VoiceGuide Function

[rikkisbears]

Hi, I was just browsing thru the Yamaha download section and came across Voice Guide Manual/File.
Is it something new to Psr's

QUOTE it says

When Voice Guide is active, the instrument gives audible information on the current display or operation being executed, allowing those who have visual impairments to enjoy playing and using the instrument. The following information can be heard when using the Voice Guide function


Then there is a manual and file to download, I beleive.

[Toril S]

Yes, this is a new function that first came for use on the Genos, and is now also available on the xS models. I have just got a Genos, and will test it. I am visually impaired, so I am interested. I believe the voice guide need some developement still, but Yamaha is on the right track!!

[blackpool]

Hi..not under the covers this time?..lol
I am at this time! Last post for today...

I think this facility was designed for partially sighted players, well, as far as I am aware...
Hence , never tried it although I am getting there now with my vision! at this age...
Hope you're doing ok with the SX mine is in hospital so I'm just managing with the korg for now ... Can't wait to get it back .
Keith

[Toril S]

To make it for the partially sighted is not good enough! This can be made to work for blind people, and Yamaha must not stop developing it before that is the case!

[rikkisbears]

Thank you Toril,
my eyesight at the moment is still ok , but I remember someone mentioning that their eyesight wasn't too good anymore, so was hoping this might help them.

[rikkisbears]

Hi..not under the covers this time?..lol
I am at this time! Last post for today...

Hope you're doing ok with the SX mine is in hospital so I'm just managing with the korg for now ... Can't wait to get it back .
Keith

Bright eyed and bushy tailed at the moment thank you, 10 am here.

What happened with the sx?  hopefully nothing too serious.

About to update mine, first time. Bit nervous haha

[Toril S]

Updates use to go without any problems😀

[rikkisbears]

Thanks Toril,
did it, and went smoothly.

[blackpool]

Morning, ( well for me it is now....lol )
Re . problem, not sure, wont even load a test screen, so it has gone to the emergency room!
Will keep you posted - in the meantime it is back to one of my little Korgs.

Had a 970, T5 and Genos before, never had an issue with any Yamaha. Just wanted this one for its size as its a great combo. of all of them. It's hopefully just a minor blip....will see.

Glad your up-date went ok. Its always a bit daunting .... until you get the message that you have the new version, yes

Keith 

[rikkisbears]

Well, I'm back in bed. Haha.
Hope you get it sorted. Definitely keep us informed. My experience as far as Yamahas go, they have always been reliable.

[hans1966]

Hi Toril, did you change your Tyros 5 to Genos?. Greetings.  Hans

[Toril S]

Yes, Hans. But I still have my Tyros 5.

[Sharon]

Hi,  I'm totally blind and would be very interested to see how this voice guide works.  It would be perfect for me.  I'm using a psrs975 at the moment, and there are so many things on the screen I cannot access. I'm struggling a lot with some of the advanced things which is a real shame.  If this works, it could solve all my problems.

Sharon

[beakybird]

Hi,  I'm totally blind and would be very interested to see how this voice guide works.  It would be perfect for me.  I'm using a psrs975 at the moment, and there are so many things on the screen I cannot access. I'm struggling a lot with some of the advanced things which is a real shame.  If this works, it could solve all my problems.

Sharon

Maybe someone in Knottingham could help Sharon out. I found her location through her profile. Sharon, if you lived in the Chicago area, I'd give you a few private sessions so you could operate your keyboard more easily.
I think it would be really hard, without sight, to tell if a registration parameter is checked or not. Hopefully, the voice guide on the SX900 would tell you.
I can't imagine operating the keyboard without my vision. Best  of luck!

[Sharon]

Hi, and thanks.

Yes it is very hard to operate a lot of the advanced features on my keyboard, I would love some help sometime, believe me.  Maybe the voice guide may help me one day.  Sharon

[Nocturne64]

Hi Sharon, voice guide is available in all latest generation Yamaha keyboards: Genos and new SX series. Unfortunately not on "old" 975. Also, it was developed for Clavinova CVPs from 600 series I believe (not sure), surely in 700 and in newer 800 models. Voice guide is an absolutely needed option for every blind users that would like operate any touch screen keyboard, and it seems that Yamaha is the only manufacturer developing such feature. So, if you purchase, say, a new Genos you will not regret (not only for voice guide....). Hope this helps.

[Vipodcasting]

Hi. I'm registered blind, have just purchased the PSR SX900 and absolutely love it. I'v donwloaded the Voice Guide files as others have here. I'd be interested in positively engaging with Yamaha to encourage them to further develop Voice Guide as it is indeed, quite limited. Does anyone have any other accessibility tips? For example, I have no idea how I'd record using midi multi tracks but,would love to get my head around it. I'd also like to be able to adjust vocal settings such as what vocal effects I need plus the harmony effects and effects on sounds and so on. Sorry, this newbie is coming across all enthusiastic which is a pain sometimes. Anyway, over to you lot. Paul

[Cleverson]

Hello all, I'm also blind and would apreciate some experience reports with Voice Guide. I guess that basic functions are accessible, but for example, I'd like to know whether functions such as recording music or installing an expansion pack are usable, since the USB port is busy with the flash drive containing the Voice Guide files, so you couldn't insert another stick to transfer other files.

Also, are advanced functions such as creating styles and editing voices accessible?

Greetings,

[gabrielschuck]

Hey guys,
I'm new to the forum and was following this thread about VoiceGuide.
I am also visually impaired and have been using yamaha keyboards for a long time.
I currently have a psrs910 and a recently purchased tyros5.
Here in Brazil it is increasingly difficult to buy new top-of-the-line keyboards, as they are very expensive.
The Genos is a keyboard for a few and even the SX900 is not very affordable in terms of price. And that's exactly the point I wanted to get to:

Yamaha, if it wanted to, could already implement accessibility in previous models, as well as many other keyboard brands that have not done so until now.
Touch is not a new technology. It is much more in evidence today in electronic devices, but it already existed in older keyboards.
A keyboard full of buttons doesn't necessarily make it a fully accessible instrument to operate, even more so considering the high price.
Blind users are forced to decorate the screens, tabs and how many buttons they need to press to perform some function.
Myself for example, I don't use 100% of the style creator's functions, because there are too many details and no feedback to help.
Generally speaking, there has long been enough keyboard technology to provide needed accessibility and feedback.
Unfortunately, accessibility doesn't keep up with this technological evolution.

Regarding VoiceGuide, I found out about this feature by listening to the demo videos on youtube and I tried to research more about it.
Technically speaking, they started this project in a very amateur way.
To begin with, it is necessary to download the wav files containing the speech possibilities that the keyboard plays in sequence as the information appears on the screen.
Anyone who knows how a screen reader works on other platforms agrees that this is not ideal.
For example, when saving a file, VoiceGuide will certainly not read the name of that file.
Why? Because the keyboard doesn't have a "voice synthesis engine" that is capable of reading anything.
In fact, it is very curious that they used synthesized speech in the recordings of each phrase, one for each wav file.
Not to mention that, to translate into other languages, it is necessary to re-record all the lines.
With a software-implemented speech synthesis engine, this task would be much easier.
The experience a blind user will have with VoiceGuide is far from similar to an iPhone with voiceOver or on Android with TalkBack and other alternative screen readers.

In short: It's still not quite a "keyboard screen reader".
I sincerely hope that Yamaha continues to think about these users with great care and that it improves the project, making the feature available in all its products as Apple does.
I also hope that, like her, many other keyboard brands can be open to this potential audience, so they can participate in the development by giving suggestions and collaborating in some way.
Sorry for the long post.
Best regards

[Luis Carlos GM]

I'm, as you know, also a blind person. Recently Yamaha releaced voice guide for my future Yamaha PSR-A5000, although somehow I will try to sell my 2 now unused keyboards.

[overover]

Hey guys,
I'm new to the forum and was following this thread about VoiceGuide. I am also visually impaired and have been using yamaha keyboards for a long time. ...

Anyone who knows how a screen reader works on other platforms agrees that this is not ideal.
For example, when saving a file, VoiceGuide will certainly not read the name of that file.
Why? Because the keyboard doesn't have a "voice synthesis engine" that is capable of reading anything.
In fact, it is very curious that they used synthesized speech in the recordings of each phrase, one for each wav file. ...

Hi Gabriel,

Thank you for your detailed contribution on the subject of "Voice Guide" to Yamaha Keyboards! I also think that an integrated "voice synthesis engine" that can read all screen contents (including e.g. file names) would be better than the previous method of only playing ready-made wave files.

By the way: Yamaha occasionally reads along in forums like this one, but I think it would be ideal if you sent your thoughts / suggestions directly to Yamaha (e.g. via the e-mail contact form on the Yamaha Support website).


Best regards,
Chris

[Luis Carlos GM]

I as other blind people like me have that suggestion. I want to explore deeper the keyboard's interface instead of going to the basic way to use buttons.

[gabrielschuck]

Hi Gabriel,

Thank you for your detailed contribution on the subject of "Voice Guide" to Yamaha Keyboards! I also think that an integrated "voice synthesis engine" that can read all screen contents (including e.g. file names) would be better than the previous method of only playing ready-made wave files.

By the way: Yamaha occasionally reads along in forums like this one, but I think it would be ideal if you sent your thoughts / suggestions directly to Yamaha (e.g. via the e-mail contact form on the Yamaha Support website).


Best regards,
Chris

Sure, Chris. I'll do it.
I don't know if it would be of interest to yamaha, but I would be very happy if she could also think of users who still have older models and are unable to buy a newer one.
For example, the tyros5 itself has enough technology for a Voice Guide - I don't think it's as different from the genos or the SX900 itself to support this feature.
As I mentioned in a previous post, not all keyboard players are able to change instruments every 6 months.
Visually impaired people are major potential consumers that not only Yamaha but other musical instrument companies can exploit.
I believe that this resource could also be known by Yamaha from other countries, such as Brazil.
Here, Yamaha musical do Brasil doesn't say anything about it.
Many blind people are unaware of this possibility.
Compliments
Regards

[DJIncendration]

Hi everyone,
I am a completely blind musician. I just recently purchased a PSR-SX900 because of its amazing sounds and keys. I started using Voice Guide when I got it, and I must say I am happy with parts of it. However, I have some problems and questions.

Some of the menus are not accessible. For example, the voice edit menu, the file menu, expansion packs, none of them are accessible, even with Voice Guide on.

I also can't tell exactly when I am recording audio on the keyboard with it, so I've been stuck with having to use my audio interface.
This brings me to my first question. Is there a way to make it so I can hear Voice Guide on the keyboard (through the speakers and headphones) but not through the line outs? I have a performance tomorrow and I want to know what voice I am selecting ahead of time, without other people hearing the synthesized voice.
Also, why does it just say "loading" when changing to different expansion pack voices?

[overover]

Hi everyone,
I am a completely blind musician...

Is there a way to make it so I can hear Voice Guide on the keyboard (through the speakers and headphones) but not through the line outs? ...

Hi DJIncendration,

In the other thread you posted today, I explained how you can set the SX700 so that the Voice Guide is only played back through the internal speakers, but not through the Main Output jacks. (However, the Voice Guide is then no longer on the headphone output.)
>>> https://www.psrtutorial.com/forum/index.php/topic,57314.msg502480.html#msg502480

This works the same way on the SX900.  Alternatively, you can route the Voice Guide to one of the two Sub Output jacks on SX900. This also removes the Voice Guide from the Main Outputs.


Best regards,
Chris

[Luis Carlos GM]

As I said on posts 1 or so year ago, I want to test what that voice guide function works when I get my PSR-A5000 someday.