[DECtalk] DECTalk 5.0?

Corine Bickley corine.bickley at gallaudet.edu
Wed Aug 25 07:28:42 EDT 2010


Thank you, Raymond - very useful feedback! I'm a member of an Acoustical
Society standards committee on intelligibility of text-to-speech systems,
and we are particularly interested in the opinions of users at high speeds.
Is it ok if I pass along your comments to other members of the committee?
They are all experts in TTS with many years experience (including Sue Hertz
who developed Eloquence :) - she'd love to read you supportive comments
about her system).
corine

On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 12:43 PM, 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 <corine.bickley at gallaudet.edu>
>  *To:* DECtalk Discussions <dectalk at bluegrasspals.com>
> *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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>> >> >>>
>> >> >>>
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>> >> >>
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>> >> >
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