Forum Discussion
Text to speech - How to fix the first word being cut off
I've been using Articulate 360's voice to speech feature in software simulations, instead of the text bubbles. I've noticed that frequently the first word or syllable gets cut off. For example If a sentence starts with "To edit a document..." The "To" gets cut off. I tried inserting some spaces with the keyboard space bar or dots to no avail.
Any tricks to fix this?
Also, are there tricks to improve the intonation? I've noticed that adding commas between words can make a difference sometimes.
64 Replies
- RockyPatCommunity Member
This started 5 years ago and im using this service and it is still having the same issues, this is highly unacceptable, how can a company not fix something like this in 5 WHOLE YEARS
 Hi Jatinder,
Thanks for reaching out and I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing this issue! I'm happy to help troubleshoot and I'd like to start with a few clarifying questions.
- Are you using the latest update of Storyline 360? We are now on Storyline 360 (Build 3.75.30269.0)
 - Have you tried using punctuation, such as commas and semicolons, when you want to insert brief pauses between words?
- If you need a pause before the first word, you can convert your text to speech, then open the clip in the built-in audio editor and insert silence where it's needed.
 
 
If the issue persists, I'd like to take a look at your file. You can upload it here or share it privately in a support case. We'll delete it from our systems once troubleshooting is complete.
- MargaretLang832Community Member
The fix for me was to add a half second of silence to audio after it's recorded and adjust the closed captioning. I have the latest version.
 - DannyOpacich-a8Community Member
Hello. I am dealing with this very issue right now on a presentation I am making. Was there ever a fix identified?
 - MargaretLang832Community Member
Has there been a solution for this problem? I don't know what changed but the text to speech audio was fine in December. I started updating and now the first second is cut off . Adding a second of silence works, but I have hours and hours of training in articulate and lots of audio files - ugh!
Hello Margaret!
Sorry for the trouble! Are you using the latest update of Storyline 360? We are now on Storyline 360 (Build 3.63.27628.0). If you're still seeing this in the latest build, it would be helpful to share your .story file with our team. You can attach it to this discussion or upload it privately in a support case.
 - JohnSayStaff
That's very helpful Joshua! Thanks for sharing the explanation and the workaround! We will share this information to the users with support cases linked to this discussion as well.
 - JoshuaSeyoumCommunity Member
Why it happens and how to solve it.
Dear Amos,
I found the same issue, and this is caused by the way all VOX "voice-operated exchanged" radio transmitters such as Bluetooth headphones and other radio devices work. Your text-to-speech application is not the issue.
Why you miss the first word or two of each new sentence:
To maximize battery life Bluetooth headsets and earbud devices only transmit signals between their paired devices when there is sound, which is not an issue when you're listening to music as it transmits during the whole song. When you have a text-to-speech app the pauses between sentences, marked by a period are long enough to stop the transmission briefly. The issue occurs when the reader app then starts the new sentence which reveals the inherent delay nature of V.O.X transmit triggers.The Hack - A simple workaround:
Knowing this I have background white noise such as "meditation" tracks from my Itunes account playing on the device I"m using to listen to my reading on. Don't worry, If you don't want to hear it, just turn down the volume in your Itunes/music app to zero or one above that. This prevents an interruption of the Bluetooth signal to your headphones/earbuds solving your problem.An added benefit of this solution is that it can help further isolate your reading from your surrounding.
This is clearly an issue that can be addressed in future Bluetooth versions, as this doesn't happen during phone calls. Until it is addressed permanently, this is your best solution.
Best,
Joshua S - JadeEdgarCommunity Member
Hi Becca
Thank you so much for getting back to me.
I have now uploaded my document to the secure link.
Thanks again!
Jade
 - BeccaLevanCommunity Member
Hello Jade & Chanda,
I'm sorry you are both experiencing this issue! Chanda, I spotted a support case you were working in with my teammate Ronaziel, but it's pretty outdated, so I'd like to start fresh.
I've gone ahead and created a new support case for you both, so if possible, could I have you share your project with the private upload link I emailed sent to your inboxes? Even a sample or partial file would be helpful!
- JaneKoltracht-5Community Member
Hi there! I just wanted to echo that this is still an issue with TTS function. I do appreciate the function, but the workarounds can be a bit time consuming!
 
 - JadeEdgarCommunity Member
Hi Amos, I am having this problem and it's 4 years on from your original post.
Has there been any further update to this?
Thanks!
- ChandaBooneCommunity Member
There has been no response and I still experience the same issue.
 
 
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