[DECtalk] DECTalk USB Demo2

[Alex H.]

Hi Blake,

>From what I've seen, the DECTalk USB is still being sold at GW Micro's
catalog, as well as on irti.net, an assistive tech site. It used to be
sold from chirpingbat.com for 50 bucks less, but when I sent an email
to inquire about it last summer, the message got rejected.

I'm mildly upset because about three years ago on Ebay, somebody sold
a DT USB slightly used for $400 in great condition, but at the time I
didn't even know the device existed, so had no idea to look for it.

Alex

On 5/15/11, Alex H. <linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Hart,
>
> I'm not sure about speakup, but I do know that you should be able to
> send text to the DECTalk USB as you would with the express. I don't
> have an express or USB, but when I do, I'm going to do some
> experiments with this.
>
> Apparently, Emacspeak and the DECTalk USB had some issues with command
> errors from what I read on the Emacspeak list, but they seem to have
> been resolved.
>
> Well, to add some intonation in the voice, you'd just use [:dv pr 200
> as 70 qu 70]
> That should be a bit better. Now only to have this stuff remembered on
> uppercase letters with speakup, and then have the pitch drop to normal
> after the uppercase letter. I think there's a way to get it working
> from what I read in the DECTalk USB manual from the Axsol website, but
> don't know how to go implementing that into a speakup driver.
>
> Alex
>
> On 5/15/11, Hart Larry <chime at hubert-humphrey.com> wrote:
>> Well, yes, while I really like that demo, I wish I knew more about how to
>> get
>> similar results here.
>> Back when I first got this unit, I had a dule-boot system.  While I was
>> listening in JAWS, but eventually, I think in 2006 I completely got rid
>> of
>> windows.  Now I am enjoying Debian Testing.  As one of the skits says,
>> "in
>> the
>> good old DOS days" at least all the DecTalk files, including dictionaries
>> were
>> on the local machine.  So now with this USB unit, can I get to these
>> items?
>> I
>> remember I could just copy text or songs to com4.
>> I
>> would `love to add lots of intonation, if I only knew how?  Yes, I know
>> EmacSpeak has lots of support, but so far I am in Speakup, where I am
>> having
>> lots of what I would call them, frustrations.  No matter what I set
>> caps-start
>> and stop, I cannot get the pitch ajustment on capitalization.  While
>> arrowing
>> through text, `many times pitch, volume, and rate all drop considerably.
>> I
>> must ajust each back-and-forth for my settings to resume.
>> So Alex, if your last name is simbolicly Linux, then that makes at least
>> 3
>> of
>> us on this list enjoying Linux.
>> Thanks so much in advance for any suggestions, tips, and trix.  O, yes,
>> this
>> unit is from Axsol Solutions.  Only time we upgraded firmware was while I
>> was
>> in windows.
>> Hart
>>
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>