Digitalker Information

[Pete Turnbull]

On 31/01/2008 16:27, Jim Brain wrote:

> On a related topic, someone is offering to trade me some GI SP0256-AL2 
> ICs for equipment here.  Assuming I can get the DIGITALKER working, I do 
> remember that it always had issues in that there was a limit to the 
> vocabulary.

Yes, it uses digitised speech, so you're limited to the words and word 
parts that are addressable in the ROMs.  There were two standard ROMs in 
the kits, and a few others available at one time.  I assume there was 
information on how to digitise your own, but I've never seen it.  It was 
quite good quality, though.

The Texas TMS5200NL was a bit more versatile in that it was possible to 
provide your own data, but I don't think it was easy.  It normally used 
special serial ROMs.  Better quality; you could actually make it sing.

   I always wanted to build a SC-01 or SP0256 phenome-based
> system to compare.  Does anyone have experience in one or the other and 
> can relate whether it's worth it to get an SP0256

The SP0256 sounds very robotic compared to the NS and Texas devices. 
The SC-01 is reputedly better (variable pitch, for one thing) but I've 
not got much experience of either.  I've not used any of the more modern 
chips, but there are a few out there.

-- 

Pete						Peter Turnbull
						Network Manager
						University of York