[DECtalk] DECtalk Found a workaround for getting DECTalkAccess32 working w/ JFW

Thu Jun 2 19:09:37 EDT 2011

Hi,

I've got Dectalk access32 4.4, the standalone version GW micro used to
sell. For me I just had to make sure that gwdec32.exe is running. It
might be different for 4.6 though, as that version has DECTalk running
as a service.
I'll do some digging and write back when I find something out.

Alex

On 6/2/11, Michael Hansen <amtk62 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Alex,
>
> Great find there!  However, when I tried entering that into the run
> dialog and starting JAWS with Eloquence as my default profile, then
> switching over to the DECtalk profile...I still got Eloquence.  Any
> thoughts on what I might be doing wrong?
>
> On 6/2/11, Raymond Grote <musicalman1 at comcast.net> wrote:
>> You never know. They might decide to drop it. Wouldn't surprise me if they
>> did drop it in a few years.
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Alex H." <linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com>
>> To: "DECtalk Discussions" <dectalk at bluegrasspals.com>
>> Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2011 5:41 PM
>> Subject: Re: [DECtalk] DECtalk Found a workaround for getting
>> DECTalkAccess32 working w/ JFW
>>
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I did sometime last week, got the "not supported anymore but we will
>>> just keep it around" response. So, looks like DT's not going away in
>>> JAWS, but just not going to be updated.
>>>
>>> Alex
>>>
>>> On 6/2/11, Brandon Misch <bmisch2002 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> has anyone else emailed them about this? would be nice if it was fixed.
>>>>
>>>> On Jun 2, 2011, at 5:09 PM, Alex H. wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>
>>>>> I've found some more cool stuff/bugs in JAWS support for DECTalk
>>>>> access32.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you don't want to rename the eloq.jls file i talked about in the
>>>>> original post, just use this from the run dialog to start JAWS.
>>>>> "c:\program files\freedom scientific\jaws\12.0\jfw.exe" /synth=dtsoft
>>>>> This forces JFW to load the DECTalk soft synth driver at startup.
>>>>> It'll still use Eloquence until you switch the voice profile to
>>>>> DECTalk Access32.
>>>>>
>>>>> Instead of doing this from the run dialog, alternatively you could
>>>>> modify the JAWS desktop shortcut to do this to save time going to the
>>>>> run dialog etc.
>>>>>
>>>>> One nasty side effect of making JAWS load the dtsoft synth at startup
>>>>> is if you've already got JAWS configured to use the DECTalk access32
>>>>> profile as the default.  Instead of DECTalk, you'll get Eloquence at a
>>>>> nice fast speed, with the pitch all the way up. Very annoying! So the
>>>>> rule is, start JAWS loading the dtsoft module, then switch to DECTalk
>>>>> access32 after JAWS is running with Eloquence. A right pain, and I
>>>>> wish FS would actually fix this instead of work around it.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Alex
>>>>>
>>>>> On 5/23/11, Alex H. <linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Hi Jayson,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Agreed. If it were a perfect world we'd have it on all platforms, but
>>>>>> they have a budget and I use Linux and Windows, and do not own any
>>>>>> Macs yet so for me Linux too would be more beneficial.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Alex
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 5/23/11, Jayson Smith <ratguy at insightbb.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I, on the other hand, would much rather see the classic DECtalk made
>>>>>>> available on Linux if one other platform were to be supported. I
>>>>>>> rarely
>>>>>>> use
>>>>>>> a Mac, but when I do, I'm perfectly satisfied with the default Alex
>>>>>>> voice.
>>>>>>> Jayson
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>> From: "Corine Bickley" <corine.bickley at gallaudet.edu>
>>>>>>> To: "DECtalk Discussions" <dectalk at bluegrasspals.com>
>>>>>>> Sent: Monday, May 23, 2011 7:14 PM
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [DECtalk] DECtalk Found a workaround for getting
>>>>>>> DECTalkAccess32 working w/ JFW
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'll check into the cost. We're working on a charity-enabled budget,
>>>>>>> as I don't expect to ever recover the costs we've put out so far. :)
>>>>>>> I'm trying to do what Dennis Klatt would have wanted. That's all.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Mon, May 23, 2011 at 8:40 AM, Pitermach <pitermach at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>> Well, there aren't that many issues, so most of the sapi drivers
>>>>>>>> around
>>>>>>>> are
>>>>>>>> very stable these days. This would include window-eyes, NVDA, and
>>>>>>>> dolphin's
>>>>>>>> SuperNova. Ditto for the tts to mp3 apps like text aloud and
>>>>>>>> d-speech.
>>>>>>>> In my experience JAWS's sapi driver is very unstable and crashes for
>>>>>>>> me
>>>>>>>> after ruffly a minute of usage with a lightweight synth. And it's
>>>>>>>> not
>>>>>>>> even
>>>>>>>> getting as much responsiveness as it could, though that's something
>>>>>>>> you
>>>>>>>> don't need to be worried about - it's not your problem Smile.
>>>>>>>> Also, after you release the windows build, do you thinkl it would be
>>>>>>>> possible to develop dectalk for mac? Apple, like microsoft has a
>>>>>>>> sapi
>>>>>>>> equivllent on mac for developping voices, which amung other things
>>>>>>>> can
>>>>>>>> work
>>>>>>>> with VoiceOver, the screen reader built into MacOSX.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>>> From: FRIDO ORDEMANN
>>>>>>>> To: DECtalk Discussions
>>>>>>>> Sent: Monday, May 23, 2011 1:55 PM
>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [DECtalk] DECtalk Found a workaround for getting
>>>>>>>> DECTalkAccess32 working w/ JFW
>>>>>>>> One issue I have become concerned about is possible difficulties
>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>> users
>>>>>>>> of DECtalk will encounter when they have certain screen readers
>>>>>>>> installed.
>>>>>>>> If someone can summarize the group's experience with changing
>>>>>>>> synthesizers
>>>>>>>> or changing screen readers, I'd appreciate knowing what sorts of
>>>>>>>> problems
>>>>>>>> we're up against as we test out classic SAPI DECtalk. I don't want
>>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>>> release something that causes people problems when they try to
>>>>>>>> install
>>>>>>>> DECtalk but already have some other voices installed.
>>>>>>>> corine
>>>>>>>> ________________________________
>>>>>>>> From: Alex H. <linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>> To: DECtalk Discussions <dectalk at bluegrasspals.com>
>>>>>>>> Sent: Sun, May 22, 2011 12:46:58 PM
>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [DECtalk] DECtalk Found a workaround for getting
>>>>>>>> DECTalk
>>>>>>>> Access32 working w/ JFW
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi Michael,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Funny you mention that, because when JAWS 11 came out, people
>>>>>>>> started
>>>>>>>> complaining to FS and they didn't say anything about DECTalk being
>>>>>>>> not
>>>>>>>> supported back then, only that they couldn't reproduce the problem
>>>>>>>> (yeah right). Sounds like they're becoming lazy over there, I mean
>>>>>>>> it's probably a five line fix in some file or other and they just
>>>>>>>> don't care.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The real question is if they'll keep the existing DT Access32 files
>>>>>>>> for future versions and just not provide any tech support for the
>>>>>>>> synth? That's sort of a band-aid way of doing it, but that's what
>>>>>>>> they'll probably do knowing FS.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Fortunately if this doesn't work, we should have a classic SAPI
>>>>>>>> version of DECTalk that will be functional with any screen reader
>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>> can use SAPI synths, so I'm not too worried.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Alex
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 5/22/11, Michael Hansen <amtk62 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>> I agree 100%.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I talked to FS support last week, and they told me that Access 32
>>>>>>>>> was
>>>>>>>>> not supported after JAWS 10. So they know about the problems and
>>>>>>>>> apparently do not want to fix them. Either that or they can't fix
>>>>>>>>> them.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On 5/21/11, Brandon Misch <bmisch2002 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> would be better if fs fixed it so you wouldn't have to change the
>>>>>>>>>> name
>>>>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>>>>> eloquence.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On May 21, 2011, at 7:36 PM, Michael Hansen wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Wow, Alex! This is awesome! Great find!
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Michael
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> On 5/20/11, Alex H. <linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> I've found a workaround to get DECTalk Access32 working with
>>>>>>>>>>>> JFW.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> WARNING WARNING WARNING: This isn't complicated, but it could
>>>>>>>>>>>> leave
>>>>>>>>>>>> you with no speech if you're not careful and set up another
>>>>>>>>>>>> voice
>>>>>>>>>>>> profile or don't have NVDA to fall back on.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> 1. You should really do this with an older version of JAWS if
>>>>>>>>>>>> you
>>>>>>>>>>>> have
>>>>>>>>>>>> any installed, or use NVDA or System Access, or even narrator to
>>>>>>>>>>>> do
>>>>>>>>>>>> these steps to avoid conflicts.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> 2. Assuming you've already tried to have Access32 set up as a
>>>>>>>>>>>> voice
>>>>>>>>>>>> profile, just select that using insert-ctrl-s, and then the
>>>>>>>>>>>> profile
>>>>>>>>>>>> name for DECTalk access32.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> 3. Open the start menu, Programs or All programs, Jaws 10/11/12,
>>>>>>>>>>>> Explore Program Files.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> 4. Navigate to the Drivers\speech\eloq subdirectory.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> 5. Rename eloq.jls to something else like "evil_eloq.jls"
>>>>>>>>>>>> Alternatively, you can simply move the file to another location.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> 6. Reboot JAWS. You should now have DT access32 speech! Worked
>>>>>>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>>>>>>> me.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Note: I am not responsible for any outcome of this, use at your
>>>>>>>>>>>> own
>>>>>>>>>>>> risk. However, if something doesn't work you can always just
>>>>>>>>>>>> rename
>>>>>>>>>>>> the file back to eloq.jls and things are good again.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> I haven't tested to see if the Eloquence voice profile is saved
>>>>>>>>>>>> if
>>>>>>>>>>>> you
>>>>>>>>>>>> rename it back, but I don't use eloquence anyway, so...
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Enjoy and good luck!
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Alex
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>>>>>> DECtalk at bluegrasspals.com
>>>>>>>>>>>> http://bluegrasspals.com/mailman/listinfo/dectalk
>>>>>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
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