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release 2

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Table of Contents
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1.0 A brief description of the VZ1 database
2.0 Distribution
3.0 Installation, and tests
4.0 Acknowledgments

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1.0 A brief description of VZ1
--------------------------------------------------------------
VZ1 2 equalized release is a Venezuelan Spanish diphone database provided in
the context of the MBROLA project (see http://tcts.fpms.ac.be/synthesis).

It provides a Venezuelan Spanish male voice to be used with the MBROLA program.

Input files use the SAMPA (SAM Phonetic Alphabet) notation, but with some minor changes,as indicated. The following is derived from SAMPA for Spanish.

SAMPA	EXAMPLE
_	(silence, no signal)

p	Pato
b	un Beso
t	Toma
d	un Dedo
k	Casa, Kilo, QUeso
g	un Gato

f	Fosa
s	Sapo, Zapato, Cesar
s2	loS
h	caJa, coGe
D	abogaDo
G	aboGado
B	aBogado

tS	CHico

m	Misa
n	Nace
N	caÑa

l	Losa
r	caReta
rr	peRRo, Rabia
L	LLuvia, piYama, HIede

j	fIesta
w	fUerte

a	casA
a*	cAsa
e	vetE
e*	vEte
i	gItana
i*	lIma
o	tOmate
o*	tOma
u	cUbano
u*	cUba

2.0 Distribution
--------------------------------------------------------------

This distribution of mbrola contains the following files : 

   Vz1      : the database itself
   Vz1.txt  : This file
   license.txt : must read before using the database
    
and a TEST directory containing .PHO files. Some of the .PHO
files are automatically generates, some copy natural prosody.

Additional languages and voices, as well as other example command
files, are or will be available in the context of the MBROLA 
project. Please consult the MBROLA project homepage :
   http://tcts.fpms.ac.be/synthesis

Registered users will automatically be notified of the availability 
of new databases. To freely register, simply send an email to 
mbrola-interest-request@tcts.fpms.ac.be with the word 'subscribe'
in the message title.

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3.0 Installation and Tests
--------------------------------------------------------------

If you have not copied the MBROLA software yet, please consult
the MBROLA project homepage and get it.

Copy vz1.zip into the mbrola directory and unzip it : 

   unzip vz1.zip (or pkunzip on PC/DOS)
   (don't forget to delete the .zip file when this is done)

Try 

   mbrola vz1 TEST/vexample1.pho test.wav

to create a sound file. In this example the audio file follows 
the RIFF Wav format. But depending on the extension test.au, test.aif, 
or test.raw you can obtain other file formats. Listen to it with your 
favorite sound editor, and try other command files (*.pho) to have 
a better idea of the quality of speech you can synthesize with the 
MBROLA technique.

On Unix systems you can pipe the audio ouput to the sound player as
on a HP : mbrola VZ1 test.pho - | splayer -srate 16000 -l16

Also refer to the readme.txt file provided with the mbrola 
software for using it.

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4.0 Acknowledgements
--------------------------------------------------------------

We could like to thank Enrique Obediente for the use of his voice.  This database 
is the product of a joint effort by the Laboratoire de Parole et Langage of the 
Université de Provence in Aix-en-Provence, France, in the persons of Daniel Hirst, 
Christian Cavé and Sandrine Clairet, and of the Grupo de Investigación en Ciencias 
Fonéticas of the Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela in the persons of 
Elsa Mora and Manuel Rodriguez, and with the financial support of Ecos Nord of 
France and Conicit in Venezuela. And Boris Bozkurt for his help in preparing the 
database.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Manuel Rodriguez Hourcadette (hourcade@ula.ve)

e-mail:hourcade@ula.ve, for questions concerning the 
database vz1.

Grupo de Ciencias Fonéticas
Laboratorio de Fonética
Facultad de Humanidades
Universidad de Los Andes
Mérida
VENEZUELA

http://www.ing.ula.ve/~hourcade/fonetica/  	Tel.: (+58) (274) 2403815
EMail: hourcade@ula.ve 					Fax: (+58) (274) 2402980

e-mail: mbrola@tcts.fpms.ac.be, for general information, 
questions on the installation of software and databases.

