Kindle USB Audio Adapter

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by Barty

That's for the new voice that sounds a lot better than the Hawkings voice. But who knows, maybe Ivona does not need that much RAM either and Amazon just does not want to support old devices.

Or more likely, amazon does not want to pay TTS LICENSING FEES for old devices...

However, there are a number of open source TTS engines, and even Google TTS no longer requires "high quality" voices. Here is an open source TTS engine:
http://espeak.sourceforge.net/index.html

And here is a sample audio file created by that free TTS engine:
http://espeak.sourceforge.net/samples/raven.ogg

It has a linux and a windows version -- perhaps it could run on older kindles that do not already have TTS buried in their menu system.

And there are even more open source TTS choices on github (some of which I published links to in the past).

Considering that there are software-only TTS systems that work just fine on Arduinos, I think we could get something doing TTS, even on a "lowly" K1 (which has a built-in MP3 player). So If you want "TTS" on a K1, load the audiobook MP3 on it, start the player, and open the book to follow along, eh?

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

Or more likely, amazon does not want to pay TTS LICENSING FEES for old devices...

Actually, Amazon doesn't have to pay any licensing fees at all, because they acquired the maker of the Ivona TTS voices in 2013.

Originally Posted by geekmaster

However, there are a number of open source TTS engines.

eSpeak is certainly better than Hawkings ancient TTS system, but I can't imagine listening to books read by that system.

I tested Open Source TTS voices some time ago, because one of my machines runs Linux, but there really isn't any free TTS voice that comes close to the Ivona voices and other commercial TTS products.

In that respect Open Source is utterly underdeveloped and many visually impaired Linux computer users eventually switched to OS X, because TTS is built into the OS and each version comes with number of high quality voices in a couple of different languages.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

If it's not too much of a hassle, could you please record the error message that you hear when you attach your usb audio adapter?

Okay, this is EXACTLY what it sounds like (without installing the VV update):



Except it only reads the error message popup about missing voice files, and where to go download them.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by knc1

[...]
Note 3:
It would be nice to play with this, to see if the OTG dongle support recently added to the silent Kindles could be made to support the microphone input. [...]

Okay, I did a test on my PW3 -- a KUAL extension that displays some audio stats, then attempts to record 10 seconds, and then play it back. Not successful. The script exited almost immediately, before it had time to record anything. Here is the script I launched from KUAL:

PHP Code:

root@kindle /]# cat /mnt/us/extensions/gmecho/bin/gmecho.sh
#!/bin/sh
(
echo " #> cat /proc/asound/cards"
cat /proc/asound/cards
echo " #> arecord -l"
arecord -l
echo " #> arecord -d 10 /tmp/test-mic.wav"
arecord -d 10 /tmp/test-mic.wav
echo " #> aplay /tmp/test-mic.wav"
aplay /tmp/test-mic.wav
) > /mnt/us/gmecho.log 2>&1

[root@kindle /]# 


When that script was run from KUAL (after my PW3 stopped complaining about the missing voice file), with a headset and microphone inserted into the USB dongle, it created this log file:

PHP Code:

[root@kindle root]# cat /mnt/us/gmecho.log
 #> cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [Set            ]: USB-Audio - USB Headphone Set
                      USB Headphone Set at usb-fsl-ehci.0-1, full speed
 #> arecord -l
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Set [USB Headphone Set], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
 #> arecord -d 10 /tmp/test-mic.wav
Recording WAVE '/tmp/test-mic.wav' : Unsigned 8 bit, Rate 8000 Hz, Mono
Aborted by signal Terminated...
 #> aplay /tmp/test-mic.wav
ALSA lib confmisc.c:768:(parse_card) cannot find card '0'
ALSA lib conf.c:4154:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_card_driver returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib confmisc.c:392:(snd_func_concat) error evaluating strings
ALSA lib conf.c:4154:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_concat returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1251:(snd_func_refer) error evaluating name
ALSA lib conf.c:4154:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib conf.c:4633:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2211:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM default
aplay: main:608: audio open error: No such file or directory
[root@kindle root]# 


When I run twobob's "Balsamic" demo (also from a KUAL extension), it does play audio (for awhile, before it segfaults on my PW3), but recording seems to not work, unless I need extra parameters on the "arecord" command...

EDIT: Though as you can see, "aplay" was complaining about "no sound card" before it whined about a missing sound file. So twoboob's Balsamic demo MUST be accessing the sound hardware differently than arecord and aplay, because his demo works. So perhaps we CAN get microphone input to work, using whatever "trick" twobob used to get sound output working on these USB dongles.

[knc1]

Thanks for checking.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by knc1

Thanks for checking.

It has been years since I successfully compiled an app that needs ALSA. If I can compile my new gmplay-2.0 (with sound), then I could also code up something to test the USB microphone input. Alas, no luck just yet... Need get some headers and libs and stuff in the right place...

There are probably some hints in some twobob thread or post *somewhere*. I wonder if they got into the master index? Time to do some searches (after I finish building my replacement linux box -- the old linux mint VM I was using is getting a bit to "wonky" for my liking -- especially after installing glib-2.0 as needed for some proggy that refused to build ANYWAY). Just need to decide between Arch and Gentoo, eh?

Anyway, new linux box (not a VM), then get ALSA compiles working, then test USB audio input again...

[June]

Did anyone receive the Amazon audio adapter yet? Mine shows delayed shipping

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by June

Did anyone receive the Amazon audio adapter yet? Mine shows delayed shipping

I think knc1 received the amazon TTS audio adapter for NiLuJe's PW3.

[HarryT]

Interesting that Amazon have just announced a new model which does TTS via Bluetooth.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Interesting that Amazon have just announced a new model which does TTS via Bluetooth.

That is interesting indeed, and I did see bluetooth support even in older kindle firmware for earlier devices (though perhaps just residual OEM code). However, if they do not do this just right, it can drain the battery when bluetooth is enable and it is not paired with a sound device. However, if it does, they can fix it with a firmware update.

It also makes me curious if it will work with generic bluetooth phone headsets and bluetooth speakers. I am hopeful though because it already supports generic USB sound dongles (which I have tested personally on my PW3).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

It also makes me curious if it will work with generic bluetooth phone headsets and bluetooth speakers.

They say it will. Absolutely no reason why it shouldn't; I imagine they're using standard BT hardware and stack.

[geekmaster]

Oldie but goodie: Book publishers object to Kindle's text-to-voice feature

Is it lawful for a computer to read text? And if not, does that mean moms violate copyright law when reading to their children?

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by HarryT

They say it will. Absolutely no reason why it shouldn't; I imagine they're using standard BT hardware and stack.

But in order to send audio signals via BT, the new Kindle would also need an on-board soundcard chip like the old Kindle Keyboard.
And if they added an on-board soundcard chip, they might as well add regular headphone sockets.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

But in order to send audio signals via BT, the new Kindle would also need an on-board soundcard chip like the old Kindle Keyboard.
And if they added an on-board soundcard chip, they might as well add regular headphone sockets.

Sorry to disagree, but bluetooth packets are just data. There is no reason to convert the digital sound data created by software to analog voltages with a sound card, then convert the analog sound back to digital again to send it in packets to a bluetooth headset. From a technical point of view, your claim looks inconceivable. The digital to analog step is performed in the bluetooth headset.

An onboard sound chip is only needed to create onboard sound, for onboard sound devices (speakers or headset jack), like in the K5.

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

Sorry to disagree, but bluetooth packets are just data.

But if I connect a Bluetooh headset with a smartphone or tablet won't the devices need to perform an audio-to-digital conversion first with an analog-to-digital converter before they can transmit the BT packets?
And unless the Kindle TTS module is capable of generating BT-compatible audio data packets, the Kindle would at least need an ADC.