[DECtalk] a physical game powered by speech synthesis

[Don]

On 3/1/2021 9:02 PM, Blake Roberts wrote:
> Two years ago, I recorded myself playing a 30-year old game which relies on
> speech synthesis. It's not a computer game, but instead, an actual device.
> Although Passport to the World came with a game board and pieces, the talking
> part is enough to play.
>
> I don't recall sharing my recording here before.  I am doing so now. I don't
> know what text-to-speech technology was used as the game voice. However, I have
> always found over the decades that the voice sounds realistic to my ears.

Likely TI's LPC technology.  IIRC, also used in things like Speak 'n' Spell.

The VOTRAX and SSI synthesizers were also available, at that time.  As was
National's Digitalker.

KlattTalk/MITalk/DECtalk was a different approach -- moving the signal
generation entirely into the software domain.