11 Nov
2007
11 Nov
'07
10:18 p.m.
So I like early speech synthesis. I like DEC stuff. I've got a
couple forms of the DECTalk boxes (the portable, the ISA card.) I'd
like the DTC-01 unit, the one that sort of looks like a VX2000
terminal. They come up on ebay every other week or so and end up
selling for well over $100.
Who's buying these things? Are they popular with collectors? Or are
they still being used in the disability care industry?
11 Nov
11 Nov
10:35 p.m.
On 11 Nov 2007 at 16:18, Jason T wrote:
So I like early speech synthesis. I like DEC stuff.
I've got a
couple forms of the DECTalk boxes (the portable, the ISA card.) I'd
like the DTC-01 unit, the one that sort of looks like a VX2000
terminal. They come up on ebay every other week or so and end up
selling for well over $100.
Do you have the S100 Computalker? The demo tape for that thing
cracked me up.
Cheers,
Chuck
11:11 p.m.
On 11/11/07, Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
Do you have the S100 Computalker? The demo tape for
that thing
cracked me up.
I do not. The only other speech box I've got (aside from those that
went with game systems like the Intellivision or computers like the
TI99/4a) is a non-op Votrax Type'n'Talk, which I remember fondly from
old magazines in my C64 days.
Has anyone put the audio file online of the demo tape?
12 Nov
12 Nov
1:16 a.m.
On 11 Nov 2007 at 17:11, Jason T wrote:
Has anyone put the audio file online of the demo tape?
Found it: http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/computalker.htm
Have fun!
Chuck
2:49 a.m.
Chuck Guzis wrote:
On 11 Nov 2007 at 17:11, Jason T wrote:
I was going to ask you why it cracked you up until I heard the
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/computalker4-text2speech.wav example
-- holy crud, I couldn't understand a single word!
The digitized examples (Kennedy, etc.) weren't that much better
either... I wonder, with modern computers making the FFT analysis, could
the computalker produce intelligible output? I can only assume that the
original analysis was limited by the speed of its day.
--
Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/
Has anyone put the audio file online of the demo
tape?
Found it: http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/computalker.htm
5:25 a.m.
On 11 Nov 2007 at 20:49, Jim Leonard wrote:
The digitized examples (Kennedy, etc.) weren't
that much better
either... I wonder, with modern computers making the FFT analysis, could
the computalker produce intelligible output? I can only assume that the
original analysis was limited by the speed of its day.
I don't know--the CT was a strange board. I do recall at one point
having a Votrax Type'n'Talk RS-232 text-to-speech box installed on a
terminal. To this day, I still say "ok" (rhymes with "sock")... ;)
Cheers,
Chuck
9:03 a.m.
On Sun, 2007-11-11 at 20:49 -0600, Jim Leonard wrote:
Chuck Guzis wrote:
It's not surprising if they used the same mikes and mike technique to
record the initial samples as they did to record the demo tape. Listen
to the "Technical Details" samples - *TUUUH*echnical *DDDUUUUUHH*etails
(it's quite hard to describe thermonuclear explosion breath pops in
ASCII). I know that the codec used in TI's stuff was particularly
susceptible to background noise.
Gordon
On 11 Nov 2007 at 17:11, Jason T wrote:
I was going to ask you why it cracked you up until I heard the
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/computalker4-text2speech.wav example
-- holy crud, I couldn't understand a single word!
The digitized examples (Kennedy, etc.) weren't that much better
either... I wonder, with modern computers making the FFT analysis, could
the computalker produce intelligible output? I can only assume that the
original analysis was limited by the speed of its day. Has anyone put the audio file online of the demo
tape?
Found it: http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/computalker.htm 
10:33 p.m.
On Sun, 11 Nov 2007, Jim Leonard wrote:
Chuck Guzis wrote:
I know / work with some people who talk that poorly.
"wwhoo wow wooo ooom wooowowo..."
--
David Griffith
dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu
A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?
On 11 Nov 2007 at 17:11, Jason T wrote:
I was going to ask you why it cracked you up until I heard the
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/computalker4-text2speech.wav example
-- holy crud, I couldn't understand a single word! Has anyone put the audio file online of the demo
tape?
Found it: http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/computalker.htm
13 Nov
13 Nov
5:51 a.m.
David Griffith wrote:
On Sun, 11 Nov 2007, Jim Leonard wrote:
I found some more examples of the DECTalk, as well as some other
examples (the Vodor is especially interesting, being controlled by
humans): http://festvox.org/history/klatt.html
--
Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/
Chuck Guzis wrote:
I know / work with some people who talk that poorly. On 11 Nov 2007 at 17:11, Jason T wrote:
I was
going to ask you why it cracked you up until I heard the
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/computalker4-text2speech.wav example
-- holy crud, I couldn't understand a single word! Has anyone put the audio file online of the demo
tape?
Found it: http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/computalker.htm 
12 Nov
12 Nov
11:33 p.m.
Sounds to me like a drunken version of Prof. Stephen Hawkins old speech thingy. I believe
he got a more modern one a few years ago.
My dad has seen him a couple of times in Cambridge (UK) - we live 5 miles from the
outskirts of the city.
Anyway, about the sample...
I thought I caught the odd word here and there, but it could just be my imagination.
Regards,
Andrew B
aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk
Jim Leonard <trixter at oldskool.org> wrote: Chuck Guzis wrote:
On 11 Nov 2007 at 17:11, Jason T wrote:
I was going to ask you why it cracked you up until I heard the
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/computalker4-text2speech.wav example
-- holy crud, I couldn't understand a single word!
Has anyone put the audio file online of the demo
tape?
Found it: http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/computalker.htm 
11:57 p.m.
In article <926668.58454.qm at web23413.mail.ird.yahoo.com>,
Andrew Burton <aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk> writes:
Anyway, about the sample...
I thought I caught the odd word here and there, but it could just be my imagi
nation.
It took me a while until I figured out it was speech'ing the
Gettysburg Address.
I was going to ask you why it cracked you up until I
heard the
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/computalker4-text2speech.wav example
-- holy crud, I couldn't understand a single word!
--
"The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download
<http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/download/index.html>
Legalize Adulthood! <http://blogs.xmission.com/legalize/>
15 Nov
15 Nov
9:06 a.m.
Kevin Handy wrote:
Richard wrote:
I'd say Festival is only marginally better than DecTalk. Festival is
free, and it shows :-)
--
Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/
It took me a while until I figured out it was
speech'ing the
Gettysburg Address.
Having only seen someone play with a DecTalk a long time ago,
how well does it's speech quality compare with the 'festival'
program (available on many Linux systems)? 
12 Nov
12 Nov
4:21 p.m.
On Nov 11, 2007, at 6:11 PM, Jason T wrote:
I've got one of those too. That's a fun box. :-)
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
Farewell Ophelia, 9/22/1991 - 7/25/2007
Do you have
the S100 Computalker? The demo tape for that thing
cracked me up.
I do not. The only other speech box I've got (aside from those that
went with game systems like the Intellivision or computers like the
TI99/4a) is a non-op Votrax Type'n'Talk, which I remember fondly from
old magazines in my C64 days. 
11 Nov
11 Nov
10:35 p.m.
On 11/11/07 22:18, "Jason T" <silent700 at gmail.com> wrote:
So I like early speech synthesis. I like DEC stuff.
I've got a
couple forms of the DECTalk boxes (the portable, the ISA card.) I'd
like the DTC-01 unit, the one that sort of looks like a VX2000
terminal. They come up on ebay every other week or so and end up
selling for well over $100.
Who's buying these things? Are they popular with collectors? Or are
they still being used in the disability care industry?
I used to do field service for the DEC stuff at Alcan in the UK, they were a
big DECtalk user so maybe they still are? I wouldn't mind one either but I'm
just biding my time and assuming one is going to fall out of the sky in
front of me :)
Also, didn't the DTC-01 use the same case as the VT240, DECmux, DEREP and
DEREN?
--
Adrian/Witchy
Binary Dinosaurs creator/curator
Www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk - the UK's biggest private home computer
collection?
10:47 p.m.
Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 22:35:42 +0000> From: witchy
at binarydinosaurs.co.uk> To: cctalk at classiccmp.org> Subject: Re: Who keeps
buying DECTalks?> > On 11/11/07 22:18, "Jason T" <silent700 at
gmail.com> wrote:> > > So I like early speech synthesis. I like DEC stuff.
I've got a> > couple forms of the DECTalk boxes (the portable, the ISA card.)
I'd> > like the DTC-01 unit, the one that sort of looks like a VX2000> >
terminal. They come up on ebay every other week or so and end up> > selling for well
over $100.> > > > Who's buying these things? Are they popular with
collectors? Or are> > they still being used in the disability care industry?>
> I used to do field service for the DEC stuff at Alcan in the UK, they were a> big
DECtalk user so maybe they still are? I wouldn't mind one either but I'm> just
biding my time and assuming one is going to fall out of the sky in> front of me :)>
> Also, didn't the DTC-01 use the same case as the VT240, DECmux, DEREP and>
DEREN?> > -- > Adrian/Witchy> Binary Dinosaurs creator/curator>
Www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk - the UK's biggest private home computer> collection?
Yes, the DTC-01 has the same case as the VT240 ... I have both of them.
And yes, the DTC-01 was/is popular. I remember I bought my DTC-01 also on
eBay a few years ago for $150. That seemed fair to me. The shipping cost from
the US to The Netherland bit me. Even worse, Customs picked my parcel out
of all the stuff, and I had to pay taxes. Not over the $150, but I also had to
pay taxes over the shipping cost! The bastards!
Henk.
10:39 p.m.
At 4:18 PM -0600 11/11/07, Jason T wrote:
So I like early speech synthesis. I like DEC stuff.
I've got a
couple forms of the DECTalk boxes (the portable, the ISA card.) I'd
like the DTC-01 unit, the one that sort of looks like a VX2000
terminal. They come up on ebay every other week or so and end up
selling for well over $100.
Who's buying these things? Are they popular with collectors? Or are
they still being used in the disability care industry?
I suspect they're being purchased by dealers. I'd like one, but
haven't been willing to shell out the $$$'s.
Zane
--
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Administrator |
| healyzh at aracnet.com (primary) | OpenVMS Enthusiast |
| MONK::HEALYZH (DECnet) | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| PDP-10 Emulation and Zane's Computer Museum. |
| http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ |
12 Nov
12 Nov
11:09 p.m.
I suspect they're being purchased by dealers.
I'd like one, but
haven't been willing to shell out the $$$'s.
I would have thought most dealers would only pay top dollar for something
if they already have a market for it (it would be very unwise to
speculate on something like this, and dealers who stay in business are
not unwise).
So presumably there is a market for them somewhere.
-tony
3:36 p.m.
Jason T (silent700 at gmail.com)
Who's buying these things? Are they popular with
collectors? Or are
they still being used in the disability care industry?
You don't say which models you're talking about, but the DECtalk Express
and DTPC1/2 (ISA card versions) are popular with blind people. My wife in
particular would really love to have an Express. She has a couple of
DTPC1s, though - if you have an extra DECtalk Express, I might be able to
talk her into a swap.
Bob Armstrong
6261
days inactive
6265
days old
19 comments
14 participants
participants (14)
-
aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk -
ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk -
bob＠jfcl.com -
cclist＠sydex.com -
dgriffi＠cs.csubak.edu -
gordonjcp＠gjcp.net -
healyzh＠aracnet.com -
henk.gooijen＠hotmail.com -
kth＠srv.net -
legalize＠xmission.com -
mcguire＠neurotica.com -
silent700＠gmail.com -
trixter＠oldskool.org -
witchy＠binarydinosaurs.co.uk