TomTom Voice alert Collection

kevinx · Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 9:43 pm Post subject: TomTom Voice alert Collection

With regard to the TomTom Voice Alerts collection, found here

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/tomtom-ogg-files.php#TomTom

These make a pleasant change from the "BingBong", siren alert, or whatever one chooses, and of course it's handy to know WHAT type of camera is ahead. HOWEVER (and this may sound a little "ungrateful", but clock it as "constructive feedback").

The voice that tells the TYPE of camera, isn't really that loud Crying or Very sad

I am sure I am not alone in this thought, but I feel the voice warning (of the camera type) could do with being "tweaked up a little" Laughing

The unit volume could be increased of course, but then the overall guidance would be too loud.

Just my three penneth Laughing

Cheers

NB/ If you load the VOICE camera warnings, and play in demo mode, they sound okay, and the camera type is quite audible. When used in a "real" situation, then the voice warnings aren't all that clear..
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Andy_P · Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 12:24 pm Post subject:

Can I ask if this is one particular voice set or all of them?

I ask because I took all of the available voices I could collect and "re-mastered" them, using tone equalisation, compression and gain normalisation tools in a sound editing program (Adobe Audition) to make them as loud as technically possible without distortion.
But is always possible I missed one...

Re-reading your post, it seems to say that it is one of the voice-sets for the "consolidated by type" version of the camera database.

Can you post again to say exactly what files you are using.
Thanks

vroomfondel · Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 1:47 pm Post subject:

I use Ray Flanagan’s Liz voice from that link and if anything they are louder than the female English UK navigation voice..

kevinx · Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 9:48 pm Post subject:

Hi Andy, and thanks for your response.

The voice downloaded, and tried, is the PocketGPSWorld 'Computer Voice' version (with the bing bong at the front, and the CONSOLIDATED type,as you are aware.

I opened one of the ogg files with wavepad (www.nch.com.au/wavepad), and tried tweaking the gain, and amplify, to no avail. Didn't seem to make much difference :-(

At home, in DEMO mode, the camera ident is quite clear, but when motoring the cam ID is barely "legible"/very quiet :-(

Hope this helps.

Cheers

NB Vehicle driven Vaux Vectra 54 plate, so not as if it's an old noisey car (no disrespect to those with old noisey cars!!) :-)
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Andy_P · Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 10:29 pm Post subject:

Hi, I've had a look at the files mentioned and as you've found, there's not any more gain available, but that voice uses a pretty old text to speech engine, that isn't very good quality, so it could be just the intelligibility rather than the actual level. Maybe tweaking the equalisation of just the word part to give it more treble might help you, but I'm surprised you say it is VERY much quieter than the navigation.
Unfortunately, as I blew up my TT yesterday, I'm not in a position to try it on my system!
Any one else able to try it?

Maybe its worth trying one of the other voices, to see if that's better for you? It should just install straight over the top of the old one without going through any set-up.

kevinx · Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 10:46 pm Post subject:

Thanks Andy, for a prompt reply.

I shall try one (or two) of the other voices, and see what the reults are like, and let you know.

I did (with Wavepad) try tweaking just the voice part of the file, but it didn't seem to make a great deal of difference, and then the voice became distorted :-(

I'll let you kinow the results, when I've downloaded another voice, and tried in a "real situation".

Current navigation voice John Cleese, and a fried uses a female voice file (standard TomTom), and he had the same result, in fact it was he that first reported the file seemed "not too legible".

I'll let you know.

Now, about you "blowing up your TomTom".... :-(

Cheers
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TomTomOne (Original with the faster processor!)
v7.903, o/s 2344, GPSv1.21 Boot 5.0500
Mv710.1561(W Europe)+Traffic, N82 connection to GPRS traffic
+

kevinx · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:19 pm Post subject: Update :-)

Andy, and any others with interest in this topic..

I subsequently downloaded the "Liz" (with siren) voice file, overwriting the original ogg files I had loaded to my TTOne(original).

"Perfick" :-) The "Liz" files are much more legible (audible), along with the clarity.

Nice one mate.

Cheers

NB/ Haven't tried any of the other voices
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TomTomOne (Original with the faster processor!)
v7.903, o/s 2344, GPSv1.21 Boot 5.0500
Mv710.1561(W Europe)+Traffic, N82 connection to GPRS traffic
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Andy_P · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 11:49 am Post subject:

Great! Thanks for reporting back, I was beginning to worry!

kevinx · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:00 pm Post subject:

Point of interest..

On a recent trip to Belgium and France, I find that I have the boring TomTom speed cam alerts whilst there. I had downloaded the Liz files for use in the UK, and they work (UK) admirably.

If I use the same files for the EUROPEAN cams, but copy/paste then rename them FROM :-
pocketgps_uk_gatso.ogg
To
pocketgps_eur_gatso.ogg
Will these work whilst in Europe?

Cheers folks
_________________
HTC OneX (IceCreamSandwich), HTC DesireHD (Gingerbread) Co-Pilot Premium, GoogleMaps+CamerAlert352
TomTomOne (Original with the faster processor!)
v7.903, o/s 2344, GPSv1.21 Boot 5.0500
Mv710.1561(W Europe)+Traffic, N82 connection to GPRS traffic
+

Darren · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:05 pm Post subject:

If you use our European database then yes, they won't work with TomTom's own European camera files. However, don't overlook the KMH/MPH issue!
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Darren Griffin

Andy_P · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:14 pm Post subject:

kevinx · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:15 pm Post subject:

Cheers Andy :-)

I'll give that a whirl (creating new file names).

With regard to the "speed zone cams", I prefer to use the UNspeed zoned warnings, feeling that the speed zone cams give a "false sense of security".

If there is just a warning of cameras, it makes one more concious of checking the "local" speed. If they are speed zoned, (and the speed has changed) then it can lead to that false sense of security, followed by a speeding violation . They are my thoughts anyhow Laughing

Cheers once again for your response.
_________________
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TomTomOne (Original with the faster processor!)
v7.903, o/s 2344, GPSv1.21 Boot 5.0500
Mv710.1561(W Europe)+Traffic, N82 connection to GPRS traffic
+

kevinx · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:49 pm Post subject:

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