diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 9fef1b84..74d5e85b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-python@v2
         with:
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+          architecture: x64
       - name: check OS
         run: cat /etc/os-release
       - name: Install dependencies
diff --git a/TTS/bin/compute_statistics.py b/TTS/bin/compute_statistics.py
index 2c13a960..37885fdd 100755
--- a/TTS/bin/compute_statistics.py
+++ b/TTS/bin/compute_statistics.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def main():
     if args.data_path:
         dataset_items = glob.glob(os.path.join(args.data_path, "**", "*.wav"), recursive=True)
     else:
-        dataset_items = load_meta_data(CONFIG.dataset_config)[0]  # take only train data
+        dataset_items = load_meta_data(CONFIG.datasets)[0]  # take only train data
     print(f" > There are {len(dataset_items)} files.")
 
     mel_sum = 0
diff --git a/TTS/bin/extract_tts_spectrograms.py b/TTS/bin/extract_tts_spectrograms.py
index d5c23ccd..8a0a53ab 100755
--- a/TTS/bin/extract_tts_spectrograms.py
+++ b/TTS/bin/extract_tts_spectrograms.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from TTS.tts.datasets.TTSDataset import MyDataset
 from TTS.tts.utils.generic_utils import setup_model
 from TTS.tts.utils.speakers import parse_speakers
 from TTS.tts.utils.text.symbols import make_symbols, phonemes, symbols
-from TTS.utils.io import load_config
+from TTS.config import load_config
 from TTS.utils.audio import AudioProcessor
 from TTS.utils.generic_utils import count_parameters
 
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ def main(args):  # pylint: disable=redefined-outer-name
 
     # Audio processor
     ap = AudioProcessor(**c.audio)
-    if "characters" in c.keys():
+    if "characters" in c.keys() and c['characters']:
         symbols, phonemes = make_symbols(**c.characters)
 
     # set model characters
@@ -276,5 +276,4 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
     c = load_config(args.config_path)
-
     main(args)
diff --git a/TTS/utils/manage.py b/TTS/utils/manage.py
index 790d6944..fdc141ec 100644
--- a/TTS/utils/manage.py
+++ b/TTS/utils/manage.py
@@ -125,17 +125,15 @@ class ModelManager(object):
                 # set scale stats path in config.json
                 config_path = output_config_path
                 config = load_config(config_path)
-                config["audio"]["stats_path"] = output_stats_path
-                with open(config_path, "w") as jf:
-                    json.dump(config, jf)
+                config.audio.stats_path = output_stats_path
+                config.save_json(config_path)
             # update the speakers.json file path in the model config.json to the current path
             if os.path.exists(output_speakers_path):
                 # set scale stats path in config.json
                 config_path = output_config_path
                 config = load_config(config_path)
-                config["external_speaker_embedding_file"] = output_speakers_path
-                with open(config_path, "w") as jf:
-                    json.dump(config, jf)
+                config.external_speaker_embedding_file = output_speakers_path
+                config.save_json(config_path)
         return output_model_path, output_config_path, model_item
 
     def _download_gdrive_file(self, gdrive_idx, output):
diff --git a/tests/test_extract_tts_spectrograms.py b/tests/test_extract_tts_spectrograms.py
index 65db9c0e..94044eeb 100644
--- a/tests/test_extract_tts_spectrograms.py
+++ b/tests/test_extract_tts_spectrograms.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from tests import get_tests_output_path, run_cli
 
 from TTS.tts.utils.generic_utils import setup_model
 
-from TTS.utils.io import load_config
+from TTS.config import load_config
 from TTS.tts.utils.text.symbols import phonemes, symbols
 
 torch.manual_seed(1)
diff --git a/tests/test_speaker_encoder_train.py b/tests/test_speaker_encoder_train.py
index ec777b6b..525730f2 100644
--- a/tests/test_speaker_encoder_train.py
+++ b/tests/test_speaker_encoder_train.py
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ command_train = (
     "--coqpit.datasets.0.meta_file_train metadata.csv "
     "--coqpit.datasets.0.meta_file_val metadata.csv "
     "--coqpit.datasets.0.path tests/data/ljspeech "
-    "--coqpit.datasets.0.meta_file_attn_mask tests/data/ljspeech/metadata_attn_mask.txt"
 )
 run_cli(command_train)