Open Source @lemmy.ml boredsquirrel @slrpnk.net 2w ago

Opensource modern TTS engines for Android are now available!

k2-fsa.github.io /sherpa/onnx/tts/apk-engine.html

I just found this.

This is huge!

As a german, I use thorsten medium as he simply made the best dataset.

Mixing english with german, speaking numbers, single letters, pausing without a "." but just a linebreak, all those can be essential.

And... it is nearly perfect! And all local!

This is crazy!

eSpeak can finally go to rest!

31 comments

Might want to link to the official page for a bit more context
- For context really, because figuring out the android install there ain't a straight thing.
  
  I've been using these TTS for a few months now, and I'm seriously impressed with its quality, considering it's running all in local as OP said. I always find funny when it tells me to TURN LAFT ON THE NEXT ROUND... ABOUT, but that's a really minor nit picking, overall audio quality is amazing.
  
  Just to clarify, this is standalone and doesn't need a local LLM or anything yeah? Also, any tips on tutorials for the install process?
  
  Edit: Nevermind, I realize it's install and use
To those late to the party, you can sample the piper-related voices here so that you're not in a crapshoot: https://rhasspy.github.io/piper-samples/
- Nice, thanks!
Can I install it via F-Droid?
- It is FOSS, and the build instructions are here
  
  https://k2-fsa.github.io/sherpa/onnx/android/build-sherpa-onnx.html
  
  Those guys are incredibly active, look at this!
  
  https://k2-fsa.github.io/sherpa/onnx/index.html
  
  (And no, not on F-Droid, if you look at the crazy amount of packages that makes sense)
  
  that stupid huge amount of packages is honestly a pretty big UX issue, at least personally that just makes me chuckle at their optimism and close the page as every bit of energy i had vaporizes from the thought of figuring out what to download.
https://github.com/k2-fsa/sherpa-onnx
I there a way to install multiple languages? I, for example, would like to install both English and German so that I can switch between them depending on the language of the text.
This is amazing! If you are looking for US EN and use a phone with arm64 I can recommend sherpa-onnx-1.10.27-arm64-v8a-en-tts-vits-piper-en_US-kristin-medium and sherpa-onnx-1.10.27-arm64-v8a-en-tts-vits-piper-en_US-norman-medium.

Edit: I don't seem to be able to get the engine to show up as a tts engine but it works well within the tts app itself. Hopefully I'll find a fix I've been searching for a good tts engine for android eBook apps.

Edit 2. Fixed I mistakenly downloaded the standalone version from https://k2-fsa.github.io/sherpa/onnx/tts/apk.html instead of https://k2-fsa.github.io/sherpa/onnx/tts/apk-engine.html
- These names are a joke hahaha
  
  Yeah IMO they need an app that can download/manage models directly
  
  You are clearly not the target audience then. There is a lot of extremely useful info in those model names.
- Yes they have 3 types of client apps
Lmao, there's a GLaDOS voice. I'm taking that
- Whats that? Mind to share an audio file?
eSpeak is a damn good conversation starter. If I fire up my OsmAnd and some german robot with a dutch accent (or is it Kölsch?!) starts giving me directions noone ever not commented on it. Downloading Thorsten Medium right now.
- Hahaha yes it is.
How do I apply these voices, so apps use it?
- Go into Settings -> Accessability -> Speech (at the very bottom; at least on Android 13) and then TTS :) hope that helps
  
  They have 3 types of clients, only one works as an Android TTS engine, the others are useless.

31 comments