AiboMind V3 Custom Audio |
Backup your AiboMind3 stick first! This will disable the existing male voice. To restore it you will have to recover from your backup. This version is not yet compatible with the future AiboCustomManager (V3).
Voices are synthesized (TTS). Not all TTS phrases make sense (eg: "HMMMM"). Sound effects in the talkative voice prompts are not included.
With the tool you can customize:
- The main voice prompts including voice guide mode (examples: "Let's take a picture", "Voice guide mode, top menu")
- The new talkative voice mode (examples: "I wanna play with the AIBONE", "I feel like I'm on vacation")
- The 2 default games, demo/clinic mode and Simon (examples: "I will explain clinic mode", "I've seen bad, but you're worse")
The Custom Voices
NOTE: Custom voice packs are removed for size.
- AudioToolM3 tool - PC utility to merge custom audio [required]
Instructions:
- Backup your AiboMind3 memory stick !!! (use a Sony brand stick reader)
- Download the AudioToolM3 program and any custom audio you want to use. Unzip them into the same folder (one .EXE, and multiple .ODA files). These files are big!
- Place your AiboMind 3 memory stick into your (Sony brand) stick reader
- Run AudioToolM3.exe
- Select the drive of the memory stick (where there is a memstick.ind file)
- NOTE: the first time AudioToolM3 is run, it will copy a 22.5MB file from your memory stick (may take a minute or two, depending on stick reader speed)
- Pick one of the available voices for "Main". These are the main voice prompts. The default Male voice will be replaced.
- Pick one of the available voices for "Talkative Voice". This is usually the same as the Main voice. These are the main voice used by AIBO when in Autonomous mode. The default Male voice will be replaced.
- Pick on the the available voices for Game mode. This is usually the same as the Main voice. If you have installed custom games, leave the Game options alone. The custom game audio assumes the default game setup (Game slot #1=Feature Demo, Game slot #2=Repeat Me)
- Press "Save" and it will replace the default audio with the voice mentioned.
Tech notes:
- Audrey is the 16kHz Audrey voice from AT&T Natural Voices
- Charles is the 16kHz Charles voice from AT&T Natural Voices
- HeliumClaire is the 16kHz Claire voice from AT&T Natural Voices, with Helium and Underwater effects from CoolEdit 2K
- TTS voices have ending silence trimmed, result normalized to 100% (using CoolEdit 2K) and compressed to 16kHz, 4bit-per-sample ADPCM (ERS-7 AIBO compatible)
- MiniAudrey is the 16kHz voice downsampled to 8kHz (ADPCM). Canned sound effects are also reduced to make the whole thing fit in 32MB.
The better sounding voices are not free. There is a relatively cheap download (~$35 per voice with a one time cost of $35). However, if you use the TTS features of AiboEntertainmentPlayer often, you should consider a more natural voice (eg: synthesis feature, reading RSS feeds). For WAV file editing, I still like the discontinued "CoolEdit 2K". It was a great free program (and an inexpensive $25 to remove some limitations). It was bought out by Adobe, repackaged and turned into $250 program that does essentially the same.
Demo versions of the tool can still be found if you search for CoolEdit 2K.