdlinespeakfile your-viavoice-edited-text-file 

14 - now you have an ok temp.au (you listened to the new output),
 export it from audacity as a your-name.wav
15 - close temp.au in audicity
16 - bring your-name.wav into audacity
17 - in one or more seperate tracks, add your sound effects in the 
appropriate (time) location.
18 - audacity will let you fade in/out, echo, bass boost -
add fade in/out now, but nothing else.
19 - export your-file-with-faded-effects.wav
20 - (execute this from a shell command line) :
sox  your-file-with-faded-effects -c 1 -r 22050 your-bandwidth-limited-file 
resample lowpass 9000 highpass 80 <carriage return>
...(let it run till it returns to the prompt)
21 - (command line again)
audacity your-bandwidth-limited-file

in audicity bass boost the file at 300 hz for 6 db 
(menu pull down under effects)

re-export as your-name.wav

exit audacity

22- (command line again)
lame -h -m mono    your-name.wav    your-name.mp3
... (runs)

23 - import your-name.mp3 into audacity for a final quality check.

24 - upload to your website, plays nicely for download on RealPlayer8 and also
good with icecast broadcasting.

if there's interest, i can do screen snapshots for each step.

if there's interest, i can breakdown this process for south pole (the book 
i'm doing now) effort on the mailing list.

d.loss ---> can you host this stuff on school website ?

mike eschman, etc...

cmdlinespeakfile

`l1.0
`v1
Hello. My name is Wade.
I believe we may have met before.
Would you like to meet my sister? 

`v2
 Hello.  My name is Flo.
Later you'll meet some more of our family,  but first, let me tell you about our jobs.
Humans feed us text, and we pronounce it with our synthetic voices.
We produce our voices with a set of rules.
Our human teachers keep improving our rules, so our speech gets better and better.

`v1
All of the sentences we've said so far were given to us as ordinary text.
We figured out the intonation patterns ourselves.  But users can change how we sound,
with simple annotations.  
For example, users can tell us to emphasize a specific word in a sentence. 
Suppose another machine claimed to be the best talking computer.

I could then respond,`p300 no, `p250 `3 I'm the best
talking computer.
Or if someone told me I was the best talking monster,
I could say `%%, `p250 no, `p250 I'm the best
talking `3 computer.  
`2 Other simple marks help me to express my `2 emotions.  
For example, if I were tired I could `0 say,
`vs42 `vf36 `vb45  I'm feeling really slow `0 today.
`v1 Or if I were on a rocketship I could `0 say,
`p250 `vf37 `vb95 This is really exciting.  

`v2
`1 We're not the only `0 ones who are so `0 clever.
The rest of our `0 family is `2 just as `0
expressive as `2 we are.   Let us introduce you to some of
the `2 other members of our family.  

`v1
Our baby brother's `0 name is Bobbie.  He's still very little,
but he already talks `0 really well.  

`v3
Where's my mommy?  `vf31 `vb98 I lost my teddy `0 bear.  

`v1
And our grandmother is here too.  Hi `0 grandma `%.  

`v7
Well `2 hello Wade `%.  You're such a good grandson,
and you're `1 so eloquent.  
Your father would've been `1 very proud of you.  

`v1
`2 Thanks grandma `%.
There are `2 other members of our family `2 too.

You can easily change any of us to customize our voices for `2 your needs.
`vh100 `vb55 For example, you can make me bigger so I'll sound like a giant.
`v3 `vr60 Or you can `0 make Bobbie `0 sound like he has a `0
sore throat.
`v8 `vs85 This is Grandpa talking really fast.
`v2 `vy100 And this is Flo whispering so she can tell you a secret.
`v1 `vb100 `vv90 This is Wade pretending to be a woman.
`v3 `vb85 `vf6 And this is Bobbie when he's really bored.

`v1
The possibilities are endless, but you've probably `0 heard enough
for `0 now.  
Goodbye, and thanks for listening `/.
`v1 `vb69 `vf20 `vs53

the time traveller's voice identifier : hello dear reader. `p5000

`v1 `vb62 `vf44 `vs53

the medicine man's voice identifier : will i do, as a doctor? `p5000 

`v1 `vb68 `vf64 `vs53

philby's voice identifier : and what three books, do you suppose, he would have
taken back, to wenna?  `p5000


`v5 `vb64 `vf44 `vs53

newspaper man's voice identifier : What a story! `p5000

`v7 `vb64 `vf44 `vs53

what could this voice be used for? `p5000

`v8 `vb66 `vf55 `vs53

what could this voice be used for?




`v1 `vb69 `vf20 `vs53

    So I came back. `p900
`v1 `vf68 `vb74 `vs48

hello, how are you today?
`p500
 hello, how are `2 you today?
`p500
 hello, how are `3 you today?
`p500
 hello, how are `4 you today?
`p500
 hello, how are `5 you today?
`p500
 hello, how are `6 you today?
`v1 `vf60 `vb70 `vs52

Episode Four of   `p10  The Time Machine by H  `p25 G  `p25  Wells. `p150  `p800

18 98 


  `p10 A Non Republican Future

 `v1 `vf65 `vb70 `vs55

`1

    In another moment we were standing face to face. `p5  I and this
fragile thing out of futurity. `p150  He came straight up to me and
laughed into my eyes. `p150  The absence from his bearing of any sign
of fear struck me at once. `p150  Then he turned to the two others who
were following him and spoke to them in a strange and very sweet
and liquid tongue. `p150
`v1 `vf60 `vb70 `vs52

Episode Four of   `p10  The Time Machine by H  `p25 G  `p25  Wells. `p150  `p800

18 98 


  `p10 A Non Republican Future

 `v1 `vf65 `vb70 `vs55

`2

    In another moment we were standing face to face. `p5  I and this
fragile thing out of futurity. `p150  He came straight up to me and
laughed into my eyes. `p150  The absence from his bearing of any sign
of fear struck me at once. `p150  Then he turned to the two others who
were following him and spoke to them in a strange and very sweet
and liquid tongue. `p150
`v1 `vf60 `vb70 `vs52

Episode Four of   `p10  The Time Machine by H  `p25 G  `p25  Wells. `p150  `p800

18 98 


  `p10 A Non Republican Future

 `v1 `vf65 `vb70 `vs55

`3

    In another moment we were standing face to face. `p5  I and this
fragile thing out of futurity. `p150  He came straight up to me and
laughed into my eyes. `p150  The absence from his bearing of any sign
of fear struck me at once. `p150  Then he turned to the two others who
were following him and spoke to them in a strange and very sweet
and liquid tongue. `p150
`v1 `vf60 `vb70 `vs52

Episode Four of   `p10  The Time Machine by H  `p25 G  `p25  Wells. `p150  `p800

18 98 


  `p10 A Non Republican Future

 `v1 `vf65 `vb70 `vs55

`4

    In another moment we were standing face to face. `p5  I and this
fragile thing out of futurity. `p150  He came straight up to me and
laughed into my eyes. `p150  The absence from his bearing of any sign
of fear struck me at once. `p150  Then he turned to the two others who
were following him and spoke to them in a strange and very sweet
and liquid tongue. `p150
`v1 `vf60 `vb70 `vs52

Episode Four of   `p10  The Time Machine by H  `p25 G  `p25  Wells. `p150  `p800

18 98 


  `p10 A Non Republican Future

 `v1 `vf65 `vb70 `vs55

`5

    In another moment we were standing face to face. `p5  I and this
fragile thing out of futurity. `p150  He came straight up to me and
laughed into my eyes. `p150  The absence from his bearing of any sign
of fear struck me at once. `p150  Then he turned to the two others who
were following him and spoke to them in a strange and very sweet
and liquid tongue. `p150
`v1 `vf60 `vb70 `vs52

Episode Four of   `p10  The Time Machine by H  `p25 G  `p25  Wells. `p150  `p800

18 98 


  `p10 A Non Republican Future

 `v1 `vf65 `vb70 `vs55

`6

    In another moment we were standing face to face. `p5  I and this
fragile thing out of futurity. `p150  He came straight up to me and
laughed into my eyes. `p150  The absence from his bearing of any sign
of fear struck me at once. `p150  Then he turned to the two others who
were following him and spoke to them in a strange and very sweet
and liquid tongue. `p150
`v1 `vf60 `vb70 `vs52

Episode Four of   `p10  The Time Machine by H  `p25 G  `p25  Wells. `p150  `p800

18 98 


  `p10 A Non Republican Future

 `v1 `vf65 `vb70 `vs55

`7

    In another moment we were standing face to face. `p5  I and this
fragile thing out of futurity. `p150  He came straight up to me and
laughed into my eyes. `p150  The absence from his bearing of any sign
of fear struck me at once. `p150  Then he turned to the two others who
were following him and spoke to them in a strange and very sweet
and liquid tongue. `p150
`v1 `vf60 `vb70 `vs52

Episode Four of   `p10  The Time Machine by H  `p25 G  `p25  Wells. `p150  `p800

18 98 


  `p10 A Non Republican Future

 `v1 `vf65 `vb70 `vs55

`8

    In another moment we were standing face to face. `p5  I and this
fragile thing out of futurity. `p150  He came straight up to me and
laughed into my eyes. `p150  The absence from his bearing of any sign
of fear struck me at once. `p150  Then he turned to the two others who
were following him and spoke to them in a strange and very sweet
and liquid tongue. `p150
`v1 `vb69 `vf20 `vs45


                       `2 Epilogue. `p1200

`v1 `vb68 `vf34 `vs52


   `1 One can not `1 choose,  but `1 wonder. `p500 Will he `1 ever return? `p1200
It may be, that he `1 swept back, into the `1 past, and fell among
the `1 blood drinking, `1 hairy, `1 savages of the Age of Unpolished
Stone; `p1000  into the abysses, of the Cre taceous Sea; `p1500 or among the
`1 grotesque saurians, the `1 huge reptilian brutes, of the Jur assic
times.  He may even now  `p25 if i may use the phrase `p25 be
`1 wandering, on some plesi o saurus haunted, O litic coral reef `p500
or beside the `1 lonely, saline lakes, of the Tri assic Age. `p1000  Or did
he go forward? `p250  

`v1 `vb68 `vf44 `vs50

into one of the nearer ages, in which men are
`1 still men, but, with the riddles, of our own time, answered `p25 
and, its Wearisome Problems, solved? `p1000 


`v1 `vb68 `vf34 `vs50

Into the `1 manhood of the
race. `p500   for I, for my own part, cannot think that these latter
days, of  weak `1 experiment,  fragmentary `1 theory, and mutual
`1 discord, are  Indeed man's culmin ating time! `p1000 I say, for my own
part `p1 he, I know  `p100 for the question had been discussed among
us, long before the Time Machine was made `p100 thought but
cheerlessly, of the `1 Advancement of Mankind, and saw in the
growing `1 pile of civilization, only a `1 foolish heaping, that must
`1 inevitably fall back upon `p100  and `1 destroy its makers, in the `1 end.
If that is so, it remains for us to `1 live, as though it were `1 not
so.  But, to me, the `1 future is still black, and  empty  `p500 is a vast,
 ignorance, lit, at a few, casual places, by the `1 memory, of his story.

`v1 `vb68 `vf54 `vs48

and i have, by me, for my  comfort, two  strange, white `1 flowers.
 `p300 `1 shrivelled now, and brown, and flat, and `1 brittle `p100 to witness
that, even when mind `p1  and  strength, had gone, `1 gratitude `p450 and
a mutual `1 tenderness, still lived on, in the `1 heart `p1 of `1 Man kind.