Create pauses in speech
Sylvia B
For Projects (audiobooks) it would be great to have a manual method for inserting pauses. I would use consistent lengths at the beginning and end of each track, after chapter headings, and for scene breaks.
Vex
Merged in a post:
Two voice speed controls: Add pauses. Activate punctuation.
D
Dan Abelow
My cloned voice doesn't have a natural rhythm. Two items would help: (1) Include a unique "pause" character that can be inserted in a script for a pause. You can add 2 or more "pauses" together for longer pauses. (2) Add a checkbox to "activate punctuation." The voice speed would then respond to commas and periods in the script, and use "script-based pacing." Together, these reduce the need for AI to get the voice pace right, while empowering the script writer to control some more of the pacing decisions.
Vex
Merged in a post:
Enhancing Speech AI for Longer, Controlled Pauses Between Words
christopher przybylo
Hello everyone,
I would like to share my thoughts and feedback on the suggestion to improve the Speech AI by incorporating longer, controlled pauses between words. As a firm believer in the power of spaciousness and its impact on communication, I believe this enhancement could significantly enhance our conversational experiences and deepen our understanding of the spoken word.
Eckhart Tolle, a renowned spiritual teacher, often emphasizes the importance of spaciousness in various aspects of life. Whether it is the physical spaciousness in a room or the intentional pauses we take to breathe, he suggests that it serves as a gateway to realizing presence. Similarly, I believe that incorporating longer, controlled pauses between words in AI-generated speech has the potential to foster a similar sense of presence and facilitate better comprehension and connection.
In both casual conversations and formal speeches, the rhythm and pace of speech play a crucial role in effective communication. The introduction of intentional pauses between words can create a profound impact by allowing listeners to absorb and process the information more effectively. These pauses provide the necessary breathing space, enabling our minds to catch up, reflect, and fully grasp the meaning behind the spoken words.
By integrating longer, controlled pauses into Speech AI, we can enable a more natural and human-like conversation flow. This enhancement would not only benefit individuals who prefer a slower pace of speech or those who require additional time to process information, but it would also contribute to fostering deeper understanding and engagement across various contexts.
Furthermore, the implementation of longer pauses could be particularly valuable in language learning scenarios. Learners often struggle with comprehension, especially when faced with rapid or complex speech patterns. The introduction of intentional pauses could greatly support language learners by allowing them to better discern individual words and phrases, ultimately leading to improved language acquisition.
I believe this enhancement would not only align with the principles of effective communication but also enhance the overall user experience with Speech AI. By embracing and integrating the concept of spaciousness, we have the opportunity to unlock a new level of clarity and understanding in our conversations and speeches.
In conclusion, I wholeheartedly support the suggestion to improve Speech AI by incorporating longer, controlled pauses between words. This enhancement has the potential to elevate our communication experiences, foster deeper understanding, and align with the principles of effective and meaningful conversation. Let us embrace the power of spaciousness and embark on a journey towards more impactful and engaging interactions.
Thank you for your attention.
m
moshe
You can add pauses by placing an ellipsis. Not ideal, but it works.
Shaun Tonstad
moshe: Moshe, that doesn't work reliably. ElevenLabs needs a pause capability!
m
moshe
Shaun Tonstad: They need a whole markup language, frankly. Pauses are the least of a user's worries, compared to the difficulty applying emotional coloring and the paucity of accents. I find myself doing half a dozen takes, on some dialogue lines, just to get the emotion right.
In the meantime, what we've got is what we've got. It will always add some kind of pause on an ellipsis. On a period, too, most of the time. And definitely on a paragraph stop, in the worst case.
Once there is a pause, you can expand it to whatever length desired in post-processing. With something like Audacity, that's trivial.
Shaun Tonstad
moshe: Respectfully disagree. Deterministic pauses are needed for Interactive audio. Without a pause of predetermined duration, it is highly difficult to segment large blocks of audio into sentences.
Ryan M
I second this