additional information, I forgot to mention that sometime in the late 80s when Dennis added a female data set to DECtalk the sex option change from a scaling function to simply selecting a male or female phonetic base, but in no way can I remember when that occurred.<div>
As a general comment I alone did the four point X versions of DECtalk as Dennis was born at that point, so I know them intimately, but even years ago people would prefer different versions and trying to make one sound exactly like the other was exceedingly difficult and a lot of it occurred because of changes in the overall coding that were done not because we wanted to but because we had to meet evolving programming standards to keep it running on various tools because if we didn't sell DECtalk we simply went home and unfortunately economics force the focus away from the screen reader environment. I did not like this change but DECtalk more than once was in survival mode, I am using the latest version and to say it's on understandable is an exaggeration,</div>
<div>preferring a different version is very understandable. I have no problems with people saying what I want but understand this is anything but easy with limited funds, I donate my time but other people cannot and the fact that I'm going blind and I am not a Windows or SAPI programmer there are limits to what can be done. But I think junk is an unfair exaggeration.<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Jan 29, 2012 at 9:14 PM, Jake McMahan <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:mcmahan.jake@gmail.com">mcmahan.jake@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<u></u>
<div style="padding-right:10px;padding-left:10px;padding-top:15px;font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial" name="Compose message area"><div class="im">
<div> I have to say, I love the sound of dectalk
reader one. I really want this version badly. I don't care if it
will sing, and I don't care about anything else. I love it the way it
is. To me, it's not garbage, it's a version of dectalk that I personally
like. I want this version, again.</div>
</div><div style="FONT:10pt Tahoma">
<div><br></div>
<div style="BACKGROUND:#f5f5f5">
<div><b>From:</b> <a title="Dectalk@aol.com" href="mailto:Dectalk@aol.com" target="_blank">Dectalk@aol.com</a> </div>
<div><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, January 29, 2012 9:09 PM</div>
<div><b>To:</b> <a title="dectalk@bluegrasspals.com" href="mailto:dectalk@bluegrasspals.com" target="_blank">dectalk@bluegrasspals.com</a> </div><div><div class="h5">
<div><b>Subject:</b> Re: [DECtalk] how to do gender change in
Dectalk?</div></div></div></div></div><div><div class="h5">
<div><br></div><font color="#000000" size="4" face="Arial">
<div>Um, Ed, excuse me but Blake and I both heard the latest MP3 samples of
Dectalk Reader 1. The speech is not understandable.</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>SNOOPI BOTTEN </div>
<div> </div>
<div>
<div>In a message dated 1/29/2012 8:59:14 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, <a href="mailto:musicalman1@comcast.net" target="_blank">musicalman1@comcast.net</a> writes:</div>
<blockquote style="BORDER-LEFT:blue 2px solid;PADDING-LEFT:5px;MARGIN-LEFT:5px"><font style="BACKGROUND-COLOR:transparent" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">
<div><font face="Arial">Well, I've stated this opinion time and time
again, and every time I do, people seem to think I'm nuts or that I'm too
conservative.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial">First off, people are nnot stupid. If they call
it Dectalk Reader, then who in their right mind will think snoopi's
instructions on making it sing, will work with a reader of all
things?</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial">And, the Dectalk that Enable has, isn't unusable.
there are some on this list that like it for what it is. I myself do not, but
that's my opinion. One man's garbage is another man's treasure...</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial">This isn't the first time someone released a
Dectalk that wasn't a thing like what we all know. Force did it, Fonix did it.
But everyone still stuckw ith Dectalk 4.3 and 4.4. So I don't see why Enable
is going to just ruin everything. If people don't like it, they will simply
not use it just like they did with everything else. I do not agree with
Enable's motives, but I will never tell them their product is garbage. Let's
say I tell someone on this list their production is garbage. they worked for
hours on it. They will most likely be glad to have received the high
complement? Even if it's the worst piece of garbage you ever heard. It's
simply not anything close to constructive to say it that way. So
now Enable just releases what they have because some people use it and
they've fired those who told them off. It's sad but true. They have their
faults, we have ours. If we don't like them, that's how it is. But I was
seriously hoping the Enable business was over with. They'd either fix it or
they wouldn't. *sigh*</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial">I continue to hope that Dennis will like what
eventually becomes of Dectalk. Maybe enable will do something for the better,
or someone else will. But we have no hopeful dectalk future, which is sad. I
believe all of us, that being Enable and those of us who were very harsh on
them, had a part in that. I am so fed up with this argument between us and
Enable! Let's just not post anything else degrading about them. Please?
we've done that enough!</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div>----- Original Message ----- </div>
<blockquote style="BORDER-LEFT:#000000 2px solid;PADDING-LEFT:5px;PADDING-RIGHT:0px;MARGIN-LEFT:5px;MARGIN-RIGHT:0px">
<div style="FONT:10pt arial;BACKGROUND:#e4e4e4"><b>From:</b>
<a title="mailto:edbruckert@gmail.com" href="mailto:edbruckert@gmail.com" target="_blank">ebruckert Bruckert</a> </div>
<div style="FONT:10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title="mailto:dectalk@bluegrasspals.com" href="mailto:dectalk@bluegrasspals.com" target="_blank">DECtalk Discussions</a> </div>
<div style="FONT:10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, January 29, 2012 9:30
AM</div>
<div style="FONT:10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> Re: [DECtalk] how to do gender
change in Dectalk?</div>
<div><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial"></font><br></div> I want to clarify
some things and some things that make me quite upset. Making statements like
Dennis would roll over in his grave when you never even knew Dennis I find
disrespectful. Dennis was a person I always looked up to and tried to
emulate in my life. And he would never denigrate people the way you seem
inclined to do, especially when in plain English you don't know what the
hell you're talking about!! the issue of singing in the SAPI version has
nothing to do with DECtalk if you want to get mad at somebody get mad at
Microsoft for creating a specification that doesn't allow for commands to be
passed to a synthesizer. The DECtalk created could sing if you get get the
damn commands to it. In plain English I'm thoroughly disgusted with
your rants.
<div> The sex command was created for the original DECtalk
because we only had one acoustic database so Dennis did the best he could
trying to develop an algorithm to scale performance between a male and a
female which works to some extent but can't be perfect due to the
complexities involved in that it's not linear.</div>
<div> </div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Jan 29, 2012 at 8:45 AM, <span dir="ltr"><<a title="mailto:Dectalk@aol.com" href="mailto:Dectalk@aol.com" target="_blank">Dectalk@aol.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote style="BORDER-LEFT:#ccc 1px solid;MARGIN:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;PADDING-LEFT:1ex" class="gmail_quote"><u></u>
<div style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial;FONT-SIZE:14pt"><font color="#000000" size="4" face="Arial">
<div>Thank you! I knew it was possible but I never totally knew
how. I am trying to jump start my business called "THE FLAME OF
HOPE". As most of you know I have over 1200 songs, and right now I'm
trying to put as many of them as I can to music. Some I flat out
can't because when I first started I made really bad errors such as not
doing the entire song. Part of it was I started with easy sheet
music which often only has one verse. But I'm doing new songs as
well.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The reason is, people now have avatars and easy to use animation
software. So I'm marketing the free 4.40 Speak Window which is free
for the asking, then I'm selling my instructions on how to create voices
and make them sing. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>I bring this up because I have a question for all of you.
Enable Rehab is getting ready to release "DECTALK READER 1", and there
might be an Earthquake on that day because Dennis Klatt might roll over in
his grave. This thing as far as I know won't sing. The voices
from the latest I have heard are still bad quality because the voices pop
in the MP3 recordings that I have heart. I don't think it will come
with a dictionary so people can edit how words are said. And in my
opinion, this thing is still garbage! I got fired for saying that
but big deal, I'm only saying the truth!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Anyway, Enable Rehab won't take "Dectalk" out of the name because
they feel the name is a marketing tool. I personally think it's
fraud because it will be so different from the Dectalk that we all know
and love that it really isn't Dectalk. They're calling it "Reader 1"
so people will know by the title that it will only read.
(Sick)</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Anyway, I'm upset because thanks to both E voice and now the
internet, I think I'm as associated with Dectalk as much as Dennis
Klatt. This upcoming release is making me sick because I'm afraid
people might buy this Dectalk SAPI garbage and think my instructions will
work with it. So I'm very upset that they are calling it Dectalk
anything. They really need to remove "Dectalk" from the title
because I view it as a deception of the worse kind!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Here is my question. I think a petition should be started
because this is just wrong! BUT, I don't know if the petition should
be to just drop "Dectalk" from the name, OR, to just scrap this
garbage. And, I don't want to be the one to start the petition
because I don't know how. But if a petition does get started, it
needs to go all over the internet and get back to Enable Rehab.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I just feel that by marking this garbage under "Dectalk", they are
taking advantage of both the blind and the disabled communities because
they know "Dectalk" will bring in sales just because of the name.
And because my name is known with Dectalk, I feel this soon to be released
garbage will effect my image and my business.</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>SNOOPI BOTTEN </div>
<div>
<div>
<div> </div>
<div>
<div>In a message dated 1/28/2012 9:49:19 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, <a title="mailto:beroberts@hughes.net" href="mailto:beroberts@hughes.net" target="_blank">beroberts@hughes.net</a> writes:</div>
<blockquote style="BORDER-LEFT:blue 2px solid;PADDING-LEFT:5px;MARGIN-LEFT:5px"><font style="BACKGROUND-COLOR:transparent" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">Thanks Alex. That syntax works in both DT 4.4 and 4.3. I did
a quick test<br>with both versions. Note to Snoopi: the female
versions of Frank and Dennis<br>sound odd. I think breathiness will need
to be changed with the br command<br>for best
results.<br>Blake<br><br>-----Original Message-----<br>From: <a title="mailto:dectalk-bounces@bluegrasspals.com" href="mailto:dectalk-bounces@bluegrasspals.com" target="_blank">dectalk-bounces@bluegrasspals.com</a><br>
[mailto:<a title="mailto:dectalk-bounces@bluegrasspals.com" href="mailto:dectalk-bounces@bluegrasspals.com" target="_blank">dectalk-bounces@bluegrasspals.com</a>] On Behalf Of Alex
H.<br>Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2012 9:06 PM<br>To: DECtalk
Discussions<br>Subject: Re: [DECtalk] how to do gender change in
Dectalk?<br><br>sorry, [:nf][:dv sx 0] should do it.<br><br>On 1/28/12,
Alex H. <<a title="mailto:linuxx64.bashsh@gmail.com" href="mailto:linuxx64.bashsh@gmail.com" target="_blank">linuxx64.bashsh@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>> [:sx
0]<br>><br>> On 1/28/12, Blake Roberts <<a title="mailto:beroberts@hughes.net" href="mailto:beroberts@hughes.net" target="_blank">beroberts@hughes.net</a>> wrote:<br>>> Hi
all,<br>>> Snoopi asked me to pose a question to the listserv. He
knows about <br>>> the gender change command, sx. Does it work in
DT 4.4? If so, what is <br>>> the correct syntax?<br>>>
Snoopi wants to program the song Emotion by The Bee Gees using a
<br>>> breathy female Frank or Dennis. I know that may sound
funny, but it <br>>> is a serious thing. If anyone knows how to
change Frank or Dennis to <br>>> female, please share. I figure
someone on here probably does. <br>>> Alternatively, if anyone
else wants to program a female Frank or <br>>> Dennis version of
the song, Snoopi is willing to do the mixing with <br>>> music
after fixing any phoneems that may be incorrect. He is waiting
<br>>> for his communication device to be repaired, so Snoopi will
not be <br>>> able to program the song for about a
month.<br>>> Blake<br>>>
Blake<br>>><br>><br>_______________________________________________<br>DECtalk
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