Does anyone have a TI99 text to speech setup? \ VOGONS

Does anyone have a TI99 text to speech setup?

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First post, by lowlytech

Posted on 2018-12-24, 15:51

lowlytech Offline

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Have been looking for a way to enter words and have a way to record them where they sound like the speak and spell units using TI text to speech. I have googled and found some extended basic programs, speech editor, etc., but still it leaves me more questions than answers on how to do this. Other than being cool, I mainly want to have a phrase spoken that can be recorded to a WAV file that I can use for a project.
Anyone here ever accomplished anything like this before?

Reply 1 of 5, by Sune Salminen

Posted on 2018-12-24, 17:11

Sune Salminen Offline

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I don't know if there are any emulators for the Speak and Spell or if there is a TI-99 emulator where you can use the speech cartridge. Maybe MAME will work. If you're not fussy about getting the exact TI sound, you could run software like "Sam's Reciter" under C64 or Apple II emulation or you could use MinivMac and the old Mac OS software speech synthesizer. Amiga Workbench also had one.

I found this - didn't test it though:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DecTalk/comments/3z9 … structions_etc/

You can use Audacity to record whatever your PC is playing.

Last edited by Sune Salminen on 2018-12-26, 06:01. Edited 2 times in total.

Reply 2 of 5, by lowlytech

Posted on 2018-12-25, 17:50

lowlytech Offline

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Thanks for the info. The links you provided do indeed go to good places to download the Dectalk program that you can type your own text and it reads it back in that nice retro like voice. It worked for me on win10/x64 with no issues. There is even an option to export it to WAV right from the program. You were right however, the voice doesn't match that early 80's speak and spell voice. I found this

http://www.groovezing.com/en/plugins/speaknspell80.php

It looks promising but it speaks of using a host program and a MIDI setup, neither of which I have. I am basically just wanting the phrase "Welcome to Flashback" as a WAV file that I can play on my arcade front end when it boots up.

Reply 3 of 5, by Sune Salminen

Posted on 2018-12-26, 03:58

Sune Salminen Offline

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I know just the thing. Get VSTHost (it's free) and run the Speak and Spell VST inside it:
http://www.hermannseib.com/english/vsthost.htm
VSTHost has a virtual MIDI keyboard that you can play with your mouse or computer keyboard.

Reply 4 of 5, by lowlytech

Posted on 2018-12-26, 04:37

lowlytech Offline

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Awesome. I got VSTHost and got the plugin loaded and have it saying words. However it looks like I can only pick from preselected words. I wonder if there is a way I can program a new word? The included words include "welcome" and "to", just need to figure out how to program the word "flashback".

Reply 5 of 5, by Sune Salminen

Posted on 2018-12-26, 05:46

Sune Salminen Offline

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Yeah, it's basically a sample player of the entire vocabulary of the Speak and Spell. Still, pretty cool!

You can use Audacity (free audio editor) to splice other words and sounds together to get "flashback". It should be possible, but it will take some time to get it right 😁

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