[DECtalk] how to do gender change in Dectalk?

Jayson Smith ratguy at insightbb.com
Mon Jan 30 12:27:28 EST 2012


That sounds to me just like 4.61, one of my least favorite versions.
Jayson


----- Original Message -----
From: Dectalk at aol.com
To: dectalk at bluegrasspals.com
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:14:48 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: [DECtalk] how to do gender change in Dectalk?

> Let me share the link to the unreleased demos that I'm talking about.   
And 
> actually the word "New" sounds like "Moo".
>  
> To hear samples of all the voices, just change the name at the end of the 
 
> link.
> _http://davesvideoservicesco.startlogic.com/dennis/_ 
> (http://davesvideoservicesco.startlogic.com/dennis/) 
>  
>  
>  
> SNOOPI BOTTEN 
>  
>  
> In a message dated 1/30/2012 11:49:56 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
> bmisch2002 at gmail.com writes:
> 
> that  ductal demo sounds like 4.61 or something close to it.   
> 
> 
> On Jan 30, 2012, at 11:08 AM, _Dectalk at aol.com_ (mailto:Dectalk at aol.com)  
> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> Fine, release it, whatever.  The latest MP3 recordings of Dectalk  Reader 
1 
> have pops in most of the voices, and the weather report in the demo  is 
> only like 80 percent understandable.   So fine, I'll say it's  the best 
thing I 
> ever heard in my life if that's what you want.  It's a  lie, but gm 
> starting to feel like the truth doesn't exist any more.
>  
> "Four score and 7 years ago our Father's brought forth a new nation",  or 
> whatever that line is.  The word "New" is annoyingly  pronounced.  I have 
no 
> clue what is wrong with it, it sounds like  [nuwuwuw], rather than [nuw]. 
 
> I'm not sure, it's  just annoying.  My point is, if you are not offering 
an  
> online demo, or anything that people can't try, and if those two  demos 
are 
> the only thing that people hear, and if it won't even have a  dictionary 
> that people can edit how it says words, then, then, then.   Oh good 
grief. 
>  
>  
> SNOOPI BOTTEN 
>  
>  
> In a message dated 1/30/2012 10:31:01 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
> _edbruckert at gmail.com_ (mailto:edbruckert at gmail.com)  writes:
> 
> 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.  
> 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,
> 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.
> 
> On Sun, Jan 29, 2012 at 9:14 PM, Jake McMahan <_mcmahan.jake at gmail.com_ 
> (mailto:mcmahan.jake at gmail.com) >  wrote:
> 
> 
>  
> 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.
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> From: _Dectalk at aol.com_ (mailto:Dectalk at aol.com)  
> Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 9:09 PM
> To: _dectalk at bluegrasspals.com_ (mailto:dectalk at bluegrasspals.com)  
>  
>  
> Subject: Re: [DECtalk] how to do gender change in  Dectalk?
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
>  
> 
> 
> Um, Ed, excuse me but Blake and I both heard the latest MP3 samples  of 
> Dectalk Reader 1.  The speech is not understandable.
>  
>  
> SNOOPI BOTTEN 
>  
>  
> In a message dated 1/29/2012 8:59:14 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
> _musicalman1 at comcast.net_ (mailto:musicalman1 at comcast.net)  writes:
> 
> 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.
> 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?
> 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...
> 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*
> 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!
>  
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> 
> From: _ebruckert Bruckert_ (mailto:edbruckert at gmail.com)  
> To: _DECtalk  Discussions_ (mailto:dectalk at bluegrasspals.com)  
> Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012  9:30 AM
> Subject: Re: [DECtalk] how to  do gender change in Dectalk?
> 
> 
> 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.  
> 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.
>      
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Sun, Jan 29, 2012 at 8:45 AM, <_Dectalk at aol.com_ 
> (mailto:Dectalk at aol.com) > wrote:
> 
> 
> 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.
>  
> 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.   
> 
> 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!
>  
> 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)
>  
> 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!
>  
> 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.
>  
> 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.
>  
>  
> SNOOPI BOTTEN 
>  
>  
> 
>  
> In a message dated 1/28/2012 9:49:19 P.M. Eastern Standard  Time, 
> _beroberts at hughes.net_ (mailto:beroberts at hughes.net)  writes:
> 
> Thanks Alex. That syntax works in both DT 4.4 and  4.3. I did a quick test
> with both versions.  Note to  Snoopi: the female versions of Frank and 
> Dennis
> sound odd. I  think breathiness will need to be changed with the br  
command
> for best results.
> Blake
> 
> -----Original  Message-----
> From: _dectalk-bounces at bluegrasspals.com_ 
> (mailto:dectalk-bounces at bluegrasspals.com) 
> [mailto:_dectalk-bounces at bluegrasspals.com_ 
> (mailto:dectalk-bounces at bluegrasspals.com) ] On Behalf  Of Alex H.
> Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2012 9:06 PM
> To:  DECtalk Discussions
> Subject: Re: [DECtalk] how to do gender  change in Dectalk?
> 
> sorry, [:nf][:dv sx 0] should do  it.
> 
> On 1/28/12, Alex H. <_linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com_ 
> (mailto:linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com) > wrote:
> >  [:sx 0]
> >
> > On 1/28/12, Blake Roberts <_beroberts at hughes.net_ 
> (mailto:beroberts at hughes.net) > wrote:
> >> Hi  all,
> >> Snoopi asked me to pose a question to the  listserv. He knows about 
> >> the gender change command,  sx. Does it work in DT 4.4? If so, what is 
> >> the  correct syntax?
> >> Snoopi wants to program the song  Emotion by The Bee Gees using a 
> >> breathy female  Frank or Dennis. I know that may sound funny, but it  
> >> is a serious thing. If anyone knows how to change  Frank or Dennis to 
> >> female, please share. I figure  someone on here probably does. 
> >> Alternatively, if  anyone else wants to program a female Frank or 
> >>  Dennis version of the song, Snoopi is willing to do the mixing  with 
> >> music after fixing any phoneems that may be  incorrect. He is waiting 
> >> for his communication  device to be repaired, so Snoopi will not be 
> >> able  to program the song for about a month.
> >>  Blake
> >>  Blake
> >>
> >
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