New voice for audio Book of Mormon

[munaish]

All the narrators, both old and new, did a great job. I listen to them every day (usually the new, female recordings). I do have the old recordings and sometimes listen to those, too.

The text-to-speech is not the narration. If what you hear sounds monotone, flat, robotic, etc. you're probably listening to text-to-speech. Change your settings (and ensure text-to-speech isn't enabled). If it doesn't work, go and download the MP3s on your desktop computer or something.

I prefer the female narration in both the old and new recordings (I basically always prefer female narration in audiobooks, as well as female vocals in music). But, the male narrators did do a great job, too.

[richard.ashcraft]

The text-to-speech is not the narration. If what you hear sounds monotone, flat, robotic, etc. you're probably listening to text-to-speech. Change your settings (and ensure text-to-speech isn't enabled). If it doesn't work, go and download the MP3s on your desktop computer or something.

For anyone interested in a comparison between the two (older Bruce Lindsay recording vs. current Gospel Library app), here's a screen capture with audio of Alma 60, back and forth, a few verses at a time:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/x6kebkou ... q7yb7&dl=0

I personally think the older recording is far more listenable, believable, and consistent - the emotions match the content and context of the chapter. Unfortunately, this is what we've lost with the current voices.

I would describe the current app voice as flat and robotic, even though it's not monotone. Based on what I'm hearing, my suspicion is that they used real peoples' voices to train a computer voice model that they can then cause to read anything from text. It's pretty good from a technological standpoint (prior to the latest AI models, of course), but it's not in the same league as the older Bruce Lindsay recordings.

If anyone's interested, I figured out how to get the older recordings so that I don't have to use the Gospel Library app voices any more. Feel free to PM me if you have questions about that.

[richard.ashcraft]

Here's one more comparison using Jacob 7.
This chapter uses different voices than Alma 60 (in both in the Gospel Library app and the Bruce Lindsay version):

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/e68a7o9l ... ek78y&dl=0

I suggest listening to both of these comparison videos in their entirety since the tone of the chapter changes multiple times throughout, and especially toward the end of each.

[italiasaint]

I am not trying to translate to Italian. This enquiry has been void for quite some time now, but thank you for trying to help, all's good now.

[richard.ashcraft]

I am not trying to translate to Italian. This enquiry has been void for quite some time now, but thank you for trying to help, all's good now.

My response wasn’t directed toward you or the Italian language topic. It’s related to the original purpose of this thread, which was about the church’s app development team eliminating the great English recordings many of us loved.

I’ve since found how to get them so that I don’t have to use the robotic sounding voices in the Gospel Library app. Since some people don’t know the difference, I provided a comparison in my last 2 posts. The difference is pretty stark.