FirstTech TTS Service

Submitted by maclark10 on

The FirstTech Text-to-Speech tool lets radio programmers easily create voice announcement/annunciation files used in radio programming software.

To use the tool, upload a CSV file below. The Text-to-Speech will convert it into a zip file of WAV files, which users can convert into other file format within their manufacturer’s programming software.

Before You Begin

Download the example submission file to see how to format your text.

Tips

  • Make the zone and function files a different gender than the channel files. The pre-made templates include both choices.
  • The templates use a prefix for all filenames to signify “Z_” for zone files, “C_” for channel files and “F_” for function files. This makes it easier to keep files in alphabetical order based on what the files are used for.
  • Keep the “Text to Speak” short. It does not have to exactly match the channel name. For example, in the premade templates, 8TAC90 is spoken aloud, but 8TAC90D is shortened to “90 direct.”
  • Within the CSV, the values under the “File Name” column can contain an underscore “_” or dash “-“ but no other special characters such as slashes or ampersands (/ \ &).
  • NOTE – some manufactures software does not accept file names that contain blanks or whitespace. For example, you might get an error when programming if you use a file called “Fire Dispatch.wav” so you need to name it “Fire_Dispatch.wav”
  • Within the CSV, the values under the “Text to Speak” column can only contain letters and no special characters.
  • The tool could time out if trying to produce more than 250 entries at once.
  • If you get an error, look for special characters and limit your entries to 250. Email FirstTech@nc.gov for help.

 Questions?

Please don't hesitate to contact FirstTech if you  need any assistance or encounter any issues.