Imagine recording your voice or a song in one langauge and having the capability for smart software to translate your voice into allmost 1500 languages used around the world. Science Fiction?
Now it's a reality.
A company caled Voxonic has developed proprietary software that can translate lyrics into nearly 1,500 languages..."Voxonic voice transformation and replication software."
From their web site:
"There are 1,468 Languages in the world. We speak every one of them. Voxonic has developed proprietary patent-pending software, which transforms voices, making it possible to replicate any person's voice in any language.
Voxonic applies its "Voice Models" to transform speech from one person to another. All we need is a one-time, fifteen-minute sample of your voice. With that we will be able to present you saying what you want in the language of your choice.
Possible applications:
For certain applications, Voxonic technology can work together with "text-to-speech" engines; your voice model is applied to the output of the TTS program, delivering automated speech in your voice and in the language delivered by the TTS software.
Voxonic technology can be used in marketing and advertising to leverage the power of celebrity voices and to increase the efficiency of audio post-production by reducing studio and dubbing fees.
The movie industry could present international stars in their voices throughout the world. The video game industry could present audio clips in the voices of the stars.
The animation industry could streamline the process of applying video to changing story boards. Corporate executives could communicate with their international employees, clients and investors in their individual languages."
These are just a few examples of the power of this amazing technologys ays the vendor.
Voxonic's software is able to convert any bit of recorded text into 1,468 different languages with 99 percent accuracy, according to the company.
I'm impressed with the advanced algorithms of the technology, but I wonder if some of the original meaning of a song could be lost in translation, when no similar concept exists in a foreign language? How to you retain the clever wordplays and rhyme schemes inherent in popular music such as rap? Do you think that this will catch on? What other cultural barriers do you see?
I'm looking for an application like this. I'm a professional speechwriter and would like to be able to preview and time a speech I've written prior to delivering it to my client. This app sounds like it would do that...
Posted by: jdrinthornhill | May 19, 2009 at 02:37 PM