Calibre 8.9: TTS output, and where are TTS files stored?

Moonbase59 · Today, 04:44 AM

So I’m using Calibre 8.9 on EndeavourOS/Cinnamon (rolling Arch-based distro), and I’m experiencing some oddities with the viewer’s TTS output.

I have a working speech-dispatcher output, using a selected set of Piper voices (English and German), and things like spd-say »This is a test.«, or Foliate work nicely.

Now in Calibre’s ebook viewer, when selecting »Read Aloud«, it immediately started downloading a voice called libritts (United States) [High Quality]. I can also download other Piper voices.

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Where are these stored? I don’t really want to download & store all voices I use twice.

When using the suggested The Piper Neural Engine, a reading progress is shown in the book (blue highlight) but I get no sound, whatever output device I select.

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When switching to my already-installed The Speech Dispatcher Engine, I get a list of my installed voices, can select one, and it reads the book text in the selected voice—but without any indication of position, and no page turning.

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Would be nice if this can be solved, preferably with the reading progress shown.

kovidgoyal · Today, 07:37 AM

If you want reading progress you have to use the piper engine. speech dispatcher doesnt have any. It's output goes via Qt Multimedia which in turn goes via ffmpeg which goes via pulse audio (or pipewire) which goes via the linux kernel to your hardware. something in that chain is broken in your system. Fix it and you will be fine.

Today, 04:44 AM	#1
Moonbase59 Addict Posts: 230 Karma: 1000244 Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: Germany Device: Tolino Vision 5, Tolino Tab 8", Pocketbook Era (16GB)	Calibre 8.9: TTS output, and where are TTS files stored? So I’m using Calibre 8.9 on EndeavourOS/Cinnamon (rolling Arch-based distro), and I’m experiencing some oddities with the viewer’s TTS output. I have a working speech-dispatcher output, using a selected set of Piper voices (English and German), and things like spd-say »This is a test.«, or Foliate work nicely. Now in Calibre’s ebook viewer, when selecting »Read Aloud«, it immediately started downloading a voice called libritts (United States) [High Quality]. I can also download other Piper voices. Where are these stored? I don’t really want to download & store all voices I use twice. When using the suggested The Piper Neural Engine, a reading progress is shown in the book (blue highlight) but I get no sound, whatever output device I select. When switching to my already-installed The Speech Dispatcher Engine, I get a list of my installed voices, can select one, and it reads the book text in the selected voice—but without any indication of position, and no page turning. Would be nice if this can be solved, preferably with the reading progress shown. Last edited by Moonbase59; Today at 04:58 AM.

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Today, 07:37 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,443 Karma: 27757438 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	If you want reading progress you have to use the piper engine. speech dispatcher doesnt have any. It's output goes via Qt Multimedia which in turn goes via ffmpeg which goes via pulse audio (or pipewire) which goes via the linux kernel to your hardware. something in that chain is broken in your system. Fix it and you will be fine.

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