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

Wed Jun 26 05:47:58 EDT 2019

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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