How to get higher quality voice on the Elk

[signal15]

http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,15574.0.html
 
Full text to speech.  Just install the Vera Alerts app from the Play Store on your phone or tablet.  It's detailed in another post I wrote on this site, but I used an old android phone with Ivona Voice "Amy" installed, connect it and the Elk to a mixer and amp from PartsExpress, and then hooked all of my Elk speakers to that instead of directly to the Elk.
 
No Vera required for this, just the app, and it's free.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

THIS app correct?

 

[tmbrown97]

Which mixer did you go with?  And I'm guessing it's powered - have you tested what'll happen if the mixer loses power? Does your elk lose all audio on the inside speakers?  I'm very likely to bite the bullet and get HomeSeer today since it's the last day of their Black Friday sale - and will very likely want to integrate their TTS along side my existing Elk speakers; this will likely eliminate the Elk124 I was using previously since all sounds should now be able to be driven from HomeSeer, as long as the responsiveness is there.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

No need for a mixer if using HomeSeer.  Just wire up a relay to switch between the Elk and HomeSeer sound card output, with the 'normally closed' going to the Elk side.  Then, when wanting to use HomeSeer voice, just write a small script triggered by the event to first open the relay, then speak the announcement of your choice, then close the relay.
 
I did this for my friend's house using an Elk and an older version of HomeSeer.  He uses the Elk for typical 'door open/close' type of announcements, but switches to HomeSeer for 'tonight is garbage night' and caller ID type of announcements.
 
Of course the voice quality is much better using the HomeSeer sound card output...
 
That's why this method (getting back to the original thread) is so great as  you can just use an android to bypass the Elk announcement's all together.  You can still use this method with the relay technique above is you wanted I imagine.

 

[wuench]

The only issue I see is with using Ivona Amy instead of CereProc Heather ...  Much better to be alerted by a Scottish lass...  ^_^

 

[signal15]

THIS app correct?

 
Nope.  This one:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rtsservices.veraalerts&hl=en

 

[signal15]

The only issue I see is with using Ivona Amy instead of CereProc Heather ...  Much better to be alerted by a Scottish lass...  ^_^

 
I'm trying to visualize Heather.  And, because of the Scottish accent, she's either amazingly beautiful, or her chin touches her forehead.  It's kind of a "flickering" visualization for me.

 

[signal15]

Which mixer did you go with?  And I'm guessing it's powered - have you tested what'll happen if the mixer loses power? Does your elk lose all audio on the inside speakers?  I'm very likely to bite the bullet and get HomeSeer today since it's the last day of their Black Friday sale - and will very likely want to integrate their TTS along side my existing Elk speakers; this will likely eliminate the Elk124 I was using previously since all sounds should now be able to be driven from HomeSeer, as long as the responsiveness is there.

 
I bought this stuff:
Lepai LP-2020A+ Tripath Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Amp w/Power Supp
 
    Purchased on November 6, 2012
Part #: 310-300
 
 
 
Behringer MX400 MICROMIX 4-Ch Line Mixer
 
    Purchased on November 6, 2012
Part #: 248-6304
 
 
 
Dayton ADQS-3.5S 1/4" Stereo M To 3.5mm Stereo F Adapter
 
    Purchased on November 6, 2012
Part #: 091-1025
 
 
 
Rean NYS231BG 3.5mm Stereo Plug Black with Gold Plug
 
    Purchased on November 6, 2012
Part #: 092-157
 
 
 
3.5mm Male to Male Slim-Plug Shielded Audio Cable 3 ft.
 
    Purchased on November 6, 2012
Part #: 240-052
 
 
Note that the mixer/amp are 2 channel, and the Elk is only one.  So you'll only use one channel.  I also went to best buy's car audio install dept and bought a line-level converter.  They don't have it in the store, you have to go to the install center.  It was $15-20.  I hooked this to the Elk.  Elk has a document on making your own, but it sounded REALLY bad when I tried their instructions.
 
Those amps are sweet also.  I've got one hooked up to some cheap 10" Cerwin Vega speakers, and they sound amazing with this amp on them.  Class-T amps are great.

 

[tmbrown97]

Thx - that answered my other question about what you used for an amp. I've considered an Elk 800 amp... And I know you can use relays to switch but don't you have to use caps somewhere to prevent popping as the speakers are switched?

My only concern with this method is ensuring the speakers for the alarm continue to work despite power outages as now you have a mixer and amp to keep alive as well. That's a place I might consider a relay - if the power to the mixer and amp dies, the relay automatically could switch the speakers back to be driven completely by the elk.

I did bite the bullet and get HomeSeer 3 Pro yesterday so I guess I'm back to tinkering!

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

I didn't notice any pop when I did this for my friend.  Just try it using Elk's built in relay before buying the mixer.  I also use the W800 at his house (and mine, though I don't switch between voice sets).

 

[signal15]

I wanted the mixer so I wouldn't miss anything.  If the Elk is alarming, I still want the Vera voice to be mixed in because I disabled all Elk voice.
 
I created a scene on Vera called "Voice Alerts", and then I created all of the triggers and put the LUA code for the voice under each trigger.  I switch an output on the Elk based on chime enable/disable, and monitor this in the Vera.  So my LUA code for each trigger is aware of whether or not the chime is enabled and will bail out if it's not for some of the non-critical alerts.
 
Note that the code below was from when I had looped an output relay to an input on the Elk (with an automation rule to control the relay), this was before the Vera Elk plugin supported outputs.

local chimeDisabled = luup.variable_get("urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:SecuritySensor1", "Tripped", 54)
 
if chimeDisabled == "1" then
     return false
end

luup.call_action("urn:richardgreen:serviceId:VeraAlert1", "SendAlert", 
                  {Message = "{tone:1} Kids.  Dad is on a phone call for work, and you have to be quiet or you'll be in big trouble.", Recipients = ""}, 46)

 

[wuench]

I'm trying to visualize Heather.  And, because of the Scottish accent, she's either amazingly beautiful, or her chin touches her forehead.  It's kind of a "flickering" visualization for me.

 
Just program her to respond with "You know nothing Signal15" and that'll clear it up for you...

 

[signal15]

Just program her to respond with "You know nothing Signal15" and that'll clear it up for you...

 
Ah, she might be good for weather reports too.  "Winter is coming."

 

[tmbrown97]

Looking at this - not to discount BSR's suggestion at all because that option is perfectly good and cheaper, although I would still need some form of amplifier for the HomeSeer computer.  An Elk800 MSRP's around $52 but would work as an amplifier inline; however, I have that line level converter sitting brand new in a box already and I stumbled across this item this morning: Rolls PA71 Plus MicroMix Power Amplifier - $69 but it'd take the stereo output of the HomeSeer computer and sum it and combine it with a mono Microphone input and give you individual adjustment knobs for each in a very compact footprint. 
 
If I do go this route, I'd still use the Relay in a similar way to what BSR suggested... using a 12V relay powered off the same power supply that powers the amp - should the amp lose power, so would the relay so the speakers would flip back to direct connection to the M1; but as long as the amp has power, the mixer would be combining the signals for you and providing 6w output which should be sufficient to drive a handful of SP12's.

 

[signal15]

Looking at this - not to discount BSR's suggestion at all because that option is perfectly good and cheaper, although I would still need some form of amplifier for the HomeSeer computer.  An Elk800 MSRP's around $52 but would work as an amplifier inline; however, I have that line level converter sitting brand new in a box already and I stumbled across this item this morning: Rolls PA71 Plus MicroMix Power Amplifier - $69 but it'd take the stereo output of the HomeSeer computer and sum it and combine it with a mono Microphone input and give you individual adjustment knobs for each in a very compact footprint. 
 
If I do go this route, I'd still use the Relay in a similar way to what BSR suggested... using a 12V relay powered off the same power supply that powers the amp - should the amp lose power, so would the relay so the speakers would flip back to direct connection to the M1; but as long as the amp has power, the mixer would be combining the signals for you and providing 6w output which should be sufficient to drive a handful of SP12's.

 
 
That thing is $70.  Look at the mixer and amp I posted above.  The mixer has 4 inputs, and the amp is awesome.  Combined, they will cost you $40.  I'm in love with these amps, the quality of the audio out of them is amazing.  Yes, for voice alerts it probably doesn't matter that much.  But I'm hooking them to speakers for music also, and they BLOW away some expensive receivers as far as sound quality goes.