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Paul Bailey 4e627aed12 feat: Add Piper voice download helpers and guides

- Created download_piper_voices.py for automated download attempts
- Created download_piper_voices.sh as alternative bash script
- Created EASY_PIPER_SETUP.md with simple 3-step instructions
- Created PIPER_DOWNLOAD_GUIDE.md with visual step-by-step guide
- Includes troubleshooting, checklists, and pro tips

Makes Piper setup much easier for users with multiple guide options.

2025-12-09 15:04:29 +00:00

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Piper Voice Download - Visual Guide

📥 Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Go to Piper Releases Page

Open this link in your browser:

https://github.com/rhasspy/piper/releases/tag/v1.2.0

Step 2: Scroll to "Assets" Section

Scroll down the page until you see a section called "Assets" with a list of files.

Step 3: Download Voice Files

Click on each file to download (you need BOTH files for each voice):

Voice 1: Male American (Lessac)

✅ Click: en_US-lessac-medium.onnx (63 MB)
✅ Click: en_US-lessac-medium.onnx.json (8 KB)

Voice 2: Female American (Amy)

✅ Click: en_US-amy-medium.onnx (63 MB)
✅ Click: en_US-amy-medium.onnx.json (8 KB)

Voice 3: Male British (Alan)

✅ Click: en_GB-alan-medium.onnx (63 MB)
✅ Click: en_GB-alan-medium.onnx.json (8 KB)

Total: 6 files, ~190 MB

Step 4: Move Files to Models Directory

Open your terminal
Navigate to your project:
```
cd /path/to/audiobook/backend
```
Create models directory if it doesn't exist:
```
mkdir -p piper_models
```

Move downloaded files:

# From your Downloads folder
mv ~/Downloads/en_US-*.onnx* piper_models/
mv ~/Downloads/en_GB-*.onnx* piper_models/

Step 5: Verify Files

Check that files are in place:

ls -lh piper_models/

You should see:

en_US-lessac-medium.onnx       (63 MB)
en_US-lessac-medium.onnx.json  (8 KB)
en_US-amy-medium.onnx          (63 MB)
en_US-amy-medium.onnx.json     (8 KB)
en_GB-alan-medium.onnx         (63 MB)
en_GB-alan-medium.onnx.json    (8 KB)

Step 6: Test Installation

python test_piper_direct.py

Expected output:

✓ Piper found
✓ Model found: /path/to/piper_models/en_US-lessac-medium.onnx
✓ Synthesis successful: XXXXX bytes of audio

✅ You're Done!

Now you can use Piper TTS:

Start backend:
```
uvicorn main:app --reload
```
Open frontend in browser
Select "Piper TTS" in Voice Assignment screen
Choose Piper voices from dropdown
Generate audiobook with pitch control!

🎯 Quick Checklist

Downloaded 6 files (3 voices × 2 files each)
Moved files to backend/piper_models/
Verified files with ls -lh piper_models/
Tested with python test_piper_direct.py
Started backend server
Selected "Piper TTS" in UI

🆘 Troubleshooting

Can't find files on GitHub?

Make sure you're on the v1.2.0 release page
Scroll down to "Assets" section
Files are listed alphabetically

Download fails?

Try a different browser
Check internet connection
Download one file at a time

Files in wrong place?

# Check current location
pwd

# Should show: /path/to/audiobook/backend

# List models directory
ls piper_models/

Test fails?

Make sure BOTH .onnx and .onnx.json files are present
Check filenames match exactly (case-sensitive)
Verify Piper is installed: piper --version

💡 Pro Tips

Download all at once: Select all 6 files and download together
Use command line: Faster to move files with mv command
Bookmark the page: Easy to download more voices later
Try different voices: Each has unique characteristics

🔗 Useful Links

Download Page: https://github.com/rhasspy/piper/releases/tag/v1.2.0
Voice Samples: https://rhasspy.github.io/piper-samples/
Full Setup Guide: PIPER_SETUP.md
Troubleshooting: PIPER_STATUS.md

Need more help? Check EASY_PIPER_SETUP.md or ask for assistance!

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