Audition Deep Dive: Generate Speech
Generate Speech
Modern operating systems come packed with features that are often hidden away or difficult to use. Both OS X and Windows support speech synthesis using standardized voice libraries, but they are often exposed only through command-line operations or as an accessibility feature. It’s been difficult for editors and producers to use these tools in their projects to generate scratch voiceovers, interesting transitions and narration, or for use in game design. Audition now offers an easy-to-use panel to access these voices to generate speech files for use in your recordings and multitrack projects.
To get started, select Effects > Generate > Speech… from the menu bar in either Waveform or Multitrack view. You may be prompted to create a new file to store the synthesized speech track. The interface is simple: Select the language, gender, and voice you wish to use, then type or paste the text you want to hear them say.
You can preview different voices and make adjustments to the speaking rate, choosing a shorter or faster cadence. If you’re creating scratch voiceovers that will be replaced later, choose a rate which closely matches the speaking rate of your talent or actors.
Your OS probably has a few voices already installed for you, which are generally for personal use only and not licensed for use in commercial projects, but you can purchase and license hundreds of high-quality voices from many online companies. For OS X users, many additional voices and languages may be available for download. Click the **Setting****s **button to open the OS Speech preferences, then choose Customize… from the System Voice parameter.
To preview and purchase voices which may be used commercially, visit the websites below. There are also applications available which enable anyone to create their own voice libraries which can be installed and distributed.