DiRS: Dialect-independent Recording Script for International users

na4a4a

Outwardly Opinionated and Harshly Critical
Supporter
Defender of Defoko
This thread is to show Dynamivox's DiRS project.

DiRS is a project to create recording lists that are universal between speakers within a language without breaking compatibility between voicebanks from different regions.
Designed to be modular so users can swap between languages and voicebanks without having to relearn a phonetic system. DiRS is based on X-Sampa with some simplification and Utau-compatible changes.

To make it as easy as possible to record, we want to get examples from as many users from around the world to build up a demonstration catalog. Users wishing to record the list can use the catalog as reference so they know how each phoneme roughly aligns to their way of speaking.
No need to edit the reclist here!

DiRS is meant to be standardized to avoid confusion and new lists have to be created, reviewed, and approved by Dynamivox. This is to avoid confusion between users from unofficial alterations. We want to work with native speakers if possible in order to correctly understand the language structure.
When changes are made to the lists after release an upgrade path will be available so voicebanks can be updated to the latest standard with minimal effort.

The first language for DiRS to be developed is English. The list is made with non-Americans in mind and how pronunciation shifts when singing. As such, some vowels may be missing or different compared to other lists but creates a much better result.
Speakers from the United States can still use this list without any problems. An EN-US addon set may be released with the base list if deemed necessary.

Here are some demos of DiRS-en in action!

ITALIAN VOICER DEMO (makku):


UK VOICER DEMO: (coming soon)

SPANISH VOICER DEMO: (coming soon)

US VOICER DEMO: (coming soon)

(others coming soon)

An Arpasing branch of DiRS is in the works but it will not be the main version. the Arpasing conversion requires a lot of feature dropping to be compatible and should be used as an alternative reclist for those wanting to use the Arpasing tools and method instead. We can prepare a kit at a later date that lets users convert standard DiRS-en (xsampa banks) to DiRS-en-Arpasing at the expense of stripping a large portion of the functionality.

The Arpasing version will not work with the Arpasing Assistant and will require a special pseudo-bank to generate the phonemes. At this point you can load your voicebank and edit from there.

This may change if the Arpasing tools are updated for more customization.



DiRS allows for what are called "implicit" and "explicit" compounding.
An "explicit" compound is the combination of similar languages that are closely related to not risk conflicts. This is usually limited to languages with similar origins. These can often be built by users without help from Dynamivox.
An "implicit" compound is more complicated, it's the combinations of languages that are not normally compatible but can be merged do to a user's regional way of speaking. These will require Dynamivox to intervene to build the list, if deemed possible.

---
WE ARE LOOKING FOR DEMO VOICERS!
Since DiRS is made for users around the world, we need testers from as many locations as possible! As of right now we are not interested in users from the United States.

You will be given a fragment of the list to record, at this time we want to avoid having the full list recorded in case large changes are made.

EDIT: Follow the instructions on my post here: http://utaforum.net/posts/125118/
---

Q&A:
(none here right now)

Feel free to ask questions! I'll be glad to answer them!

Disclaimer: DiRS is not an alternative to not knowing a language (i this case English), if you have absolutely no understanding of how a language is pronounced then no reclist will work for you. While the future pronunciation catalog will help, you will need some understanding.
 
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Yoichi-Masaki

Ritsu's Renegades
Defender of Defoko
oh! this sounds really cool! Are there plans for this to work as a standard? Like... merging the gaps between languages recitelists so that you could add like, 40 notes and make English also do Spanish or Japanese?
 

na4a4a

Outwardly Opinionated and Harshly Critical
Supporter
Defender of Defoko
Thread starter
oh! this sounds really cool! Are there plans for this to work as a standard? Like... merging the gaps between languages recitelists so that you could add like, 40 notes and make English also do Spanish or Japanese?
That's what implicit DiRS is for. Since English isn't that similar to Spanish or Japanese it would require more work. However, users should be able to swap between separate English and Spanish banks without too much confusion.

DiRS doesn't support Japanese as Utau supports that perfectly on it's own. You can add a VCV japanese bank on top of DiRS without any problems as long as the aliases are hiragana.
 
P

partial

Guest
This seems really cool. Unfortunately I'm not your target of interest as I am from the US, but I would be interested in trying this when possible!
 

na4a4a

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This seems really cool. Unfortunately I'm not your target of interest as I am from the US, but I would be interested in trying this when possible!
I'll be open to suggestions in the meantime. After we get a few more non-US voicers we'll open up to everyone. The US has dialects too after all!
 
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Yoichi-Masaki

Ritsu's Renegades
Defender of Defoko
That's what implicit DiRS is for. Since English isn't that similar to Spanish or Japanese it would require more work. However, users should be able to swap between separate English and Spanish banks without too much confusion.

DiRS doesn't support Japanese as Utau supports that perfectly on it's own. You can add a VCV japanese bank on top of DiRS without any problems as long as the aliases are hiragana.
darn, utau could use a standard aliasing system across all languages. X-sampa helps but it is missing some internatinal vowels and it's u and i are different from Japanese (which makes it conflict with the most used VB type)
 

na4a4a

Outwardly Opinionated and Harshly Critical
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Japanese uses the "M" vowel for u. As for "i" you can use your native lanugage's i sound without any issue.
 

✧ Elfrida ✧

The Space Witch
Defender of Defoko
This sounds quite interesting. I'm really digging the idea, since I'm interested in doing languages besides Japanese and English (once I learn them, at least). I'm looking forward to what you do and will be excitedly waiting for updates.
 

Yoichi-Masaki

Ritsu's Renegades
Defender of Defoko
@_caustic_ I know you can switch them, I just mean that there isn't a standard, so a VCCV spanish usually has diff vowels than VCCV english and so on

but regardless a list that is easier for non-english originators is going to be very helpful I know Majastra and others had some issues with trying to make VCCV beacause of their accents
 

Melomad

Ritsu's Renegades
Defender of Defoko
Oh if it's only a little part of the list why not! Can help you guys? I come from France.
 
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na4a4a

Outwardly Opinionated and Harshly Critical
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Sure! I'll contact you when I can with a reclist section to test.
 
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Nohkara

Pronouns: He/him
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Defender of Defoko
X-Sampa, Arpasing edition and maybe lesser vowels...!?

Sounds very great, I think that I wanna try it out! ^^ Just PM me when you have a test reclist
 
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the-neo-romantic

Ruko's Ruffians
Defender of Defoko
Do you need someone from Poland? If so, I'll gladly participate, but I'll probably have a lot of questions. ^^'
 

na4a4a

Outwardly Opinionated and Harshly Critical
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Anyone wishing to record for DiRS tests will need to record themselves reading a few sentences.

You have to speak these naturally, as if you were speaking to another person or in general, and record them the first time you read them.

Start up audacity and start recording and then open the spoiler to read them. Do not read ahead.

An Kilogram Of Cocaine
Cottage Tarragon Ay Macarena
According To All Known Laws Of Aviation
Pigeons Make Very Artistic Creatures

Credit to Adlez27 for phrase source. Some phrases are derivative.

If you mess up then keep it and continue where you left off.
Now that you did a rough take, record a second singing take as if you were recording a voicebank.

Send both takes, please make sure you send you first shot.
Additional takes along with the first are accepted.

Please be sure to send it as a PM with the subject "DiRS Tryout Phrases" and include the following information.
  • Native Language(s)
  • Country you live in (and lived in most of your life if you moved)
  • Also the additional stuff like the province, state, and/or city you live in. That way we can pin you accurately on a map later.
These will be used to instruct you further when I get around to further testing. ANYONE can send in takes.
Thank you.

You can contact me here on UF, Discord at "caustic#2434", Skype at "sar_caustic", or twitter at "_caustic".
You may want to provide your UF and soundcloud links so I know who you are in those cases.
 
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SparkyPsychc

Ruko's Ruffians
Defender of Defoko
You have to speak these naturally, as if you were speaking to another person or in general, and record them the first time you read them.
I have a question regarding this... Do you say them like you're talking with your native language or english?