SpeakUnique Voice Design Service User Guide

Voice Design Service

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Specifications

• Version: v2.1 May 2024

• Compatibility: iOS (Apple) devices, Android devices, Windows
  devices

• File Formats: .wav, .mp3, .mp4, .mov, other digital
  formats

• Minimum Recording Length: 5 minutes

Product Information

Before You Begin

We offer two ways to access our Voice Design service:

1. Using Old Recordings: Recreate speech in a
   synthetic voice using old recordings that meet specific
   criteria.

2. Using Voice Donors: Create a bespoke voice
   that matches your desired accent, age, and gender by blending two
   voice donors.

Device Compatibility

Before recording, ensure your device is compatible:

• SpeakUnique App: A text-to-speech app
  compatible with iOS (Apple) devices (iOS 12 or higher) and many
  Android devices.

• Speed Test App: Check Android device
  compatibility with the free Speed Test App available on the Google
  Play store.

Product Usage Instructions

Using Old Recordings

1. Ensure recordings meet the specified criteria.
2. Email any clarifications to support@speakunique.co.uk.

Using Voice Donors

1. Nominate your own voice donors or contact us to use existing
   donor voices.

Device Compatibility Check

1. For iOS devices, ensure iOS 12 or higher.
2. For Android devices, check compatibility on the provided list
   or use the Speed Test App.

SpeakUnique App Usage

1. Input text via keyboard or pre-set categories for
   text-to-speech conversion.

2. Compatible with various input methods like switch access.

Speed Test App Usage

1. Download the Speed Test App from the Google Play store.
2. Run the speed test to check compatibility.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How can I determine if my device is compatible with

SpeakUnique voices?

A: For iOS devices, ensure iOS 12 or higher. For Android
devices, refer to the provided list or use the Speed Test App
available on the Google Play store.

Q: What file formats are supported for old recordings?

A: Supported file formats include .wav, .mp3, .mp4, .mov, and
other digital formats.

Q: Can I use SpeakUnique voices on multiple devices?

A: Yes, SpeakUnique voices can be downloaded unlimited times
across a range of compatible devices.

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Instructions for Creating a Voice Design
This guide gives you step by step instructions for creating a Voice Design with SpeakUnique.
Table of Contents Before you begin ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2 Device compatibility ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Apple Devices ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….2 Android Devices…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….2 Windows Devices…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2
Registering for an account ………………………………………………………………………………….. 2 Using old recordings ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 9 Using Voice Donors……………………………………………………………………………………………12 Listening to your Voice Design …………………………………………………………………………….13 Payment and funding for Voice Design………………………………………………………………….15 Downloading your Voice Design…………………………………………………………………………..17
SpeakUnique Limited, 2.04 Murchison House, 10 Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF E: info@speakunique.co.uk W: www.speakunique.co.uk

Before you begin
We offer two different ways to access our Voice Design service.
Using old recordings of your voice we can recreate your speech in a synthetic voice. Recordings must meet the below criteria:
1. File(s) in .wav, .mp3, .mp4, .mov or other digital formats 2. There is at least 5 minutes of the target individual speaking, highest quality voices are
created with between 15 ­ 20 minutes of speech 3. This must be free of loud background noises e.g. music playing or many people speaking
at once 4. There cannot be multiple people speaking over each other 5. If the recording contains more than one speaker, it needs to be clear whose voice we
want to create; you can email any clarifications to us at support@speakunique.co.uk
Using Voice Donors we can create a bespoke voice for you, that matches your desired accent, age and gender. We will blend together two voice donors to create a bespoke voice that will not sound like either one of the donors: instead, it will be a voice just for you. You can either nominate your own voice donors or get in touch with us and we might be able to use our existing bank of donor voices.
Device compatibility
Before you start recording, please ensure the device you want to use your voice on (e.g. communication aid, phone or tablet) is compatible with SpeakUnique voices. SpeakUnique voices can be downloaded unlimited times across a range of devices.
SpeakUnique App
The SpeakUnique app is a text-to-speech app that allows you to input text via a keyboard or by using pre-set categories and phrases. The typed message is then generated in your personalised synthetic voice. The app can be used with various input methods, such as switch access. It is compatible with iOS (Apple) devices (i.e. iPhones and iPads) running iOS 12 or higher, and many Android devices, depending on the chip used by the particular device.
A current list of tested Android devices is available here: https://www.speakunique.co.uk/session/using-your-voice-speakunique-app- android.
You can check whether a given device is compatible or not on the list.
Speed Test App
If you already own an Android device but you’re not sure if it’s compatible, you can check this by using our speed test app, which can be downloaded free from the Google Play store by searching for “SpeakUnique Speed Test”. The app will run a short speed test, which takes

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less than a minute, to confirm if your device is compatible with the SpeakUnique app. Once you have run the test, you can delete the speed test app from your device.
Third Party Apps for iOS
We have partnered with Smartbox and Therapy Box to integrate SpeakUnique voices into Grid for iPad and Predictable for iOS devices, respectively. A licence for Grid for iPad or Predictable must be purchased separately or provided through your healthcare provision. Please note SpeakUnique voices do not integrate into Predictable on Android devices.
Windows Devices
For Windows devices, the voices are provided in SAPI5 format where they can be accessed by any software on the device which relies on synthetic voices. We do not offer our own SpeakUnique app for Windows devices ­ you will need to use third party software to access your voice.
We have confirmed the voices are compatible with the speech generating devices listed below but please get in touch if we have not included a device you intend to use the voice on.
Tobii Dynavox Indi 7, i-12+, i-15+, i-13, i-16, I-110
SmartBox Grid Pad 8, Grid Pad 10, Grid Pad 11, Grid Pad 12, Grid Pad 13, Grid Pad 15, Touch Pad
Liberator/ PRC Accent 1400, Accent 1000 and Accent 800

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Registering for an account
Visit www.speakunique.co.uk and click Sign Up/ Login.
To register for a new account, please enter your email address and click Begin Registration

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Enter your first name, last name and choose a password. We’d love to know how you found out about us and you can decide if you would like to be kept up to date on our news through our mailing list! Then click Continue.
This guide will show you how to create a Voice Design, click Get Started.

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Please complete your personal details. You do not need to provide us with your medical condition if you do not want to, but we ask for this information to help us better understand how to design your synthetic voice.
If you are being supported to use SpeakUnique by a Healthcare Professional, you can add their details to your account to grant permission for them to liaise with us on your behalf and allow them to view your progress. If you are unsure of this information at this stage, you can add this at any time from within “My Account”.

Please let us know what accent you would like your synthetic voice to have;

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this could either be the accent of your voice in your old recordings, or the accent you want your bespoke voice to have. If you are already using a communication aid, please let us know so we can ensure your new synthetic voice will be compatible with existing hardware.

Your registration is now complete, and you can continue to select your Voice Design method now. You will receive an email to confirm your account has been created.

Now pick if you would like to use old recordings of your voice or nominate

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voice donors to design your voice.
Please skip to the relevant section below: Using Old Recordings Using Voice Donors

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Using old recordings
If you would like to use old recordings of you speaking to create a synthetic voice, please click “Upload”.
Click Choose Files to select the files you would like to upload to SpeakUnique.

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A window will open showing the files available on your computer. Please select the files you would like to upload to SpeakUnique and click Open
The number of files you have selected will show next to the Choose File button. Please click Upload to upload the files to SpeakUnique.

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A list of the files you have uploaded to SpeakUnique will show in the space below. Once you have uploaded all your files, please click Save and Submit to submit the files to SpeakUnique for review.
If you would like to come back and upload more audio at a later date, please use the Done For Now button – please note this will not submit your audio for review.

Clicking Save and Submit will confirm that your audio has been submitted for approval by our team.

You will receive an email once a member of our team has reviewed your audio . If your audio is approved, we will start creating your synthetic voice and will have samples ready for you to listen to in 3-5 business days. If there is an issue with your audio, a member of our team will be in touch to let you know what the issues are.
Please skip to Listening to your Voice Design.

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Using Voice Donors
If you would like to use Voice Donors to create your Voice Design, please click Get Started

Your voice donors will need to register for an account at www.speakunique.co.uk/donor and input their unique donor code during their registration ­ please share our Being a Voice Donor guide with them, which is available on the Support Documents page of our website. The status of each donor will show on this page.

You will be notified by email once both of your Voice Donors have completed their recordings. We will then generate your synthetic voice within 3 ­ 5 business days.

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Listening to your Voice Design
You will be notified by email once your synthetic voice has been generated. If you do not receive an email, please check your junk folder or log back into your account to check your voice status. Log into your account at www.speakunique.co.uk and click Download/listen to samples of your synthetic voice.
We will generate at least one version of your synthetic voice. If more than one version of your voice has been generated, you will need to pick which version of the voice you like the best. The voice option can be selected using the circle button below the voice.

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If you have any feedback on the voice, you can use our Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down system to let us know what you think. If you have more specific comments, please email support@speakunique.co.uk.

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Payment and funding for Voice Design
You can opt to self-fund the voice via a secure online payment by clicking Pay Now. If you wish to complete a funding application, please click Apply for Funding and follow the below steps.
Our current funding partnerships will be shown, alongside eligibility criteria.

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The steps for applying for funding are specific to each charity but the required information will be shown on screen. For example, the MND Association application is shown below.
Applications from some charities require endorsement from a healthcare professional. You are required to provide the email address of the healthcare professional endorsing your application for funding. An automatic email will be sent to them explaining what they need to do. For example, the PSPA application is shown below.

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Downloading your Voice Design
The Download Now button will appear once your voice has been purchased or your funding has been approved. You will need to select your preferred version of the voice to proceed to the download page.
You can download your voice an unlimited number of times across multiple devices on all our supported platforms, The process for downloading your voice will depend on the device/ app you are using and specific instructions can be found by clicking on the different tabs displayed on this page.

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References

• SpeakUnique - In Your Own Words
• SpeakUnique - In Your Own Words
• SpeakUnique - In Your Own Words
• SpeakUnique Official Website - In Your Own Words - Record Your Voice - Personal Synthetic Voices Accents

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