rhysbartholomaeus / PAC240

Python TTS Flask Server

PYTTSx3 Server

This simple Flask server interacts with the Windows SAPI to provide Text-To-Speech synthesis over a network using HTTP GET requests.

Requirements

Requires:

• Python 3 (Tested on 3.8.5)
• Windows 10

For python package requirements, refer to requirements.txt.

Setup

1. Instally Python 3.
2. Use: pip install -r requirements.txt to install Flask and PYTTSX3
3. Refer to section at the bottom of this README for enabling additional voices.

Usage

In the folder with app.py, start the server using: flask run --port=5122

To test, use CURL and a GET request similar to the following:

curl -G "http://localhost:5122/process?" --data-urlencode "INPUT_TEXT=Welcome to the world of speech synthesis." --data-urlencode "VOICE=1" --data-urlencode "RATE=175" -o test2.wav

The VOICE and RATE parameters are optional.

The number of available voices are dependent on what has been enabled in Windows. By default, only 2 voices are visible to PYTTSX3. Refer to Unlocking additional SAPI voices for more infomation.

To test for available voices, use the following CURL GET request:

curl -G "http://localhost:5122/voices?"

This will return a JSON string consisting of:

{
    "availableVoices":
    {
        "0":"Microsoft David Desktop - English (United States)",
        "1":"Microsoft Catherine - English (Australia)",
        "2":"Microsoft Zira Desktop - English (United States)"
    }
}

Unlocking additional SAPI voices

By default, the standard Windows TTS COM object does not expose all of the available voices from SAPI5 due to a registry change Microsoft introduced.

To make these additional voices visible to PyTTSx3, you'll need to modify the registry.

This link shows the process required to expose the additional voices.

Otherwise, the following steps outline this process:

Warning: You need administrator privileges.

1. Open regedit.
2. In regedit, browse to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Voices\Token. This lists all of the available MS SAPI voices installed on the machine.
3. Right click on a folder for one of the voices, IE: MSTTS_V110_enAU_CatherineM, and select Export. Choose a location on the Desktop or in your Documents.
4. Enter a name for the new registry file, IE: 'catherinem'
5. Open the newly exported registry file using your favourite text editor.
6. Copy all of the information in the file except for the Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 line and paste the contents below the existing text. (We need the registry file to point to two different locations)
7. Replace the location in the first data set with: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens. Retain the voice name!
8. Replace the location in the second data set with: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\SPEECH\Voices\Tokens. Retain the voice name!
9. Your registry file should now look similar to this:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enAU_CatherineM]
@="Microsoft Catherine - English (Australia)"
"C09"="Microsoft Catherine - English (Australia)"
"CLSID"="{179F3D56-1B0B-42B2-A962-59B7EF59FE1B}"
"LangDataPath"=hex(2):25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,53,\
  00,70,00,65,00,65,00,63,00,68,00,5f,00,4f,00,6e,00,65,00,43,00,6f,00,72,00,\
  65,00,5c,00,45,00,6e,00,67,00,69,00,6e,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,54,00,54,00,53,\
  00,5c,00,65,00,6e,00,2d,00,41,00,55,00,5c,00,4d,00,53,00,54,00,54,00,53,00,\
  4c,00,6f,00,63,00,65,00,6e,00,41,00,55,00,2e,00,64,00,61,00,74,00,00,00
"VoicePath"=hex(2):25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,\
  70,00,65,00,65,00,63,00,68,00,5f,00,4f,00,6e,00,65,00,43,00,6f,00,72,00,65,\
  00,5c,00,45,00,6e,00,67,00,69,00,6e,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,54,00,54,00,53,00,\
  5c,00,65,00,6e,00,2d,00,41,00,55,00,5c,00,4d,00,33,00,30,00,38,00,31,00,43,\
  00,61,00,74,00,68,00,65,00,72,00,69,00,6e,00,65,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enAU_CatherineM\Attributes]
"Age"="Adult"
"DataVersion"="11.0.2015.0909"
"Gender"="Female"
"Language"="C09"
"Name"="Microsoft Catherine"
"SayAsSupport"="spell=NativeSupported; cardinal=NativeSupported; ordinal=NativeSupported; date=NativeSupported; time=NativeSupported; telephone=NativeSupported; computer=NativeSupported; address=NativeSupported; currency=NativeSupported; message=NativeSupported; media=NativeSupported; url=NativeSupported; alphanumeric=NativeSupported"
"SharedPronunciation"=""
"Vendor"="Microsoft"
"Version"="11.0"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\SPEECH\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enAU_CatherineM]
@="Microsoft Catherine - English (Australia)"
"C09"="Microsoft Catherine - English (Australia)"
"CLSID"="{179F3D56-1B0B-42B2-A962-59B7EF59FE1B}"
"LangDataPath"=hex(2):25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,53,\
  00,70,00,65,00,65,00,63,00,68,00,5f,00,4f,00,6e,00,65,00,43,00,6f,00,72,00,\
  65,00,5c,00,45,00,6e,00,67,00,69,00,6e,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,54,00,54,00,53,\
  00,5c,00,65,00,6e,00,2d,00,41,00,55,00,5c,00,4d,00,53,00,54,00,54,00,53,00,\
  4c,00,6f,00,63,00,65,00,6e,00,41,00,55,00,2e,00,64,00,61,00,74,00,00,00
"VoicePath"=hex(2):25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,\
  70,00,65,00,65,00,63,00,68,00,5f,00,4f,00,6e,00,65,00,43,00,6f,00,72,00,65,\
  00,5c,00,45,00,6e,00,67,00,69,00,6e,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,54,00,54,00,53,00,\
  5c,00,65,00,6e,00,2d,00,41,00,55,00,5c,00,4d,00,33,00,30,00,38,00,31,00,43,\
  00,61,00,74,00,68,00,65,00,72,00,69,00,6e,00,65,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\SPEECH\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enAU_CatherineM\Attributes]
"Age"="Adult"
"DataVersion"="11.0.2015.0909"
"Gender"="Female"
"Language"="C09"
"Name"="Microsoft Catherine"
"SayAsSupport"="spell=NativeSupported; cardinal=NativeSupported; ordinal=NativeSupported; date=NativeSupported; time=NativeSupported; telephone=NativeSupported; computer=NativeSupported; address=NativeSupported; currency=NativeSupported; message=NativeSupported; media=NativeSupported; url=NativeSupported; alphanumeric=NativeSupported"
"SharedPronunciation"=""
"Vendor"="Microsoft"
"Version"="11.0"

10. To install, save the registry file, exit the editor and double click on the file. Accept the warning prompt and the voice will now be available, no need to restart.