Hello...

[Doug Sutherland]

Doubletalk has commands. At the device level, as interpreted over 
the serial connection to the chipset, commands are embedded in 
the text stream, identified by a CTRL-A or ASCII character 01.
This indicates a command will follow, and they are:

T - Text Mode - Places the synth in text operating mode as 
opposed to character mode, reading words insteads of letters

nT - Text Mode Delay - adds a pause between words. A zero
value for n is normal speech, other values cause longer pause.
The value of n can be 0 to 15.

C - Character Mode - Places the synth is character operating 
mode instead of text mode, reading letters one at a time rather
than whole words

nC - Character Mode Delay - adds a pause between letters.
A zero value is normal speech, other values cause longer pause.
The value of n can be 0 to 15.

D - Phoneme Mode - Disables the text-to-phonetics translator
allowing direct access to phonemes. Allows you to specify 
words in phonemes, example computer is k ax m p yy uw dx er

nS - Speed - Sets the speech speed. Default value of n is 5, 
range of speed is 0 to 13.

nO - Voice - Selects a preset voice. There are eleven preset 
voices, default voice is 0, range of n is 0 to 10.

nA - Articulation - Changes the voice from slurred 0 to choppy 9.
Default value of n is 5, range from 0 to 9.

nE - Expression - Intonation or variation in pitch within phrase.
Value of 0 for n is no intonation, range from 0 to 9.

M - Monotone - Disables intonation

nF - Formant Frequency - Adjust overall frequency response 
over the range of 0 to 99, default value 50.

nP - Pitch - Adjust pitch over range of 0 to 99, default value 50.

nT - Tone - Adjust tone over range 0 to 2, where 0 is bass 
setting, 1 is normal, and 2 is treble

nR - Add reverberation, where 0 is no reverb, range 0 to 9.

nV - Volume range 0 to 9 default 5.

There are additional commands for punctuation filtering, exception
dictionary, recording and playback of audio thru ADC (if functon
available on your chipset, and a few other control commands. 
Details are in the chipset datasheet, these are for RC8660.

Again, this is device level commands, what is available is driver
level may differ. An API (application programming interface) 
can be made such that CTL-A 5V (set volume to level 5) can
be coded as setVolume(5) or any other syntax as the coder
may desire, or these commands can be inserted into any ASCII
stream by using the CTRL-A (ASCII 0) to insert a command.

In the case of software like speakup, since it supports many 
different synths, it has its own commands, which at the driver
level in speakup translate to the native commands of the synth.
The above are the native commands of RC8660 doubletalk
chip. It is quite a lot of fun to play with these commands and 
its possible to make many different voices.

  -- Doug


 


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gaijin" <gaijin at clearwire.net>
To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 2:08 PM
Subject: Re: Hello...


> ace wrote:
> > if your budget allows, you should probably purchase a DoubleTalk LT 
> 
>      Now I just heard something about the DoubleTalk...something about
> it having some kind of command language.  Is this anything like the
> Hayse AT modem command set?  That would rock.  Especially if I can issue
> commands from a script, and perhaps have it say things I don't care to
> clutter up the screen with.  I loved Redhat's init scripts during
> boot-up, where the message results were something like "Pass" and
> "Fail."  Would be nice to have that in Slackware.  Real sanitary.
> Buying a synth will be no problem.  !Finding! one is another. <laughs>
> I'm still stuck with the demo version of Win-Eyes, and it's a bear
> trying to find anything useful, let alone keeping the same train of
> thought. <grins>  Just had to reboot between this sentence and the last. 
>   I'm !dying! to get back to Linux.  Could you tell me a bit more about 
> the DoubleTalk, or point me in the right direction?  If it works with 
> SpeakUp in Slackware, I'll buy it in a heartbeat.  Just spent three 
> weeks trying to find someone selling a DecTalk Express, only to find 
> that Internet Explorer was getting in the way.  My afore-mentioned 
> friend showed me that Firefox was better, and I found Artic 
> Technologies, only my stoopid Cricket phone won't connect me. <roflmao> 
>   I keep getting a fast-busy signal until after hours.  Haven't been 
> able to get through ever since. <sighs>  Life in the Mighty Metropolis 
> of Delhi, California...armpit of the state. <grins>
>      Any opions on hardware speech synthesizers will be gratefully 
> accepted.  A URL where they can be bought is welcomed, too.  Thanks 
> guys, for all the help.  This is the kind of effort I can feel proud to 
> join.  Helping the blind (and myself) sounds like a much worthier cause.
> 
>          Michael
> 
> 
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