Make Robot voices using free software

Have you ever wanted your own personal robot voice to tell you you've got mail, or to welcome you to your computer when you log in? 

Seek no more! For with a website, a free audio editing program, and a few simple steps you'll have your robot underlings talking to you in no time. You can modify the settings to get your own effects. The instructable shows you how to make on that sounds similar to "Otto" (auto) in Wall-E, but that is purely coincidental.

Step 1 Start with a text to speech program

First, you need to convert text to voice. Sure, you could make your own recordings, but robots don't start with human sounds. They start with computer sounds. So, go to http://www2.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php and change the voice to "Mike . . . . . . . US English."

Now type in the words you want your robot to say. For my first one typed "Hello Master Ryan. How may I assist you."

Now click on "SPEAK". If you like the results, click "Back" in your browser, and then select "DOWNLOAD" instead. Save the file with a unique name. I used "hellomasterryan.wav".

Note: You might have to tweak it to get it to sound the way you want. For example, I spelled my name as "rie an" to get it to sound the way I wanted. 

Comments

[secretxax]

Not a perfect method, but thanks anyway!

[AlternateLives]

You know, to make it even better, you could drop a bitcrusher on the voice as well to get the 'chirp' of a robot voice. There are some freeware VST plugins that do this, which you can use in Audacity.

If I knew how to do this in Windows, I'd outline it. For Mac, place the .vst file into the /library/audio/plug-ins/VST folder. It should show up in the effects menu of Audacity.

[Johnekong]

This is great ! thanks, its something I 've been longing for.

[cclime1]

This is freakin awesome. THANKS YOU SO MUCH XDDDDD

[Bosun Rick]

Could you use it to make 'Caller ID' ringtones for a cell phone?

[geocrasher]

Absolutely! Just check with your celphone manual or online help on how to convert it to an mp3 or whatever format you need. I usually just play them on the computer and record it on the phone with its microphone. It works surprisingly well!

[GameNox]

This would be great for a prank virus!!!

Just put "Prepare for extermination in 5, 4, 3, 2 ,1 Extermination in progress!!!".

[Matrix-technician]

awsome!5*

[1spartan95]

EXTERMINATE!!!!!

[read688]

Awsome instructable! I love it!

[geocrasher]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it :-)

[Spudzley]

Google Speakonia for free "Stephen Hawking" style test2voice freeware

[geocrasher]

Thanks for that! I tried it out. It'll be great for my next instructable "How to make an imaginary friend that sounds like Stephen Hawking". Awesome!