[DECtalk] I found some old interesting DECtalk stuff, and some questions

Josh Kennedy joshknnd1982 at gmail.com
Wed Jun 26 06:39:02 EDT 2019


Hey are you the one who made the keynote gold intonation file for e speak?
If so do you still have them around?

On Wed, Jun 26, 2019, 05:48 Guillem León <guilevi2000 at gmail.com> wrote:

> A couple  clarifications:
> As far as I understand, the PC did not use a serial port, it was PCI or
> PCMCIA card, can’t remember which.
> 4.3 and 4.4 were probably made available as external libraries to
> developers  who wanted to add speech to their apps. The speak windows were
> just samples of what the synthesizer could achieve.
> Thanks.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On 26 Jun 2019, at 09:15, Alex H. <linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi,
> I have a few answers. Snippets follow, along with my remarks. Enjoy :)
>
> 1: What is the DECtalk PC, and what is the difference between DECtalk
> PC and DECtalk Express?
>
> The DECTalk PC is a large card that actually goes into a desktop
> machine, like a sound or graphics card. It uses a serial port. The
> DECtalk express is an external unit that connects via serial port, and
> has a battery in it or you can use it from the wall. From what I have
> seen, the batteries on most Express units have long since died
> rendering them pretty pointless without a replacement.
>
>
> 2:What version of DECtalk is the DECtalk USB using, and does there
> exist a speak window for it?
> DECtalk USB uses a modified DECtalk 5.0. They tried to make that
> firmware sound like 4.2 and 4.3, but failed in some ways. If you
> notice, the standard 4.64 demo speak window has a muffled, almost
> mouthfull of cookies sound to it, and it hesitates when reading long
> passages. It's honestly annoying to listen to for me. Dec 5.0 speak
> window is very different sounding than the USB or 4.64. I believe
> FonixTalk started using the HLSyn technology, which was apparently
> purported to sound more human-like Not so much; it just sounds like
> it's got a cold and is generally bored with life on someone's
> computer. Haha.
>
> 3. What was DECtalk versions as 4.3 and 4.4 originaly made for. As
> fare as I know, they only exist as speak windows, but I think it would
> be strange, if they were made only as speak windows.
> As far as I know, there were some DOS versions of 4.3 and 4.4 floating
> around, as well as older Windows versions. I wouldn't be surprised if
> there were other versions of DECtalk older than 4.64 that have a SAPI
> implementation, though I've never used or seen them. Perhaps DEC just
> didn't push DECtalk as hard as they should have and those versions got
> lost in the wind.
>
> Cheers,
> Alex
>
>
> On 9/13/18, Aksel Leo Christoffersen <aksel at blindsigtmail.dk> wrote:
> Hi again,
>
>
>
> I figured out, that some of the links, I send out a few days ago to that
> old
> DECtalk stuff, didn’t work, so I’ve downloaded all the files, and packed
> them in a zip-file.
>
> Here it is:
>
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/8b6duv5obmm4usg/Old%20DECtalk%20Stuff.zip?dl=1
>
>
>
> Also, I still haven’t found an ansswer to the folowing questions, so I
> would
> be happy, if anyone could answer them. Thanks in advance.
>
>
>
> What version of DECtalk is the DECtalk USB using, and does there exist a
> speak window for it? I really like that version, not as much as the DEC
> versions, but I think it could be nice to try it my self without buying a
> DECtalk USB. I read on the net that it was 5.0, but it doesn’t sound like
> that, I think.
>
>
>
> What was DECtalk versions as 4.3 and 4.4 originaly made for. As fare as I
> know, they only exist as speak windows, but I think it would be strange, if
> they were made only as speak windows.
>
>
>
> Best regards:
>
> Aksel Christoffersen
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Fra: Dectalk [mailto:dectalk-bounces at bluegrasspals.com] På vegne af Aksel
> Leo Christoffersen
> Sendt: 9. september 2018 21:46
> Til: 'DECtalk'
> Emne: Re: [DECtalk] I found some old interesting DECtalk stuff, and some
> questions
>
>
>
> OK, here you go. I’ll send links directly to the WayBack machine.
>
>
>
> DECtalk PC driver for OS/2:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dtpcos2.zip
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dtpcos2.zip
> >
>
>
>
>
> A DECtalk IBM driver I don’t know what it is:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/decibm.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/decibm.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> A DECtalk Dos driver I don’t know what it is:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dedos.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dedos.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> Another DECtalk driver for OS/2:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/deos2.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/deos2.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> DECtalk PC1 version 4.2B:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/pc1v42b.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/pc1v42b.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> DECtalk PC1 version 4.2CC:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/pc1v42cc.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/pc1v42cc.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> DECtalk PC1 version 4.2CD:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/pc1v42cd.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/pc1v42cd.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> DECtalk PC2 version 4.2CC:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/pc2v42cc.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/pc2v42cc.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> DECtalk PC2 version 4.2CD:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/pc2v42cd.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/pc2v42cd.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> DECtalk Express version 4.2B:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dtx42ap.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dtx42ap.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> DECtalk Express version 4.2CD beta:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dtxb42cd.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dtxb42cd.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> DECtalk Express version 4.2CD:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dtxv42cd.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dtxv42cd.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> DECtalk manual:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/ref_man.zip
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/ref_man.zip
> >
>
>
>
>
> DECtalk songs made by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC):
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/songs.zip
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/songs.zip
> >
>
>
>
>
> A DECtalk audio sample:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dectalk6.wav
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dectalk6.wav
> >
>
>
>
>
> Another DECtalk audio sample:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dt_vo_ra.wav
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dt_vo_ra.wav
> >
>
>
>
>
> Original DECtalk 4.3 speak window:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/speakdem.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/speakdem.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> Original DECtalk 4.4 multilangual speak window:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dtswdemo.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/dtswdemo.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> I don’t know what this is:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/hold2f.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/hold2f.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> I don’t know what this is either:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/multi_brd.zip
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/multi_brd.zip
> >
>
>
>
>
> I don’t know what this is either:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/win_95.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/win_95.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> I don’t know what this is either:
>
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http://www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/Win_comm.exe
> <
> http://web.archive.org/web/19970101010101/http:/www.ultranet.com:80/~rongemma/Win_comm.exe
> >
>
>
>
>
> The speak windows, as well as all the other software, are 16 bit
> installers.
>
> Best regards:
>
> Aksel Christoffersen
>
>
>
>
>
> Fra: Dectalk [mailto:dectalk-bounces at bluegrasspals.com] På vegne af Blake
> Roberts
> Sendt: 9. september 2018 20:58
> Til: DECtalk
> Emne: Re: [DECtalk] I found some old interesting DECtalk stuff, and some
> questions
>
>
>
> Aksel,
> I don't know the answers to any of your questions. However I am interested
> in what you found on the WayBack Machine. I did not kno a multilingual
> Dectalk 4.4 existed or that DEC made some Dectalk songs. Please share.
> Blake
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Aksel Leo Christoffersen <aksel at blindsigtmail.dk>
> To: dectalk at bluegrasspals.com
> Sent: Sun, 09 Sep 2018 12:38:57 -0400 (EDT)
> Subject: [DECtalk] I found some old interesting DECtalk stuff, and some
> questions
>
> Hi,
>
>
>
> I’ve foun some very interesting old DECtalk stuff on the wayback machine
> last night.
>
> There were some various firmware versions for DECtalk PC 1 & 2 and DECtalk
> Express, as weel as the whole old DECtalk manual, not just those five
> chapters found in the DECtalk Archive.
>
> There was also some old DECtalk songs, writen by DEC them selves, as well
> as
> the original DECtalk 4.3 speak window, with the original demo file from
> DEC,
> as well as a multilangual DECtalk 4.4. And yes, I’m sure it’s 4.4.
>
>
>
> I someone is interested in any of this, I can send it out here.
>
>
>
> Also, I have a some questions about DECtalk, just out of curriositty.
>
>
>
> 1: What is the DECtalk PC, and what is the difference between DECtalk PC
> and
> DECtalk Express?
>
>
>
> 2:What version of DECtalk is the DECtalk USB using, and does there exist a
> speak window for it?
>
> I read on the net that it was 5.0, but it doesn’t sound like that, I think.
>
>
>
> 3. What was DECtalk versions as 4.3 and 4.4 originaly made for. As fare as
> I
> know, they only exist as speak windows, but I think it would be strange, if
> they were made only as speak windows.
>
>
>
> Best regards:
>
> Aksel Christoffersen
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Dectalk at bluegrasspals.com
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>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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