Voice banking

What is voice banking and how can you create a digital voice?

This article about voice banking has been contributed by The Voice Keeper

Motor neurone disease (MND), also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare neurological disorder which causes specialist nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord called motor neurones to stop working properly.

These neurones control very important muscle activities such as walking, talking and breathing. It is estimated that there are about 5000 people with MND in the UK and around 1000 people are diagnosed every year.
 

Condition leads to loss of speech

The illness is always fatal but some of the devastating symptoms which patients have to live with include muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing and slurred speech. Unfortunately, the illness eventually takes away the individual’s ability to speak.

When this happens, people can use a communication device to speak.

While most communication aids come with a generic voice, individuals can also choose to preserve their own unique voice by creating a personalised digital voice. This voice can then be added to a speech-generating device to ‘speak’ in their voice.

This process is known as voice banking and it plays an important part in preserving one’s vocal identity.
 

Traditional voice banking

Traditionally, voice banking is seen as a lengthy process as it often requires a huge amount of time and money. Individuals are often asked to record 300-1600 sentences in order to create a personalised digital voice.

Additionally, some solutions require external software, a good USB microphone headset and various other testing.

There are also huge differences between different providers in the market, so it is no wonder that it often causes a lot of questions and confusion.

However, most recently, advancements in AI and deep learning have transformed traditional voice banking and it is now easier than ever before to create a digital voice.
 

How can I create a digital voice?

In order to create a digital voice, you will need a computer, a good USB microphone headset or your phone and a voice banking software.

There is a small handful of providers available in the market and each of them will have their own processes, benefits and costs.

For example, The Voice Keeper has created the world’s first voice banking app, which allows individuals to preserve and create a digital voice directly from your phone.

Individuals are not required to download any additional software, invest in a USB microphone headset or waste time on testing. They can just download the app and start creating a new voice immediately.
 

DNN technology: Better results with less efforts

The technology is based on Deep Neural Networks (DNN) which we started experimenting with back in 2018. DNNs offers several significant advantages over the traditional synthesis technology which most voice banking solutions currently use.

For example, its fast learning capabilities significantly reduces the amount of sentences a person needs to record in order to create a personalised digital voice. Additionally, the networks allow lower sensitivity and reduction of inconsistencies helps people to create a better-quality voice much faster than before.

We also introduced a milestone-based technology which allows people to record as little or as much as they want. This makes the process much easier to manage as it’s broken down into smaller steps. Users can start by recording as little as 30-100 sentences and gradually build it up until they are satisfied with the voice they have created.

We noticed that sometimes recording a huge number of sentences can be draining so we wanted to create a process that would help people to choose how much they want to record. Each time they reach a milestone, the system will send them an updated version of their digital voice. They can listen to it and decide whether they are satisfied with it or want to record more.
 

When should I consider voice banking?

The possibility of losing your voice due to an illness is very upsetting and a sensitive topic but it is a very important issue to talk about early on.

Experts in the industry encourage individuals to create a digital voice as soon as possible after diagnosis. This can also act as ‘vocal insurance’ as you can keep your personalised digital voice safe until you really need it. It can also take away the pressure and stress associated with the illness at a later stage because you have already preserved an important part of your vocal identity.
 

What if I have already lost my voice?

If you have already lost your voice, you can ask a loved one to create a digital voice and donate it to you. This allows you to use a voice that you have an emotional connection with rather than settling with a generic voice that comes with most communication devices.

The Voice Keeper has simplified voice donation by developing a process which allows you to generate a personal code and send it to a friend or a family member to register and start creating a personalised digital voice for you immediately.

Each time the voice donor reaches a voice milestone, both parties will be notified to listen to the voice they have created. The more they record, the better their voice will sound. Once you are happy with the digital voice they have created, you can purchase it and use it on your communication device.
 

What do I do with my new digital voice?

Once you have created a digital voice that you are happy with, you can either use it on your communication device immediately or keep it safe until you need it.

Once you are ready to use it, there is a one-time payment on most solutions which allows individuals to download it onto your communication device. You can now start using your personalised digital voice to communicate.
 

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Further reading and resources

You can find out more about The Voice Keeper on their website (external link will open in a new browser window)

“SALTS” are the specialist Healthcare professionals who deal with speech and language – You can read more about their work here

We have an article about managing swallowing problems or dysphagia, here
We have guidance on swallowing and medicines here

Voiceitt – Speech recognition for people with impaired ability to speak

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