[DECtalk] DECTalk 5.0?

Alex H. linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com
Wed Aug 25 19:50:45 EDT 2010


Hey all,

I've just contacted Fonix to see if they still got the old DECTalk 5
demos laying around, and if I can snag a copy of it. I'm hopeful and
although I've heard DT 5.0 isn't the best of the DECTalk versions, I
still wanna play with it and see what it's like. This way I can
determine which version of DECTalk I enjoy most and will write DECTalk
files with. Right now I enjoy 4.3 and 4.64 the most, they sound the
most classic. 4.61 is a pretty bad joke and 4.4 is all around great.
I'll keep y'all posted with any updates I get.

Alex

On 8/25/10, Corine Bickley <corine.bickley at gallaudet.edu> wrote:
> 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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>>
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