I’ve been working with Text to Speech for sometime now on Macs.

My Vade Mecum, Holy Grail, and Godsend of Creative Thought is Scriverner 3.

So, through Trial and Error (mostly error), Experimentation, and Research, I’ve Adapted it to Read my Writing with Multiple Characters using embedded and hidden codes that I can use on the fly. The Only TTS Scrivener has is a Speech Command to Start and Stop the Speaking.

A small Program called Dictater allows you to Play, Pause, and Rewind the Speeh, by the way.

I’ve even gotten Scrivener to Scroll as it reads the various Characters with varying voices. I use High Quality voices from Acapela… InfoVox. They use SAPI coding that can be easily embedded.

Another program that I’m just now experimenting in conjunction with Scrivener is Narrator 2.3.1 from Mariner Software, for Mac. It Simplifies the Process I’ve just mentioned AND it allows you to use the Apple High Quality Voices (there’s at least 50 of them. Many in other Languages, however) as well as the Acapela InfoVox and Others : T

Narrator lets you create ‘Plays’ using various Voices Çharacters’ that can then be sent to an Audio AAC File or iTunes to create an MP3.

I use a similar recording process in Scrivener using Services.

You can tryout Acapela InfoVox Voices for Free, as well as Narrator.

It’s a great interest of mine. So, if you have any questions or suggestions and Advice… Let me know. I’d love to hear from You…

If you’d like to see some of Projects I’ve been working on, I have a few on YouTube. Just go to YouTube and search MediaFlow ZenWest….

I’m in Costa Rica… Pura Vida .

Roland at SlothCreek.com

Hi John,

My twopence worth on the subject that I’m proficient in (ho-ho!) – Anyhow: look for a company called Harpo and check out AMY.

https://harposoftware.com/en/english-uk/88-s2g-en-amy.html

Included the link, but it might be against the rules, but you can search with those two bits of information.
She will cost you about 40:00 (GBP) or 55:00 (Euros) – Just run the exe file they provide.

Getting Windows 10 to recognize the voice is a bit of a nightmare, but using control panel, and *not* (settings) by the start menu.
– Follow this link.

Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Speech Recognition.
On the right is TextToSpeech.

If you don’t see Speech Recognition, then check on (View) – top right of the page.
– I it says: { Category }, then select { Large Icons } from the drop-down box.

– You should now see (Speech Recognition) in the second column from the left half way up.

Press TextToSpeach and select AMY, or whatever voice you’ve downloaded.

You’ll never see your (purchased voice) in normal settings above to start button, but Narrator on your system will use it, and SAPI5 voices are much, much better than those robot voices supplied with Windows.

Hope it helps.

I am, and have been searching the internet for the perfect solution to this issue, and I’ve been doing it for years, but to no avail.

Currently I am using Word 2003, and ClaroRead for the PC, (but version 5.x): It’s so expensive to upgrade to the latest version that will actually work with OpenOffice, which is another possible contender.

The ClaroRead program sits above any window, and reads from the cursor: you can stop and start on the fly re-editing as you go. The program also has a wonderful Pronunciation Editor, (and that’s an important thing to have).

Recently looked at TextAloud, (version 4 in beta if anyone wants a go). It adds plugins to Word, Firefox and Explorer to name just three, but not Scrivener: and yes it has a Pronunciation Editor, but getting to it is tricky when using the Word plugin.

As others have found out here: Scrivener for the PC doesn’t have TTS installed, and it’s only available for the MAC.
– Bought a Mac once to have TTS on Scrivener, but I couldn’t slow the voice down, and the OS had no way of doing it either. I also just couldn’t get on with that keyboard and bolting a proper one on made my portable solution unwieldy.
– The Mac had to go.

So I’m back to using Word 2003. (It’s very simple: much like me), and I’m also back to using ClaroRead for PC.

Tried out Panopreter, and that inability to continue, (after editing), was an issue for me and how I work. I don’t even like to take my hands off of the keyboard.

Excitedly I tried out yWriter5: that is one complicated piece of software, and only after you open (Screens) do you see the TTS Icon, but even that editor isn’t good: no ruler, and no way of actually formatting your work.

So I’m back to using Word, and the Windows Folders as my Chapters: not the easiest way of writing, and when the books started getting to about 80,000 words, it’s a bit of a headache as well..
– Really wish I could have a TTS version of something like Scrivener on the PC, but I just haven’t found it yet.

Thanks for the review Sara, for me: I will keep looking.
Unless, that is! – Anyone else has another suggestion?

Hi, Michael,

I had never heard of Panopreter and I appreciate your mentioning it. I was intrigued and cuoldn’t find any reviews of the program so I downloaded a 30-day trial copy and tried it out.

Two things I liked were (1) it was able to use the Ivona voices I have installed on my computer, something that Microsoft Word and other apps in Microsoft Office could not do; and (2) it was able to open and read PDF documents flawlessly, although it displays only the text contents of a PDF, not any of the formatting.

Panopreter’s interface is simple, clean and totally intuitive. In my quick tryout, the quality of the TTS narrative was flawless. I prefer to have available the dozens of additional options offered by TextAloud but if you want to keep it totally simple, you might prefer Panopreter.

All that said, I quickly spotted three issues that to me seem like deal breakers:

(1) Panopreter cannot open Word .docx documents (and probably not legacy .doc either, although I didn’t try a .doc format file ). They don’t even show up in the “open” dialogue.

(2) Panopreter offers no way that I can find to pick where the TTS narration starts. It starts at the beginning of the document, every time, even if a block of text has been selected. That might be ok if your purpose is to record a document to mp3 (a capability that I did not text) but it severely cramps the user’s ability to proof and edit a document.

(3) Panopreter positions itself as “free” but that is true only for a 30 day trial period. The license fee is $30, at least that is true for the 64 bit version that I tested. And if like myself you have low tolerance for robotic voices, you will need to purchase some lifelike voices and that will probably end up costing you more than the software itself.

I totally support paying for shareware and several of the apps I use regularly are shareware for which I gladly paid the license fee. But the base cost of both TextAloud and Natural Reader, both of which offer many more options, is about the same as Panopreter. In short, Panopreter does not seem to offer anything that its cometitors do not and it seems overpriced for what it offers.

Moreover, both Text Aloud and Natural Reader offer options to purchse voices that are guaranteed to work with the program. I didn’t see any similar offers from Panopreter.

Note: I am retired and have no affiliation with NextUp (Text Aloud), Natural Reader or any other commercial interest. II do appreiate Michael’s mention of Panoprter and hope this review is not overkill.

Glad to spread the word, John. I’m not associated with yWriter in any way; I just like to share cool things I’ve found. I’m really happy that it’s working for you

Read well, and write better!
~ Jack

I’m so glad you’ve found something that works for you, John. This mention of it is the first I’d heard of yWriter. With all the technology available today, I’m always so happy to see people finding that perfect match :). Happy writing!