Tutorial [Info] external TTS-"server" for your SBC

[guidol]

I like it to anounce some messages/informations via TTS ( T(text)T(o)(S)peech) .

Normally I use espeak with a litte better sounding mbrola-voice (No. 6 german).

 

But on Android you could buy - for cheap againt the PC-version - some better voices.

Like my favourite german Voice "Julia" from Acapela.

 

So I always wanted to use this voice for the informations.

I did found a "server"-app for android which takes a UDP/HTTP-request to play a given string via the default TTS on the android-device
(or a .MP3 stored in the memory of the android-device).
 

Its named Home24-MediaPlayer - and can be found at (isnt anymore in  the Google PlayStore for me - only the Home24-App for Smartphone or Tablet):

http://www.home-24.net/index.php?page=sites/home.php&app=media
http://www.home-24.net/app/Home24-MediaPlayer.apk

 

You could give the android-device the request via HTTP or UDP from your armbian-commandline or shell-script:
 

# HTTP samples
curl http://192.168.6.12:50000/tts='This is a Test' 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null 
wget http://192.168.6.12:50000/tts='This is a Test' 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null 
wget http://192.168.6.12:50000/track=MySong.mp3 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null 

# UDP samples
echo 'tts=This is a Test'|nc -w 0 -u 192.168.6.12 50002
echo 'track=MySong.mp3'|nc -w 0 -u 192.168.6.12 50002

The Message could combine many commands in one line (also in HTTP/UDP):
track=Alarm.mp3|tts=Alarm|sms=0150123456&message=Alarm

 

see also the Wiki for the Home24-MediaPlayer:
http://www.home-24.net/wiki/index.php?title=Home24-MediaPlayer

 

On my Smartphone it also does work, but when the screen and the device goes to sleep it wouldnt work anymore.
So I did think about a device without a battery and did try a Orange Pi PC (H3) with H3Droid,

but this was too slow for me - because the OPi PC always did work on the SD-Card (dont know if my card was too slow).

I was hoping getting a better performance with the OPi PC because of the 1GB of Ram.

[EDIT]

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It was the card  After the Minix NEO X5 - which did work without problems.

I did gave the OPi PC a second chance with a brandnew 32GB Sandisk EVO.
With this new card the access is now MUCH snappier

I installed Acaplea's Julia and the Home24-MediaPlayer and

its sounds - for me -  a little bit better than the Minix NEO 5.

 

PS: old card seems to be a Fake-SONY Class 10 card (or very old and used)

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Now I will try a "old" Android-TVBox: Mini NEO X5 ( Dual Core  RK3066 Cortex A9 1.6GHz , 1GB Ram / 16GB Flash).

Does any one know another Android-App with a function like this?