[DECtalk] how to do gender change in Dectalk?

Dectalk at aol.com Dectalk at aol.com
Mon Jan 30 13:39:09 EST 2012


Still, there should be a dictionary included to change how words are  
pronounced.
 
 
SNOOPI BOTTEN 
 
 
In a message dated 1/30/2012 1:31:24 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
bmisch2002 at gmail.com writes:

i heard  these samples on klango a month ago and they sounded better than 
that DECtalk  sample that was out early last year.   


On Jan 30, 2012, at 12:28 PM, _Dectalk at aol.com_ (mailto:Dectalk at aol.com)  
wrote:



After posting the link I tried it myself.  I think these files  were 
updated because I'm now understanding them at 100 percent.   However, "New" still 
sounds like "Moo", but this is releasable.  I  actually like it now.  Wow!  
I never thought you guys would pull  it off!  I hope you fix "New", and the 
"H" in "Hurricane" is too  long, but this is damn good now.
 
 
SNOOPI BOTTEN 
 
 
In a message dated 1/30/2012 12:15:09 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
_Dectalk at aol.com_ (mailto:Dectalk at aol.com)  writes:

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_ (mailto: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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