[mary-users] Break Using MaryXML

[Jeff Sigmon]

Using MaryXML it seems that I should be able to get a defined break in
the audio output using the boundary tag as follows:

<maryxml>
Wait 3 seconds
<boundary duration="3000" />
Done waiting
</maryxml>

This does not work with the HMM voices but does work for the UNIT
voices. The problem is that I'd like to get this to work for the HMM
voices. Is this supported? Is there another way?

I've tried a terrible kludge which is to insert about 7 "-," strings
per second break if I am using the HMM voices. The problem is that
this produces audio sounding like a machine gun. I thought that I
could then turn the volume down during the simulated pauses by using
the prosody tag in the following way:

<maryxml>
The following is a break
 <prosody  volume="silent">
-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,
</prosody>
That was a break.
</maryxml>

Unfortunately, the silent volume attribute on the prosody tag does not
seem to work on any of the voices. RATS.

I have read through past threads on the mailing list in which other
people have been confused about what is supported between sable, ssml
and maryxml.  MaryTTS is an awesome system. But I must say that the
markup input aspect is a little frustrating. Maybe a doc explaining
exactly what is supported would go along way.

Thanks!!
Jeff