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

Corine Bickley corine.bickley at gallaudet.edu
Wed Aug 25 15:16:53 EDT 2010


I will gladly pass along your comments - maybe knowing users' interests will
spur some companies along :)

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 2:42 PM, 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
> >         >> >>>>  DECtalk at bluegrasspals.com
> >         >> >>>>   http://jaybird.no-ip.info/mailman/listinfo/dectalk
> >         >> >>>
> >         >> >>>  _______________________________________________
> >         >> >>> DECtalk  mailing  list
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> >         >> >>>  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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> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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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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