Can you try to use spoken content in M1?

[LJ143]

Since stores are closed here due to covid and there probably aren’t enough users who need spoken content features on the new MacBook Air 2020 using silicon M1 can some of you test it out on your computer? It’s an accessibility feature and just requires a few intuitive clicks to use.

I’ve tried two computers, with and without headphones, different voices and all sound crackly and static like as if playing over the radio. Apple doesn’t seem to be owning up to the issue nor can they give me info regarding where the issue is taking place and if it can be fixed. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

EDIT: as requested here are the steps to use “spoken content” feature:

System preferences -> accessibility -> spoken content -> (select/check) speak selection -> choose voice and speaking rate desired (I like Siri female sounds most natural to me).

open document or webpage to be read aloud. Highlight and select content. Press option+ esc to activate. Please let me know how it goes and sounds. Thanks!

 

[darngooddesign]

Happy to, but please list the exact steps you want us to follow in regards to turning that on and also playing content.

This will affect me because I do WCAG testing, but haven't had to yet on my new Air.

 

[LJ143]

Happy to, but please list the exact steps you want us to follow in regards to turning that on and also playing content.

This will affect me because I do WCAG testing, but haven't had to yet on my new Air.

System preferences -> select accessibility -> spoken content -> select/check speak selection -> choose voice and speaking rate desired (I like Siri female sounds most natural to me).

open document or webpage to be read aloud. Highlight and select content. Press option+ esc to activate. Please let me know how it goes. Thanks!

 

[darngooddesign]

Please let me know how it goes. Thanks!

As far as I can tell, mine sounds fine.

 

[LJ143]

As far as I can tell, mine sounds fine.

View attachment 1716543

So interesting. Maybe if you let it run longer the issue will come up? I wonder if there is something weird in my house causing feedback but it makes no sense that it’s just this feature.

 

[LJ143]

I tried mine again with the same selection. In this recording, static can definitely be heard. ? Which voice did you use? Also based on the way your charger plugs in, what year/model of MacBook Air? Doesn't look like the newest M1...are you running Catalina OS? I’ve attached a photo of how my charger looks plugged in.

 

[darngooddesign]

Thats just a magnetic adapter I found on Amazon. Mine is an M1 Air running 11.1. The voice is Samantha, does chaining the voice speed affect anything?

Yours almost sounds like a slightly blown speaker, how does other spoken content play?

 

[LJ143]

Thats just a magnetic adapter I found on Amazon. Mine is an M1 Air running 11.1. The voice is Samantha, does chaining the voice speed affect anything?

Yours almost sounds like a slightly blown speaker, how does other spoken content play?

All spoken content, All voices, all speeds play bad. It’s the second one I’ve received shipped to me that’s had this issue. I wish I knew what the issue was. Did you buy yours at a store? Did you download the voice or was it already on the computer?

 

[casperes1996]

So I will say that in Big Sur (I skipped Catalina, don’t know how it was there), longer selections of text will eventually begin to lag a bit, which they did not do in Mojave and prior, so some of my usage has had to adapt, where I used to be able to set it to speak 100 pages, lean back and listen, now I need to select smaller chunks at a time.
And in the very latest beta of Big Sur it’s completely broken with the custom shortcut I’ve set just doing nothing, and I needed to set a new shortcut using another system for speaking content (using the Start Speaking option in the Edit menu instead, not available in all apps. Advantage being that it doesn’t lag on longer selections, but also lacks some of the fancier features of the normal system like highlighting)

Seems orthogonal to what’s happening here but wanted to mention it.

The sound from your M1 Air definitely does sound like a blown out speaker to an extend. Are other audio sources sounding fine?

My preferred voice after many many years of using this, is Alex, enhanced, at max speed

 

[casperes1996]

All spoken content, All voices, all speeds play bad. It’s the second one I’ve received shipped to me that’s had this issue. I wish I knew what the issue was. It Did you buy yours at a store? Did you download the voice or was it already on the computer?

What build of the OS are you running?

 

[LJ143]

What build of the OS are you running?

Big Sur is the only option, right? 11.0.1 I read somewhere about an alternative pathway to get the computer to read content but unfortunately can’t figure how to do it.

 

[darngooddesign]

All spoken content, All voices, all speeds play bad. It’s the second one I’ve received shipped to me that’s had this issue. I wish I knew what the issue was. Did you buy yours at a store? Did you download the voice or was it already on the computer?

I meant like Podcasts and Audio Books.

 

[casperes1996]

Big Sur is the only option, right? 11.0.1 I read somewhere about the edit pathway but unfortunately can’t follow how to get there.

Right, yes, Big Sur. But 11.0, 11.0.1, 11.1. Might want to try 11.1

 

[casperes1996]

Big Sur is the only option, right? 11.0.1 I read somewhere about an alternative pathway to get the computer to read content but unfortunately can’t figure how to do it.

As for the Edit menu; To add a shortcut for it, you just add this in the Keyboard System Preferences Pane:

Of course substitute ⇧F13 with whatever shortcut you want

 

[LJ143]

As for the Edit menu; To add a shortcut for it, you just add this in the Keyboard System Preferences Pane:
View attachment 1716583
Of course substitute ⇧F13 with whatever shortcut you want

Well, I updated to the latest version of Big Sur and no improvement. And for some reason I don't have any options in "Show Help menu" ...? I do appreciate your input and the suggestions though.

 

[LJ143]

I meant like Podcasts and Audio Books.

I tried the Samantha voice and first time no static! But I hate this voice. Haha. Can you try Siri Female (United States)?

Podcasts sound fine and music and videos. It’s just when I want it to speak something like a webpage or document. But I need the function for school that’s why I’m so irked.

ps. I could have sworn I tried Samantha and others on the other computer and it still had the static. Something is up for sure.

 

[casperes1996]

Well, I updated to the latest version of Big Sur and no improvement. And for some reason I don't have any options in "Show Help menu" ...? I do appreciate your input and the suggestions though.

You have to add it yourself with the plus button, writing in the exact text from the Menu item you want the custom shortcut to trigger. - It's a flexible, dynamic system that can set shortcuts for any app's menu bar items

 

[darngooddesign]

What about the male voices?

With Siri Female, what about pressing play vs reading a page?

This was just the voice which was on my computer.

 

[LJ143]

You have to add it yourself with the plus button, writing in the exact text from the Menu item you want the custom shortcut to trigger. - It's a flexible, dynamic system that can set shortcuts for any app's menu bar items

Oh okay so I guess that’s part of the beauty of it you write it in! So I’m noticing it’s the Siri female (United States) voice that sounds like static. It also seems to be leaving some highlight marks when I select highlight word that don’t go away until I restart. I hope I can find another higher pitch voice I like that doesn’t have static or they fix her. It’s all kinda buggy I think. I guess that’s why ppl say it’s the beta.

 

[casperes1996]

Oh okay so I guess that’s part of the beauty of it you write it in! So I’m noticing it’s the Siri female (United States) voice that sounds like static. It also seems to be leaving some highlight marks when I select highlight word that don’t go away until I restart. I hope I can find another higher pitch voice I like that doesn’t have static or they fix her. It’s all kinda buggy I think. I guess that’s why ppl say it’s the beta.

The highlighting thing is a bug we all have. The static thing isn't a bug I've heard others have, but the hightlighting thing is widespread. I turned off the highlighting feature altogether for now

 

[darngooddesign]

So I’m noticing it’s the Siri female (United States) voice that sounds like static.

She might have been a heavy smoker in college.

 

[LJ143]

What about the male voices?

With Siri Female, what about pressing play vs reading a page?

This was just the voice which was on my computer.

Seems like no matter what the Siri female (US) has issues. I only tried Alex from the males. I don't care for the other voices so far, most sound too robotic to me.

 

[casperes1996]

Seems like no matter what the Siri female (US) has issues. I only tried Alex from the males. I don't care for the other voices so far, most sound too robotic to me.

Agreed on the other voices, but Alex is fantastic. It's the only voice I can use at as high speeds as I can it.
But I've also been listening to it almost all day every day at max speed for almost a full decade now ( a few months from a. full decade) so I'm probably a bit biased, hehe

 

[darngooddesign]

Seems like no matter what the Siri female (US) has issues. I only tried Alex from the males. I don't care for the other voices so far, most sound too robotic to me.

Ok, I figured something out. There are two Siri voices listed as Siri, one of which has to be downloaded. The high-pitched one causes static while the lower pitched one doesn't. The lower pitched one, which does not have static, says "My name is Nicky" when you press play. The issue is with that voice, not your computer.

Neither have "...(United States)" in the System Voice drop down menu, but both display "...(United States)" once you have selected them.

I have selected the lower pitched one.

.

 

[LJ143]

Ok, I figured something out. There are two Siri voices listed as Siri, one of which has to be downloaded. The high-pitched one causes static while the lower pitched one doesn't. The lower pitched one, which does not have static, says "My name is Nicky" when you press play. The issue is with that voice, not your computer.

Neither have "...(United States)" in the System Voice drop down menu, but both display "...(United States)" once you have selected them.

I have selected the lower pitched one.

View attachment 1716867


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Thank you for confirming. This was driving me crazy. You two have been a life saver. All us M1 users need to stick together.