Speech output example by playing phoneme wav files

[radiohound]

Here is a working example of using phonemes to create speech with Teensy 3.6 or 4.1, with a builtin SDCARD attached, and an Audio Shield. The output is I2S, where the Audio library could be used to modify these sounds. To do this, phoneme wav files used for english speech were recorded to very short 22050 Htz 16 bit wav files. Frank Boesing's library https://github.com/FrankBoesing/Teensy-WavePlayer needs to be used to play the 22050 khz wav files.

Wav files from the TTS program Espeak-NG were created for each sound. The phoneme naming format from S.A.M. (Software Automated Mouth) was used. That way, SAM's dictionary of words can be utilized. An example of the sound output is here: example.wav . More details on how the phonemes were created can be found in the attached pdf file. The phoneme wave files (in the zip file) need to be extracted to the SDCARD.

I suspect that some of the phoneme sound files may have to be remastered to get to the right volume and or length, and probably an interrupt timer should be used to separate the phoneme sounds. But as a proof of concept, I am rather pleased with the initial results. I have only tried a handful of words.

//SpeechSynthPlayer.ino
//This code produces speech output to I2S when the correct phonemes are played in the correct order.

//Parts of Frank Boesing's WaveFilePlayerI2SSampleRate code was used to play 22050 htz wav files. 
//phoneme names format from SAM TTS manual. This manual has a helpful word dictionary
//however, it includes numbers for pronounciation that I have not implemented here
//http://www.retrobits.net/atari/sam.shtml

//The phoneme sounds files need to be copied to a SDCARD in the builtin SDCard on a Teensy 4.1 or 3.6 board, 
//with a Teensy Audio Shield Rev D for 4.1 or previous Rev for a Teensy 3.6

#include <Audio.h>
#include <Wire.h>
#include <SPI.h>
#include <SD.h>
#include <SerialFlash.h>
#include <play_wav.h>

#if defined(__IMXRT1062__)
#define T4
#include <utility/imxrt_hw.h> // make available set_audioClock() for setting I2S freq on Teensy 4
#else
#define F_I2S ((((I2S0_MCR >> 24) & 0x03) == 3) ? F_PLL : F_CPU) // calculation for I2S freq on Teensy 3
#endif

// GUItool: begin automatically generated code
AudioPlayWav             playWav1;     //xy=210,161
AudioOutputI2S           outputsound;       //xy=417,124
//AudioOutputUSB           usb1;           //xy=402,185
AudioConnection          patchCord1(playWav1, 0, outputsound, 0);
//AudioConnection          patchCord3(playWav1, 0, usb1, 0);
//AudioConnection          patchCord4(playWav1, 0, usb1, 1);
AudioConnection          patchCord2(playWav1, 0, outputsound, 1);
AudioControlSGTL5000     sgtl5000_1;     //xy=413,177
// GUItool: end automatically generated code


//These phonemes were all generated from espeak-ng using the wav recording feature:
// espeak-ng -w AA.wav -ven-us [[o]]. (More info in the pdf file located in docs)
// in espeak-ng the phoneme that matches SAM's AA.wav is the phoneme o, AW is aU, OW is oU, UW is u etc..
// To do list: make chart for Sam to espeak alophone conversion
// Some of the phonemes here had to be cut from example words in order for them to match the correct sound. 
// This is because for some phonemes, espeak-ng needs to know the context of the letter, in order to know how to 
// pronounce it. SAM phonemes are a much reduced list of phonemes than espeak. 
// Some of these wav files may need to be re-recorded, trimmed/extended, and or volume increased/decreased
// to improve the sound. But this seems to produce promising results, and results that can be manipulated by the 
// sound library.  


void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  AudioMemory(50);
  delay(500);
  if (CrashReport) {
    pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
    digitalWriteFast(13, 1);
    Serial.println(CrashReport);
    CrashReport.clear();
    delay(30000);
  }

  sgtl5000_1.enable();
  sgtl5000_1.volume(0.6);
  
  if (!(SD.begin(BUILTIN_SDCARD))) {
    // stop here, but print a message repetitively
    while (1) {
      Serial.println("Unable to access the SD card");
      delay(500);
    }
  }
  
}

#ifdef T4
#else
// calculate I2S dividers for Teensy 3
uint32_t I2S_dividers( float fsamp, uint32_t nbits, uint32_t tcr2_div )
{

  unsigned fract, divi;
  fract = divi = 1;
  float minfehler = 1e7;

  unsigned x = (nbits * ((tcr2_div + 1) * 2));
  unsigned b = F_I2S / x;

  for (unsigned i = 1; i < 256; i++) {

    unsigned d = round(b / fsamp * i);
    float freq = b * i / (float)d ;
    float fehler = fabs(fsamp - freq);

    if ( fehler < minfehler && d < 4096 ) {
      fract = i;
      divi = d;
      minfehler = fehler;
      //Serial.printf("%fHz<->%fHz(%d/%d) Fehler:%f\n", fsamp, freq, fract, divi, minfehler);
      if (fehler == 0.0f) break;
    }

  }

  return I2S_MDR_FRACT( (fract - 1) ) | I2S_MDR_DIVIDE( (divi - 1) );
}
#endif

// set I2S samplerate
void setI2SFreq(int freq) {
#if defined(T4)
  // PLL between 27*24 = 648MHz und 54*24=1296MHz
  int n1 = 4; //SAI prescaler 4 => (n1*n2) = multiple of 4
  int n2 = 1 + (24000000 * 27) / (freq * 256 * n1);
  double C = ((double)freq * 256 * n1 * n2) / 24000000;
  int c0 = C;
  int c2 = 10000;
  int c1 = C * c2 - (c0 * c2);
  set_audioClock(c0, c1, c2, true);
  CCM_CS1CDR = (CCM_CS1CDR & ~(CCM_CS1CDR_SAI1_CLK_PRED_MASK | CCM_CS1CDR_SAI1_CLK_PODF_MASK))
       | CCM_CS1CDR_SAI1_CLK_PRED(n1-1) // &0x07
       | CCM_CS1CDR_SAI1_CLK_PODF(n2-1); // &0x3f
#else
  unsigned tcr5 = I2S0_TCR5;
  unsigned word0width = ((tcr5 >> 24) & 0x1f) + 1;
  unsigned wordnwidth = ((tcr5 >> 16) & 0x1f) + 1;
  unsigned framesize = ((I2S0_TCR4 >> 16) & 0x0f) + 1;
  unsigned nbits = word0width + wordnwidth * (framesize - 1 );
  unsigned tcr2div = I2S0_TCR2 & 0xff; //bitclockdiv
  uint32_t MDR = I2S_dividers(freq, nbits, tcr2div);
  if (MDR > 0) {
    while (I2S0_MCR & I2S_MCR_DUF) {
      ;
    }
    I2S0_MDR = MDR;
  }
#endif
}

void loop() {
  setI2SFreq(22050); //wav files at 22050 htz
  delay(500);
  // Play phonemes to create words
  setI2SFreq(22050);
  playWav1.play("T.wav");
  delay(75);
  playWav1.play("IY.wav");
  delay(75);
  playWav1.play("N.wav");
  delay(75);
  playWav1.play("S.wav");
  delay(75);
  playWav1.play("IY.wav");
  delay(300);  
  playWav1.play("K.wav");
  delay(75);
  playWav1.play("AE.wav");
  delay(75);
  playWav1.play("N.wav");
  delay(300);
  playWav1.play("S.wav");
  delay(75);
  playWav1.play("P.wav");
  delay(75);
  playWav1.play("IY.wav");
  delay(75);
  playWav1.play("K.wav");
  delay(5000);
}

[radiohound]

I made a Text to Speech example, and updated some phoneme sounds files that needed some help. This example lets you type in any word to the serial monitor, and the Teensy will speak them back to you. The audio files take up about 850 kB on the SD card.

Type To Speech is located here: https://github.com/radiohound/Teensy...s/TypeToSpeech

[defragster]

I made a Text to Speech example, and updated some phoneme sounds files that needed some help. This example lets you type in any word to the serial monitor, and the Teensy will speak them back to you. The audio files take up about 850 kB on the SD card.

Type To Speech is located here: https://github.com/radiohound/Teensy...s/TypeToSpeech

Yes, yes you did make a text to speech example.

On a T_4.1 with Rev D Audio board and the ZIP wav files dropped on SD root and placed in the T_4.1

Has a decent word grasp and does well or makes a good try.

[radiohound]

Thanks defragster,

Yes, some words need some new "rules" added to the code, and other words in English are exceptions to rules. Because of this, some words are not intelligible. But new rules can be added, or an exception list could be created.

In the newest version compile defines have been added. It has been tested on Teensy's 3.2, 3.6, 4.0 and 4.1 with an appropriate Audio Shield. Teensy's with built in SDCARD use built in SDCARD. For Teensy's without built in SDCARD, use the SDCARD on the Audio Shield.