[DECtalk] Any news?
Brandon Misch
bmisch2002 at gmail.com
Wed May 4 19:20:02 EDT 2011
ok glad to see this project is still being maintained. be aware i'm kind of behind in mail wright now.
On May 4, 2011, at 4:52 PM, Blake Roberts wrote:
> Thanks everyone for the feedback thus far about the SAPI Dectalk version
> referred to as 4.3. Keep it coming! You guys have come to some of the
> conclusions that Snoopi and I have experienced as testers.
>
> The current SAPI Dectalk definitely needs fixing. As a number of list
> members have said, most of the voices sound awful. I understand that some
> list members find SAPI Dectalk to be somewhat acceptable, as each
> individual has the right to his/her own oppinion. I think most of us agree
> there is room for improvement prior to release and wide acceptance.
>
> There's something else that I think all of you should be aware of. Work has
> been done on a speak window of the SAPI Dectalk 4.3. Like SAPI Dectalk, the
> speak window definitely needs improvement. There are two reasons for this.
> First, there is no spken message when an error is encountered, such as when
> Dectalk stops singing. For those of us who are blind, this presents a
> serious problem because we don't know exactly what the error is or where it
> is. The second Speak Window issue is that there are no keyboard shortcuts
> yet for play, stop and pause. The addition of keyboard shortcuts was
> previously pointed out to a programmer involved. Snoopi and I were told the
> aforementioned keyboard shortcuts are in the works.
>
> As a long-time Dectalkist, I am uncertain if the SAPI Dectalk can be made to
> sing on its own. It is possible that us blind people will need to make
> Dectalk sing using the Speak Window, as has been the case in years past. As
> I've said, both SAPI Dectalk and the speak window can benefit from
> improvement.
>
> If any list members would like to test out the speak window, write me off
> list and I will send it as a zip file. For people on Gmail, I'll come up
> with some other compression method, such as 7-zip. I am making this offer to
> share the speak window because I think you all need to know about both items
> that need fixing.
> Blake
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dectalk-bounces at bluegrasspals.com
> [mailto:dectalk-bounces at bluegrasspals.com] On Behalf Of Raymond Grote
> Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2011 4:17 PM
> To: DECtalk Discussions
> Subject: Re: [DECtalk] Any news?
>
> Heck no. If they're going to release this, then I would feel the same way.
> But I had always thought this was a test and would sound significantly
> different later?
> So were they really planning on releasing it like this?
> I really do hope not. As I said in previous posts, someone really messsed it
> up, and we have to fix it somehow, otherwise only people who are curious
> will ever use it.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: Dectalk at aol.com
> To: dectalk at bluegrasspals.com
> Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2011 1:24 PM
> Subject: Re: [DECtalk] Any news?
>
>
> The real question is, would people pay for a partially working SAPI?
> I personally wouldn't.
>
>
> SNOOPI BOTTEN
>
> In a message dated 5/4/2011 1:16:54 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> bmisch2002 at gmail.com writes:
>
> you are hearing it wright. some of the voices are good like
> paul, frank, harry, and probably one other voices. if people just want to
> use paul for nvda and other things, it's ok for that but if people want to
> make dectalk do certain things like sing, this isn't as good but for people
> who just want to use it with a screen reader and nothing more, it's ok for
> that.
>
> On May 4, 2011, at 1:06 PM, Dectalk at aol.com wrote:
>
>
>
> 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
> >>>>
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> >>>>
> http://bluegrasspals.com/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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> >>
> >
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