Elevate Your Speech Experience!
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- What is Koki TTS?
- Preparing Windows for Running Pre-Trained Koki TTS Models
- Installing Python
- Installing Microsoft Visual Studio Build Tools
- Installing eSpeak or Respeaking NG
- Installing Koki TTS
- Synthesizing Voice using Koki TTS
- Using the Web Front End
- Using the Command Line
- Conclusion
How to Use Pre-Trained Koki TTS Voice Models on Microsoft Windows
In this article, we will explore how to run a pre-trained Koki Text-to-Speech (TTS) voice model on Microsoft Windows. Koki TTS is an open-source project that provides tooling for text-to-speech, including training your own models and running pre-trained models locally without any cloud dependencies. These models offer high-quality voice synthesis Based on machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). If you're interested in using these cool voices on Windows, you're in the right place.
Introduction
Before we dive into the technical details, let's understand what Koki TTS is and why it's worth exploring. Koki TTS is an open-source project that focuses on text-to-speech synthesis. It offers a range of functionalities, from training your own models to running pre-trained models on various platforms. In this article, we will specifically look at running pre-trained Koki TTS voice models on Microsoft Windows.
What is Koki TTS?
Koki TTS is an open-source text-to-speech synthesis project that provides tools to train and run your own TTS models. It aims to offer high-quality voice synthesis by leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques. With Koki TTS, you can Create your own custom voices or use pre-trained models for a variety of languages. These models can be run locally on Windows without any cloud dependencies, ensuring offline availability and privacy.
Preparing Windows for Running Pre-Trained Koki TTS Models
Before we can start using pre-trained Koki TTS voice models on Windows, we need to satisfy some dependencies. Here are the steps to follow:
1. Installing Python
To run Koki TTS, You need to have Python installed on your Windows machine. Koki TTS is compatible with Python versions 3.7 to 3.10. In this article, we will use Python 3.8.10. You can download the Python installer from the official Python Website (python.org) and follow the installation instructions. Make sure to add Python to your system's PATH environment variable during the installation process.
2. Installing Microsoft Visual Studio Build Tools
Next, we need to install the Microsoft Visual Studio Build Tools or SDKs. These tools provide the necessary dependencies required by Koki TTS. Some of the pre-trained models are trained using eSpeak or Respeaking NG, and the build tools ensure compatibility. You can download the tools from the official Microsoft website and follow the installation instructions.
3. Installing eSpeak or Respeaking NG
Depending on the models you plan to use, you may need to install eSpeak or Respeaking NG. Some pre-trained models utilize eSpeak or Respeaking NG as the phonemizer. If you're unsure which models require these dependencies, it's recommended to install them to ensure compatibility. You can download eSpeak or Respeaking NG for Windows and follow the installation instructions.
Now that we have satisfied the necessary dependencies, We Are ready to install Koki TTS.
Installing Koki TTS
To install Koki TTS, we will use the pip Package manager. Open a command prompt or terminal window and run the following command:
pip install tts==0.8.0
By specifying the version number, we ensure that we install a specific version of Koki TTS. The latest version at the time of writing this article is 0.8.0. However, you can update the version number if a newer version is available.
Once the installation is complete, you can verify the installation by running the following command:
pip list
You should see "tts" listed among the installed packages.
Synthesizing Voice using Koki TTS
Now that we have Koki TTS installed, let's explore how to synthesize voice using pre-trained models. There are two ways to synthesize voice: using the Web Front End or the Command Line.
Using the Web Front End
Koki TTS provides a simple web front-end that you can use to synthesize voice. To access the web front-end, you need to start the Koki TTS server. Open a command prompt or terminal window and run the following command:
tts-server --list-models
This command lists all the available models that you can use for voice synthesis. To use a specific model, you can pass the model name as an argument to the following command:
tts-server --model-name <model_name>
Replace <model_name>
with the desired model from the list. If it's the first time you're using a specific model, Koki TTS will automatically download the necessary files. Once the server is running, open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost:5002
. You will see the Koki TTS web front-end, where you can enter text and listen to the synthesized voice.
Using the Command Line
If you prefer using the command line for voice synthesis, you can run the following command:
tts "This is just a sample using Koki on Windows" --out-path output.wav
This command will synthesize the provided text and save the output as a WAV file in the specified output path. You can customize the input text and the output path according to your requirements.
Additionally, if you have a specific voice model you want to use (such as the German Trust and Stimulate Windows Functions), you can specify the model name as an argument:
tts --model-name <model_name>
Replace <model_name>
with the desired model. The synthesized voice will reflect the characteristics of the selected model.
Conclusion
In this article, we explored how to use and run pre-trained Koki TTS voice models on Microsoft Windows. We learned about the dependencies required for running Koki TTS, how to install Koki TTS, and how to synthesize voice using the web front-end and the command line. Koki TTS offers a powerful and flexible solution for text-to-speech synthesis, allowing you to create custom voices or use pre-trained models in various languages. With offline capabilities and high-quality voice synthesis, Koki TTS opens up new possibilities for interactive and engaging applications.