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Support FAQ for Cepstral Store users
What exactly do I get when I purchase voices?
When you purchase voices on the Cepstral Store, you will receive registration keys for each voice, which will allow you to continue to use the voice without the nagging. Instructions for entering registration keys for your platform can be found in the support section. Since we do not offer Refunds, Exchanges, or Returns, we urge you to download and try each voice before you buy, so you can be sure that our voices will work with your application.
What exactly do I get when I purchase an Audio Distribution License?
An Audio Distribution License (ADL) provides rights to publish audio created using a Cepstral voice. This includes the rights to distribute audio files containing Cepstral voice output via telephone, over the air and television broadcast, audio CD, or any other physical media. ADLs do not license the electronic distribution of audio via the Internet. ADLs are sold on a per-voice basis. That is, a single ADL gives you permission to distribute the output of a single voice. To distribute the audio of several voices, you must purchase several ADLs - one for each voice.
When you purchase Audio Distribution Licenses on the Cepstral Store (at $199.95 per voice), you will receive an email with instructions on how to access a printable PDF copy of the license agreement. After downloading this license, you must fill in the Licensee fields, list the voices you have purchased the ADL to cover, sign and date the license agreement, then send it back to us, either via facsimile or postal mail. The fax number and address will be provided to you after your purchase is complete.
What exactly do I get when I purchase a Concurrency License?
When you purchase a Concurrency License on the Cepstral Store, you will receive an email with your Concurrency License information. Instructions for entering registration keys for your platform can be found in the support section.
What is a Concurrency License? When might I need one?
A Concurrency License enables your system to perform simultaneous synthesis operations. If you have a system that requires more than one simultaneous synthesis operation to be performed, then you need a Concurrency License. A Concurrency License operates independently of voices. Whether your voices are licensed or not does not affect concurrency.
By default, the Cepstral TTS Engine supports a single channel of concurrency. Whether you have one voice installed or twenty, and whether all of your voices are licensed, none of them are licensed, of some combination in between is licensed, only a single synthesis request will be processed at any given time. If you submit multiple requests simultaneously, the requests will be queued and handled serially.
Concurrency levels are maintained through communication between an instance of the Cepstral TTS Engine and the Cepstral License Server. The Cepstral License Server is a background process that runs on your system that keeps track of how many total concurrent synthesis channels (Concurrency Tokens) are available and how many are currently in use. When a synthesis operation is requested through the Cepstral TTS Engine, before performing the operation the TTS Engine must communicate with the License Server to request a Concurrency Token. If a token is available, the License Server will supply it to the TTS Engine and the TTS Engine will then perform the synthesis operation. If no tokens are available, the TTS Engine must wait until one becomes available.
If you purchase and install an N-Port Concurrency License, the number of simultaneous synthesis operations that can be processed by the Cepstral TTS Engine becomes N. For instance, if you purchase a 24 Port Concurrency License, your system will now allow for up to 24 simultaneous synthesis operations. If more than 24 operations are submitted concurrently, 24 of them will be handled immediately and the rest will be queued to be handled as soon as some of the first 24 processes complete.
In addition to N-Port Concurrency Licenses, we also offer an Unlimited Concurrency License. With an Unlimited Concurrency License installed, you system will make no attempts to limit the number of simultaneous synthesis operations it performs. With this license installed, your system will perform slightly more quickly as the Cepstral TTS Engine no longer has to communicate with the Cepstral License Server to receive a Concurrency Token.
NOTE: A Concurrency License is not intended to supersede voice licenses, as it unlocks functionality independent of the license status of your voices. Even with a Concurrency License installed, unlicensed voices will continue to notify you that they are not licensed.
What exactly do I get when I purchase the SDK?
You can find more information about the Software Development Kit on the SDK FAQ page.
How long are my license keys valid, and how do I upgrade?
Your keys will function indefinitely for the major version you purchased, including incremental updates (5.x.x). When a new major version is released (6.x.x) you will have to upgrade your license should you choose to use the new version. However, if you decide not to upgrade, your previous version will continue to work, so a repeat purchase will never be necessary.
For more information on upgrading, please see the upgrade page.
How can I retrieve my license information?
If you have purchased voices or other licenses from Cepstral and need to retrieve your license information, you can make use of our License Key Recovery System.
To make use of the Recovery System, you need to have access to the email address you provided when you purchased your voices. To retrieve your license information, visit the License Key Recovery System and enter the email address you provided when you purchased your voices and other licenses, then our system will validate it against our records and mail your license information to you.
If you do not have access to the email account you used when you purchased, please contact us and we can update our system to reflect your current email address. Please provide as much information as you can regarding your purchase(s). Any of the following will be useful: your name, the email address you used when you purchased, and your order number(s). Please also provide your current email address.
I purchased items from Cepstral. Why haven't I received my email receipt?
When you purchase voices, concurrency licenses, audio distribution licenses, or the SDK from Cepstral, your sales receipt (including applicable license information) is emailed to the address you provide. If you have not received this message within a few hours of making your purchase, please make sure that your email client or ISP did not mark this message as spam. The email will come from "Cepstral Store" (support@cepstral.com) with a subject of "INVOICE: Cepstral Order #[order numer]."
* NOTE: Spam Arrest, Spam Blocker, Choice Mail users and users of other anti-spam services, please note: We will not follow any links to be added to your safe list. To be sure to receive your email receipt and other notifications from Cepstral, it is your obligation to add the cepstral.com domain to your safe list.
Where can I find information about installing and using your voices?
The best place to find more information about installing and using Cepstral voices with your platform is in the support section.
What is your return policy?
Our return policy, as is stated in the shopping cart area of the store and again as you proceed with the checkout process, but before you submit your payment for processing, states that All Sales Are Final - No Refunds, Exchanges, or Returns.
Why do we stand by this return policy? The reason is twofold. First, we make our voices available to download and try on your system before you purchase anything, and we urge everybody to do so. Second, once you have made your purchase and received your license key, there is no way for you to absolutely return it to us. We can refund your money to you, but you will still have the license key we sent you. In essence, refunding your payment would be the same as giving the product to you for free.
I have a question that isn't covered here.
For all other inquiries, please use our Contact Request Form. Please provide as much information as possible. Thank you!
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