[DECtalk] DECTalk 5.0?

Alex H. linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com
Tue Aug 24 13:42:00 EDT 2010


Hi,

I use DECTalk Access32 at about 350 WPM and enjoy it' speech. I also
use the older DECTalk demos at about 300 WPM. I'll say this: If NVDA
had a supported DECTalk driver, I'd be using it more than espeak. And
that's saying something, because espeak is another of my favorite
synths to use. The thing that really makes dectalk great is I can
listen to books for hours with it or work on my PC without getting
tired of the speech. If I did get sikckof a particular voice, I'd just
change it and keep going.

Alex

On 8/24/10, Raymond Grote <musicalman1 at comcast.net> wrote:
> Hi,
> I'm not sure if I can answer your question, but I personally don't like
> Dectalk at high speeds. I use Eloquence most of the time, at speeds of
> between 65 and 85 percent, 65 for reading text and 85 for just navigating
> around and listening to short things like short IM messages on skype.
> As for how fast this is, I don't really know. But I do know that dectalk
> just doesn't sound good at those speeds, it starts to sounds all garbled and
> all the words and syllables start to run together, making it difficult for
> me to understand. Eloquence doesn't have this problem.
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Corine Bickley
>   To: DECtalk Discussions
>   Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 7:18 AM
>   Subject: Re: [DECtalk] DECTalk 5.0?
>
>
>   Hi Alex,
>   I am particularly interested in knowing who uses DECtalk for screen
> readers because I'm part of an Acoustical Society's standards committee on
> intelligibility of text-to-speech systems. We have a particular interest in
> knowing what users of high-speed synthesized speech think, and can
> understand, as most of us on the committee only have experience listening to
> synthesized speech at conversational speeds. What's your preferred speed?
> Might you be willing to advise our committee?
>   thanks for considering - corine
>
>
>   On Mon, Aug 23, 2010 at 7:21 PM, Alex H. <linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>     Hi Corine,
>
>     I use DECTalk mostly on the Windows platform, and when I convert to
>     Linux I'll probably use it as well. I'm a screen reader user, and use
>     DECTalk Access32 with JAWS and Window-Eyes. For NVDA (my primary
>     screenreader), there's no supported DECTalk, which is why a SAPI
>     version would be really great.
>
>     My cell phone is a Windows Mobile phone, and I currently use Mobile
>     Speak for Windows Mobile and Fonix Dectalk 4.6.3 that's bundled with
>     Mobile Speak. So in short, I use DECTalk quite a bit.
>
>     I also use DECTalk demos to write songs and gingles, plays, etc.  It's
>     really quite amusing having a synthesizer that can do so much.
>
>     When I can swing it, I'll look into buying a DECTalk USb and then I'll
>     have my favorite speech in a hardware synthesizer. I know, I'm a bit
>     crazy about DECTalk! :)
>
>     Alex
>
>
>     On 8/23/10, Corine Bickley <corine.bickley at gallaudet.edu> wrote:
>     > Hi Alex -
>     > I worked with Snoopi at Fonix (and before that at Force), and I'm
> interested
>     > to know how you use DECtalk - for what purposes and on what platforms?
>     > corine bickley
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     > On Mon, Aug 23, 2010 at 1:49 PM, Alex H. <linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>     >
>     >> Hi,
>     >>
>     >> Best of luck to you with the CD's and DECTalk. I hope DECTalk doesn't
>     >> go by the wayside, it's a great synth and I use it almost everyday,
> on
>     >> my phone and my laptops. I'm planning on getting the DECTalk USB but
>     >> have yet to find a used one.
>     >>
>     >> Alex
>     >>
>     >> On 8/23/10, Dectalk at aol.com <Dectalk at aol.com> wrote:
>     >> > I don't work with Fonix any more so I can't really  say.  My
> personal
>     >> > opinion is just ask.  I know a sapi5 is possible, I  just don't
> know if
>     >> they
>     >> > ever
>     >> > did one.
>     >> >
>     >> > BUT, let me tell you what my plans are.  I'm  finally on facebook
> where
>     >> > more people are getting to know me and my music.   At the end of
>     >> September
>     >> > I'm
>     >> > releasing my very first holiday CD.  I'm hoping  it does well.  I
> have 2
>     >> > Churches that are letting me sell it, a CEO might  buy some for his
>     >> company,
>     >> > and I'm hoping for a big sale.  You can't count  on anything, but
> I'm
>     >> > hoping.
>     >> > Blake Roberts and I are giving this our best  shot.
>     >> >
>     >> > One of the things I want to get is the Dectalk Kit,  and I believe
> it
>     >> sells
>     >> > for $1000.00.  That kit will let me create a Dectalk  sapi 5
> version.  I
>     >> > think I can get the 4.0 kit version but I'm not  sure.  I want the
>     >> > oldest
>     >> > version I can get because the new versions  suck!
>     >> >
>     >> > Dectalk is going away because of lake of  interest.  But because of
> my
>     >> > music, there will always be disabled people  who want to get into
>     >> singing.
>     >> > Plus
>     >> > if device companies ever want  Dectalk,  I'll be able to pay the
>     >> royalties
>     >> > through this Dectalk kit and  sell the sapi 5 that I create with
> the
>     >> > kit.
>     >> >
>     >> > If my September release doesn't generate enough  orders, I'm hoping
> it
>     >> will
>     >> > generate a new generation of interest because I'm  planning on
> another
>     >> > CD
>     >> > release next March.
>     >> >
>     >> > My dilemma is, I need a new van because my van is on  it's last
> legs.
>     >> > So
>     >> > sadly the van needs to have priority.  But I'm  hoping to book a
>     >> > concert,
>     >> > and
>     >> > if I can do that, I should be fine.  I have  750 friends on
> facebook and
>     >> > growing, so I'm hoping for some  interest.
>     >> >
>     >> > So Dectalk is not gone yet.
>     >> >
>     >> >
>     >> > SNOOPI BOTTEN
>     >> >
>     >> >
>     >> > In a message dated 8/23/2010 1:27:10 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
>     >> > linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com writes:
>     >> >
>     >> > Hi  Snoopi,
>     >> >
>     >> > Thanks for the info on Dectalk 5.0. I guess I really don't need
> it, I
>     >> > got four other demos plus FonixTalk. Do you think I'd have any
> luck
>     >> > contacting Fonix and requesting the demos?
>     >> >
>     >> > @johnnybrl, I  believe that FonixTalk works with the SAPI5 engine
> but
>     >> > it needs to be  purchased. It is mentioned in the SDK and FonixTalk
>     >> > pages on their site  though. I wish DecTalk had a SAPI version, and
>     >> > direct access to the speech  parameters.
>     >> >
>     >> > Alex
>     >> >
>     >> > On 8/20/10, Ryan Chou  <rc4896153 at gmail.com> wrote:
>     >> >> wait what is phonix talk and could  someone please send me a demo?
>     >> >>
>     >> >> On 8/20/10, Dectalk at aol.com  <Dectalk at aol.com> wrote:
>     >> >>> As far as I know, Dectalk 5.0 was  only a beta  version.  I have
> it
>     >> > because
>     >> >>> I worked for  Fonix, but I can't give it  out.  My version SUCKS!
>     >> It's
>     >> >>> just
>     >> >>> slightly hard to understand.   If  they fixed it, it needed it!
> But I
>     >> >>> would
>     >> >>> never  ever buy it or use it  because they changed a phonetic
> code and
>     >> > did
>     >> >>> a
>     >> >>> few other  changes.
>     >> >>>
>     >> >>>
>     >> >>> SNOOPI  BOTTEN
>     >> >>>
>     >> >>>
>     >> >>> In a message dated 8/20/2010  4:07:50 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
>     >> >>> johnnybrl at gmail.com  writes:
>     >> >>>
>     >> >>> Hi Alex,  Yes I think I've seen that  fonix has made a Dectalk
> 5.0 a
>     >> few
>     >> >>> years
>     >> >>> ago,  if  my memory is correct. However, I couldn't find where
> you can
>     >> >>>  download a  demo version of it anywhere.
>     >> >>>
>     >> >>> But Yeah  hopefully somebody managed to get  a demo copy
> somewhere.
>     >> >>>
>     >> >>> BTW, I sort of like the fonix talk6  voices,  almost like the
> fonix
>     >> > dectalk
>     >> >>> 4.6.4. And you can  also create wave files in  the program too.
>     >> >>> And I was also  wondering, is there a version of fonix talk  that
> you
>     >> > could
>     >> >>>  use in windows like a Sapi5 engine? Was maybe thinking  about
> getting
>     >> > it
>     >> >>> to
>     >> >>> use it with NVDA or Jaws.
>     >> >>> -----  Original Message  -----
>     >> >>> From: "Alex H."  <linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com>
>     >> >>> To:   <dectalk at bluegrasspals.com>
>     >> >>> Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2010  9:29  PM
>     >> >>> Subject: [DECtalk] DECTalk  5.0?
>     >> >>>
>     >> >>>
>     >> >>>> Hey  all,
>     >> >>>>
>     >> >>>>  Been doing some research, aparently  Fonix made a Dectalk 5.0
> before
>     >> >>>>  they started their  FonixTalk synthesizer.
>     >> >>>> Just wondering if anybody's  got  the demo of DECTalk 5.0? Can't
> find
>     >> it
>     >> >>>> anywhere  :(
>     >> >>>>
>     >> >>>>  Thx.
>     >> >>>>  Alex
>     >> >>>>   _______________________________________________
>     >> >>>> DECtalk  mailing  list
>     >> >>>>  DECtalk at bluegrasspals.com
>     >> >>>>   http://jaybird.no-ip.info/mailman/listinfo/dectalk
>     >> >>>
>     >> >>>  _______________________________________________
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>     >> >>> DECtalk at bluegrasspals.com
>     >> >>>  http://jaybird.no-ip.info/mailman/listinfo/dectalk
>     >> >>>
>     >> >>>
>     >> >>  _______________________________________________
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>     >> >>  http://jaybird.no-ip.info/mailman/listinfo/dectalk
>     >> >>
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>     >> >
>     >> >
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>     >>
>     >
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