TextAloud - noce proggie, alas not free.
Here's a few freewae possibilities:
WavePad
http://www.nch.com.au/wavepad/index.html
WavePad is a sound editor program for Windows. This software lets you
make and edit voice and other audio recordings. You can cut, copy and
paste parts of recording and, if required, add effects like echo,
amplification and noise reduction.
Above is a rather cluttered site, both freeware & shareware. Have a
look around there for other alternatives.
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Natural Voice Text to Speech Reader
http://www.naturalreaders.com/
[Freeware version is at top-right on this page]
Text to speech software which supports high quality Natural Voices.
With Built-in web browser, you can view any web news on the Internet,
and have the computer read any part of the news, weathercasts, charting
messages, and emails.
The application also can read word documents, rich text files, and PDF
files. Additionally, you can change the speak speed and voice quality.
By pressing Play File, you can hear the voice files or music. (.WAV
file format)
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Speakonia [this one I like]
http://www.cfs-technologies.com/home/?id=1.4
http://www.download.com/3000-7239-10125328.html?part=85105&subj=dlpage&tag=button
The easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) is similar to Notepad.
Speakonia reads aloud any given text with just one mouse click!
The reading can be paused, resumed and can be exported to a wave file.
In addition Speakonia is able to fetch webpages through an internal
http interface and read them aloud for you. You can even have your
mails read to you using the "Clipboard Reading" feature.
English, French, German, Italian. Several voice possibilities.
*Need to register [free]
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AnalogX Sayit
http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/audio/sayit.htm
Are you ready to dazzle and amaze your friends, by generating custom
computer synthesized speech? Yes, I know it sounds almost like a dream
too wonderful to be true, but your computer just needs a nudge in the
right direction... With AnalogX SayIt! Inspired by that evil device
many of us were tormented by as children, the Speak&Spell, AnalogX
SayIt gives your computer a synthesized voice to rival that of Colossus
(from the movie Colossus: The Forbin Project). Type in any word or
phrase, set the sliders to the appropriate settings, and click the
'Render' button - out pops a nice little wave file. Or, if you are just
playing around, use the 'Preview' button an hear what it sounds like.
It's that simple. AnalogX SayIt outputs 16-bit wave files, and can
handle phrases up to 500 characters, more than enough for your average
computer speech needs.
[Think this one is a bit old -- 1999, and the voice may not be suitable
for your needs -- too "computer-y" perhaps.
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WikiTalk TL
[Note: blurb below mentions use for limited sight individuals.]
http://www.bercutfinland.com/WikiTalkTL/WikiTalkMain.html
WikiTalk TL 1.11 is a freeware program for Wikipedia users to make
Searches from Wikipedia and to Speak the search result.
WikiTalk Features:
Talking head
Speak Several different languages
Text to wav
Text to MP3
Clipboard to wav
Clipboard to MP3
Controls Internet Explorer and Acts as Wikipedia navigator and shows
the founded page by IE.
Planned so that also persons with limited sense of sight can use it
easily
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SmartRead
http://www.smartysoft.com/index.php
SmartRead can read text through voice. SmartRead can read text by some
different voices such as English voices, Simplified Chinese voices. As
you select the voice from the combo control, SmartRead can read the
text with the selected voice. It can begin to read from any position
randomly: move cursor to place needed, choose "read randomly". During
the process of reading, pull mouse to set up the position again. Having
the function of "SelfCheck", check the computer software and hardware.
The program features a repair function to repair speech engine problem,
especially to XP users. Shielding function allows hiding the speech
voice not needed temporarily.
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VoiceMate
http://protecsoft.com/downloads.htm
VoiceMate converts Text to Voice from any Windows applications (i.e
Internet explorer, word, etc). User has an option of changing the
gender and voice pitch of the reader.
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Surfie [etc at least one other freeware voice product here ; downloads
are very slow and erratic -- use a download manager!]
http://www.voicegeek.com/SURFIinfo.html
Web Browser with speech input and speech output capabilities.
It automatically reads to you content of the web page after it is fully
downloaded filtering advertisements. Also it dynamically builds the the
web links on the web page as the voice commands. So you can navigate to
another web page using speech input.
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SpeakOut
http://www.bobsoft.com/
SpeakOut is a text to speech software that can read any text or a text
file for you. It can monitor windows clipboard and read the content
automatically.
