[DECtalk] DECtalk Version Territory

[nick G]

Good for you.  You now understand.  Dectalk 4.60 did sound like that in all 
of it's incarnations, including that which ships with Window Eyes.  Dectalk 
4.6 was built by Smart Moduler technologies, the company who took dectalk 
over after digital sold to compaq.  Then, Force came along, and destroyed 
everything in version 4.61.  According to GW, the version in Window Eyes is 
actually 4.62, esencially all of the "improvements" in 4.61, but with the 
4.60 voice.  Followin' me?
Thanks,
Nick
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "GUI Access" <guiaccess at covad.net>
To: "DECtalk Discussions" <dectalk at jaybird.no-ip.info>
Sent: Saturday, February 26, 2005 3:09 PM
Subject: [DECtalk] DECtalk Version Territory


Anyone know what version of DECtalk comes with Window-Eyes v4.5?  If
you dig through the access32.dll file that ships with Window-Eyes,
you find the following [very interesting] text:

SOFTWARE\GW Micro, Inc.\DECtalk-OEM\4.60\US
Inc.\DECtalk\4.60\US

Is this really v4.60 of DECtalk?  If so then I'd like to ask the
following question in hopes that someone on the list will either (1)
know the answer or (2) know someone who might know the answer.

We all know [or we all should know] that DECtalk v4.61 was crap.
Anyone who has ever heard this incarnation of DECtalk knows how
ForceComputers butchered our beloved DECtalk beyond recognition.
I've always believed that v4.6 of DECtalk is where ForceComputers
took over and ruined the thing.  I have some version of a v4.6
updater that puts this horrible DECtalk software on my DECtalk
Express.  Bottom line is I have always believed all versions of v4.6
to suck, due to ForceComputers' "improvements."

I also believed that v5.0 of DECtalk is where Fonix took over and
attempted to make DECtalk sound more like the D.E.C. versions we all
know and love.  Take the DECtalk USB for example--its running some
version of v5.0 of the software.  While it doesn't sound 100% like
the D.E.C. DECtalk, it sure sounds a lot more like it than anything
ForceComputers ever put out.

For those following along, hang in there 'cause we're about at the
cusp of this message where I get to my question.

Anyone who has used Window-Eyes v4.5 with the included DECtalk Access
32 knows that this version of DECtalk sounds remarkably like the
D.E.C. DECtalk.  Its not 100% the same--its rather like 98% the same.
Its closer than the DECtalk USB for example.

OK, so why does Window-Eyes' v4.5 of DECtalk contain version strings
to the effect of it being v4.60?  Is it possible that there is same
way in the v4.6 [or v5.0] versions of DECtalk to "turn off" the
improvements and revert the voice back to the original?

DECtalk v5.0 contains something called hlsyn which stands for
high-level synthesizer.  The hlsyn component translate 13 or so
high-level speech parameters into the 48 or so Klatt parameters
(klsyn) which is what was used in DECtalks prior to v5.0.

I suspect that there might be a way of disabling hlsyn in the newest
DECtalks to make them only use klsyn, and sound like the old D.E.C.
DECtalks.  Does anyone know how to do this?  I have not figured it
out yet.

So, the reason for this babbling is because I suspect that this is
exactly what Window-Eyes v4.5 is doing with its DECtalk Access 32.
All the pieces fit together, except for the missing piece which tells
you how to do it.  Can anyone fill in the missing piece?

Thanks,

GUI Access

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