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London PA Voice Emma Clarke F ired for Slamming Tube
On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:37:00 -0800 (PST), MIG
wrote: On Nov 28, 1:37 am, Barry Salter wrote: Boltar wrote: What I don't understand is why companies bother using recordings when speech synthesizers cost buttons, are about the size of one and can say anything you want - you don't have to pay some actor to record new phrases if things change , you just type it in. Even in the 70s Texas Instruments could do a 1 chip version and they sound a lot better these days. Because 99% of the time speech synthesisers are utter crap. Take the one at King's Cross St. Pancras for example, which used to announce a Good service on the Pick-addle-y Line when first installed. (Though that's now been fixed). The main problems being either mispronunciation or a complete lack of inflection where you'd normally expect it. At least where there's a (human) automated announcer it generally sounds more "natural"...Though you can't beat a *properly trained* "live" announcer. A bizarre thing I heard on Southern recently was an obviously synthesised voice saying "London Underground have informed me ...". Oh, that winds me up, along with "I am sorry for the delay to this service". You can't be sorry, you're a computer. "We are sorry" would be far better. |
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London PA Voice Emma Clarke F ired for Slamming Tube
James Farrar (James Farrar ) gurgled happily,
sounding much like they were saying: A bizarre thing I heard on Southern recently was an obviously synthesised voice saying "London Underground have informed me ...". Oh, that winds me up, along with "I am sorry for the delay to this service". You can't be sorry, you're a computer. "We are sorry" would be far better. "On behalf of all the computers in this server room..." |
#3
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London PA Voice Emma Clarke F ired for Slamming Tube
On 28 Nov 2007 09:50:28 GMT, Adrian wrote:
James Farrar (James Farrar ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying: A bizarre thing I heard on Southern recently was an obviously synthesised voice saying "London Underground have informed me ...". Oh, that winds me up, along with "I am sorry for the delay to this service". You can't be sorry, you're a computer. "We are sorry" would be far better. "On behalf of all the computers in this server room..." ISWYM... but the computer is the company's representative, and is programmed to speak for the company. It doesn't speak for itself! |
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London PA Voice Emma Clarke F ired for Slamming Tube
James Farrar wrote:
On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:37:00 -0800 (PST), MIG wrote: On Nov 28, 1:37 am, Barry Salter wrote: Boltar wrote: What I don't understand is why companies bother using recordings when speech synthesizers cost buttons, are about the size of one and can say anything you want - you don't have to pay some actor to record new phrases if things change , you just type it in. Even in the 70s Texas Instruments could do a 1 chip version and they sound a lot better these days. Because 99% of the time speech synthesisers are utter crap. Take the one at King's Cross St. Pancras for example, which used to announce a Good service on the Pick-addle-y Line when first installed. (Though that's now been fixed). The main problems being either mispronunciation or a complete lack of inflection where you'd normally expect it. At least where there's a (human) automated announcer it generally sounds more "natural"...Though you can't beat a *properly trained* "live" announcer. A bizarre thing I heard on Southern recently was an obviously synthesised voice saying "London Underground have informed me ...". Oh, that winds me up, along with "I am sorry for the delay to this service". You can't be sorry, you're a computer. "We are sorry" would be far better. Maybe it was Stephen Hawking. |
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London PA Voice Emma Clarke F ired for Slamming Tube
James Farrar wrote:
Oh, that winds me up, along with "I am sorry for the delay to this service". You can't be sorry, you're a computer. "We are sorry" would be far better. You know what, that bothers me too. -- Michael Hoffman |
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