[DECtalk] speech synths again (was: DECTalk 5.0?)

Alex H. linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com
Wed Aug 25 15:13:44 EDT 2010


I think the DECTalk USB should cost less, and Eloquence shoulud be
made into a hardware synth, and there were SAPI5 versions of DECTalk
as well as an Mac port.

Alex

On 8/25/10, Alex Hall <mehgcap at gwi.net> wrote:
> Personally, I would love to see both Eloquence and DT as sapi voices.
> It is a true shame that these are not available anywhere as they would
> let users of any screen reader or self-voicing app use their favorite
> voice.
>
> On 8/25/10, Raymond Grote <musicalman1 at comcast.net> wrote:
>> Sure, use it as you wish. As I say though, what i say isn't facts, it's
>> mostly my opinion, although I try to be accurate.
>> Microsoft also can speed up pretty well but the quality of the voices just
>> annoys me to the point of staying away from them. Eloquence is what I used
>> back when I was in kindergarten just learning how to use a computer. Back
>> then I didn't care how it sounded, I could understand it. I got used to
>> it.
>> I just liked it because it sped up very nicely, had pretty good
>> pronunciation, and was nice an clear at least to my ears. The intonation
>> doesn't bother me now, but I know it bothers many people.
>> As for Dectalk, I just can't get used to that synth. For some reason, I
>> just
>> never really liked it, but many people do. I guess I'm just an opposite
>> type
>> of guy...
>>
>>   ----- Original Message -----
>>   From: Corine Bickley
>>   To: DECtalk Discussions
>>   Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 7:28 AM
>>   Subject: Re: [DECtalk] DECTalk 5.0?
>>
>>
>>   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
>>       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
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>>         >> >>>
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>>         >> >>>
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>
> --
> Have a great day,
> Alex (msg sent from GMail website)
> mehgcap at gmail.com; http://www.facebook.com/mehgcap
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