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Bruce
Boardmeister
Joined: 06 Jun 2005
Posts: 7977
Location: Portland, OR
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 Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 11:29 am Post subject: It had to happen... We're all out of a job |
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They've done it, damn it. They've perfected the computerized voice, with proper emotion and all.
The Death of Voiceover as We Knew It
Well, it's been nice knowing you. So long, and thanks for all the fish.
B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005
I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. . |
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Bob Stevens
Contributore Level V
Joined: 27 Dec 2012
Posts: 151
Location: Orange County, California
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| Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 11:36 am Post subject: |
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Sounds like shite. Whom are they trying to fool?
And someone has to edit each phrase or word? yuk
Bob
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"Dialog is the painting on a canvas of silence" |
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Bish
3.5 kHz
Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 3738
Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island
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| Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 11:52 am Post subject: |
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Voice cloning virtually indistinguishable from the actor
If the actor has been dead for a few weeks, maybe. In their defense, I will say they sound slightly better than Stephen Hawking.
One of the most abused words in the English language is "virtually". It's used as a fuzzy caveat when the claim itself is totally misleading and factually incorrect. What makes this claim so ridiculous, is that their presentation, which one assumes, is the best they can do, patently does not match their claim in any way. Not even close.
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls. |
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Drew
King's Row
Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 1118
Location: Tumbleweed Junction, The Republic of North Texas
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| Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 12:27 pm Post subject: |
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Not quite ready to sell my stuff on Ebay just yet.
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www.voiceoverdrew.com
Skype: andrew.hadwal1
Although I have a full head of hair, I'm quite ribald. |
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Lee Gordon
A Zillion
Joined: 25 Jul 2008
Posts: 6864
Location: West Hartford, CT
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| Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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I think they hired those cartoon talking heads from Xtranormal.com to be their spokespeople. (Could explain why there doesn't seem to be any activity at xtranormal).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXp2F5Dxq-g
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice
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heyguido
MMD
Joined: 31 Aug 2011
Posts: 2507
Location: RDU, the Geek Capitol of the South
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| Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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Anybody wanna buy my Mr. Microphone? 
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Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?" |
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Diane Maggipinto
Spreading Snark Worldwide
Joined: 03 Mar 2006
Posts: 6679
Location: saul lay seetee youtee
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| Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 9:23 am Post subject: |
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let's stay in touch.
2 good
2 be
_________
4 gotten
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sitting at #8, though not as present as I'd like to be. Hello!
www.d3voiceworks.com |
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Rick Riley
Flight Attendant
Joined: 12 Aug 2011
Posts: 807
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 10:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Bish wrote: | | I will say they sound slightly better than Stephen Hawking. |
I'm with Bish... but it was close!
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Never do anything you wouldn't want to explain to the Paramedics
www.rickrileyvoice.com |
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Lee Gordon
A Zillion
Joined: 25 Jul 2008
Posts: 6864
Location: West Hartford, CT
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| Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 1:44 am Post subject: |
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I wish I could get my TomTom GPS to sound like Stephen Hawking. By the way, the computer generated voice I do have in my TomTom sounds quite a bit more natural than the ones in the Voicecloning demo.
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice
Last edited by Lee Gordon on Sat Sep 07, 2013 9:36 am; edited 2 times in total |
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BruceG
Been Here Awhile
Joined: 01 Jun 2012
Posts: 258
Location: just south of Boston, MA
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| Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 8:24 am Post subject: |
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Ohmygoodness...the clip sounds absolutely REDICULOUS. 
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"What was that? An exhibition? We need emotional content." - Bruce Lee, Enter The Dragon |
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Jeffrey Kafer
Assistant Zookeeper
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Location, Location!
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Drew
King's Row
Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 1118
Location: Tumbleweed Junction, The Republic of North Texas
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| Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 11:56 am Post subject: |
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Just got this reply from a client I did a big project for this year, and we were about to move forward on another one.
Hi Drew,
We are still moving forward with this. The need for audio will be delayed for a month or more. We are reviewing the possibility that the audio quality does not need to be human. We are looking at a product called Neospeech https://ondemand.neospeech.com/editor/index.php/114024, attached is a sample recording of one of our textbooks. You may have something like this, or be willing to use this product and produce the audio for us. Let me know what you think, no decisions have been made.
I don't know what to tell him, other than "WTF!?"
If you click on the link you can try it out. For about the first two seconds it'll sound human, but then the staccato becomes apparent. Curious. how would you folks reply to an email like this?
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www.voiceoverdrew.com
Skype: andrew.hadwal1
Although I have a full head of hair, I'm quite ribald. |
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Jason Huggins
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 12 Aug 2011
Posts: 1846
Location: In the souls of a million jeans
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| Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 12:08 pm Post subject: |
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Unless someone really doesn't care how a bit of audio makes their company look...I can't see that being a viable option. NeoSpeech sounds terrible (compared to a real voice). I redid a video that a company made with audio from them. After they put the video together, they realized that it sounded awful, and they hired me to record their script.
It sounds better than Siri...but not by much.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJDcuj1tiww
It's pretty darn hard to listen to. |
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Ed Fisher
DC
Joined: 05 Sep 2012
Posts: 605
Location: East Coast, U.S.A.
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| Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 12:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Drew wrote: | | You may have something like this, or be willing to use this product and produce the audio for us. Let me know what you think |
Typical Corporate double-speech.
Not only do they want to REPLACE YOU. But they would like your assistance in doing it. (that way, THEY don't have to do anything)
Someone incompetent (and the Corporate world is FULL them) came across this and thought it to be a "revolutionary new idea." Of course, technology has been doing this for years.
However, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that at some time (in the not too distant future) that you could simply "dial in" the voice you want and it would come out and sound exactly like the real thing.
Of course, my suspicion is that it will be a celebrity voice and THEY will be getting a licensing fee. (perhaps I'm just too cynical)
BUT...UNFORTUNATELY, since there are many decision makers who wouldn't know a good voice over from a terrible one. Compounded by the lowering of standards in all things...from printing (when it became possible for ANYONE to do it) to Video (reality Television) when people watch shows shot from the shoulders of running cameramen in the middle of the night. Never underestimate the ability of business people to maker perfectly HORRIBLE decisions when it comes to quality. (Since many only see the dollars - and are basically Quality blind.)
IMHO
OH....here's what you tell him. "I think it sounds horrible. I find it UN-listenable. The technology may get there some day. But for now, it's totally useless."
If you say it with conviction, he will most likely believe you, since most of these guys don't have a REAL opinion anyway, and typically only mimic the opinions of others.
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"I reserve the right to be completely wrong." |
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Drew
King's Row
Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 1118
Location: Tumbleweed Junction, The Republic of North Texas
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| Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 12:51 pm Post subject: |
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I dashed this to him:
Well, Chuck. Speaking as a person who makes his living with his voice, I'm none too thrilled. It's one of the better text to speech programs I've heard. But the staccato, robotic delivery becomes apparent within the first few seconds. Obviously, it's your product...and your budget. But I'd think over 300 courses, your listener (customer) would soon come to find it tearfully monotonous and grating. It's biased, but that's my two cents. Thanks for getting back to me.
Drew
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www.voiceoverdrew.com
Skype: andrew.hadwal1
Although I have a full head of hair, I'm quite ribald. |
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