[DECtalk] Any news?

Raymond Grote musicalman1 at comcast.net
Wed May 4 16:10:56 EDT 2011


Hi,
I agree with the things you said. After hearing that demo, and seeing the misunderstanding of version numbers, the chances of this thing being stable are depleting. But we never said the first samples we heard would be perfect, nor did we say how long and vigorous we would have to work to make them perfect. I wouldn't give up just yet.
I think that we need someone who knows more about the different versions, and who can port the synth to sapi, should be involved. It's clear that someone definitely doesn't know what they're doing, based on what you've said and what I have been thinking. Instead of giving up hope, we, as users who know that something is messed up and can give feedback, should be encouraging and try to be as helpful as we can. If we give off the impression that it is hopeless and will never work, the whole thing will dye before we know it. This isn't as simple as copy and paste, it takes work. I'm not trying to be dictator or moderator or anything, just saying my views on it.

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dectalk at aol.com 
  To: dectalk at bluegrasspals.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2011 1:06 PM
  Subject: Re: [DECtalk] Any news?


  I'm too mad to deal with it.  Blake and I got asked how to make Dectalk sing, so we sent them a file.  We both got told that we don't know what we're doing.  Then we're told that it will sing with no problem,  Um, it won't.  I had Blake send "WE ARE THE WORLD" for the simple fact that if they ever get that to sing clear through with no feedback, we will have something to work with.

  As of now, we are working with garbage!  That's why I'm against posting samples because this stuff is mostly crap.  They call it 4.3, I don't!  This is as far from 4.anything as you can get!

  Some of these people are on this list.  Maybe they will finally get that the gn command on some voices is set too high, the consonant sounds are not clearly heard, and ugh I could go on and on.

  I might not get another SAPI after posting the demo.  I don't care.  This is trash, and I'm tired of being told I'm not hearing it right.  I'm glad I'm not alone in my opinion.


  SNOOPI BOTTEN 

  In a message dated 5/4/2011 12:41:05 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, bmisch2002 at gmail.com writes:
    i hope you show this sample to those who are telling you that there is no problem.  


    On May 4, 2011, at 12:17 PM, Dectalk at aol.com wrote:


      http://pastorsnoopi.twigs76.com/music/SAPI%20DEMO.mp3

      The above link is the sample that people wanted.  Blake and I are both told that there is no problem.  Tell that to our ears.  (YUCK) 


      SNOOPI BOTTEN 

      In a message dated 5/4/2011 11:16:00 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, edbruckert at gmail.com writes:
        All that means is what you are sent is not acceptable don't worry it'll be solved I promise at this point in my life I need it as much as anybody else


        On Wed, May 4, 2011 at 10:48 AM, <Dectalk at aol.com> wrote:

          Brace yourselves because I don't think you guys will like it.  The very worst voice is Kit.  I'd do the recording for you guys but I really don't want to be linked with this pour Dectalk quality.  Have fun guys.


          SNOOPI BOTTEN 

          In a message dated 5/4/2011 9:10:14 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, ratguy at insightbb.com writes:
            Hi,

            Here's a sample text. I assume you can use DECtalk commands in the text? An 
            MP3 of the 4.3 speak application performing this exact text can be found at
            http://www.bluegrasspals.com/dt43sample.mp3
            Now here's the text.

            [:phoneme on]
            [:np] [:ra 250]
            Hello. This is the factory default Paul voice.
            I'm talking now with this voice since this is what most people are probably 
            going to be using. Let's speed it up a bit.
            [:ra 300]
            This is probably how Jayson's JFW would talk normally. Now let's put some 
            intonation in there.
            [:dv pr 250] [:dv sr 50]
            Okay, this is how Jayson used to listen to DECtalk back in the good old DOS 
            days. With 4.3 and earlier, if you could get used to this which you would 
            over time, this sounds pretty good! It'd take some getting used to again, 
            not having had it for so long.
            [:np] [:ra 250]
            The rest of this demo was created a few months ago to compair and test the 
            various other factory voices and several custom voices in different DECtalk 
            versions.
            I will now test the other voices.
            [:nb] I'm Beautiful Betty, the default female voice.
            [:nh] I'm Huge Harry.
            [:nd] I'm Doctor Dennis.
            [:nf] I'm Frail Frank.
            [:nu] I'm Uppity Ursula.
            [:nr] I'm Rough Rita.
            [:nw] I'm Whispering Wendy.
            [:nk] and I'm Kit the Kid.
            [:np]
            Now I'll let the DECtalk manual describe us.
            [:np]       Perfect Paul           Standard male voice.
            [:nb]       Beautiful Betty Standard female voice.
            [:nh]       Huge Harry      Deep male voice.
            [:nf]       Frail Frank            Older male voice.
            [:nk]       Kit the Kid             Child's voice (about 10 years
            old).
            [:nr]       Rough Rita      Deep female voice.
            [:nu]       Uppity Ursula   Light female voice.
            [:nd]       Doctor Dennis   Breathy male voice.
            [:nw]       Whispering Wendy Whispery female voice.

            [:np]
            Okay, let's test a few custom voices.
            [:nf] [:dv br 0 la 0 sr 100 hr 100 ap 150 pr 95] [:ra 220] This is the voice 
            of Rimmer from Red Dwarf.
            Lister, we are being tested! I don't know what to do!
            [:nf] [:ra 240] [:dv br 0 hs 95 ap 100 as 100 pr 220 hr 30 sr 30] This is 
            Lister.
            Rimmer! Come over here and help me with this new speech synthesizer!
            [:np] [:dv as 0 bf 0 la 20 nf 00 ri 100 sm 0 hr 0 sr 0] [:ra 220] This is 
            Holly.
            This is an important announcement. All persons aboard this ship are to 
            report to the voice calibration office at once. That is all.
            [:np] [:dv br 100 lx 100 bf 100 hr 100 sr 100 as 100 qu 100 ap 110 pr 150 sx 
            1 la 0]  [:ra 210] This is the voice of the toaster.
            I don't know where this voice calibration office is. Does anyone want some 
            toast?
            [:np] [:dv sm 1 hs 90  br 0 ri 0 la 0] [:ra 250] I'm the cat.
            Who says my voice needs to be calibrated? I want fishies!
            [:nd] [:dv as 0 bf 0 la 20 nf 00 ri 100 hr 0 sr 0] [:ra 220] I'm Queeg 500.
            None of you have any credit, so you may not use the voice calibrator.
            [:nu] [:dv as 1 bf 10 la 30 nf 10 ri 100 sm 50 hr 100 sr 20 ap 130] [:ra 
            240] I'm the newer voice of Holly.
            I'm picking something up. It's another ship. Its name is Deck Talk or 
            something very close. They have been conducting an experiment on us all this 
            time. That would explain why we've been saying all these silly things. I 
            knew I was having trouble finding a record of any voice calibration office 
            on Red Dwarf.

            ----- Original Message ----- 
            From: "Corine Bickley" <corine.bickley at gallaudet.edu>
            To: "DECtalk Discussions" <dectalk at bluegrasspals.com>
            Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2011 7:02 AM
            Subject: Re: [DECtalk] Any news?


            > HI Jayson,
            > I will do that. Could you suggest some sample sentences to synthesize?
            > We're trying to find a way to put a "demo play" button on the Enable
            > website so people can type in any text they'd like to hear, but our
            > programmer hasn't been able to spend time on that project right now.
            > corine
            >
            > On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 8:12 PM, Jayson Smith <ratguy at insightbb.com> wrote:
            >> Do you have any audio samples you could share? Maybe I could elaborate on
            >> what people don't like. I pretty much know what DT 4.3 sounds like.
            >> Jayson
            >>
            >> ----- Original Message -----
            >> From: "Corine Bickley" <corine.bickley at gallaudet.edu>
            >> To: "DECtalk Discussions" <dectalk at bluegrasspals.com>
            >> Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2011 7:53 PM
            >> Subject: Re: [DECtalk] Any news?
            >>
            >>
            >>>i meant - i can't hear the differences, not being so attuned to the
            >>> various DT versions. i can hear ok, but i'm not clear on the
            >>> differences in quality.
            >>>
            >>> On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 7:24 PM, Jayson Smith <ratguy at insightbb.com> 
            >>> wrote:
            >>>> Hi,
            >>>>
            >>>> Wo, you actually got 4.3 working with SAPI? What kind of quality 
            >>>> problems
            >>>> are there?
            >>>> Thanks.
            >>>>
            >>>> ----- Original Message -----
            >>>> From: "Corine Bickley" <corine.bickley at gallaudet.edu>
            >>>> To: "DECtalk Discussions" <dectalk at bluegrasspals.com>
            >>>> Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2011 6:14 PM
            >>>> Subject: Re: [DECtalk] Any news?
            >>>>
            >>>>
            >>>>> Still waiting for one of the "old" (not chronologically, just in terms
            >>>>> of contact with DT) to send some more versions for testing.
            >>>>> 4.3 and 4.67 work in SAPI fine but preliminary listening results
            >>>>> indicate dissatisfaction.
            >>>>> corine
            >>>>>
            >>>>>
            >>>>>
            >>>>> On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 2:29 PM, Jayson Smith <ratguy at insightbb.com>
            >>>>> wrote:
            >>>>>> Okay, it's broken record time. Anything new going on with the SAPI
            >>>>>> DECtalk?
            >>>>>> Haven't heard anything in a while.
            >>>>>> Jayson
            >>>>>>
            >>>>>> _______________________________________________
            >>>>>> DECtalk mailing list
            >>>>>> DECtalk at bluegrasspals.com
            >>>>>> http://bluegrasspals.com/mailman/listinfo/dectalk
            >>>>>>
            >>>>> _______________________________________________
            >>>>> DECtalk mailing list
            >>>>> DECtalk at bluegrasspals.com
            >>>>> http://bluegrasspals.com/mailman/listinfo/dectalk
            >>>>
            >>>> _______________________________________________
            >>>> DECtalk mailing list
            >>>> DECtalk at bluegrasspals.com
            >>>> http://bluegrasspals.com/mailman/listinfo/dectalk
            >>>>
            >>> _______________________________________________
            >>> DECtalk mailing list
            >>> DECtalk at bluegrasspals.com
            >>> http://bluegrasspals.com/mailman/listinfo/dectalk
            >>
            >> _______________________________________________
            >> DECtalk mailing list
            >> DECtalk at bluegrasspals.com
            >> http://bluegrasspals.com/mailman/listinfo/dectalk
            >>
            > _______________________________________________
            > DECtalk mailing list
            > DECtalk at bluegrasspals.com
            > http://bluegrasspals.com/mailman/listinfo/dectalk 

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