Recreate the Votrax Type & Talk?

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RobertBe
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Post by RobertBe »

I wrote:...I will pull out a VIC-20 out of storage here in order to try it out.
With the temperature at the storage being hundreds of degrees, I used a Ray Carlsen-refurbed C64C that was nearby instead.
Ah, the smell of fresh hardware...
First words other than "System ready" and "Hello world" from VIC-VODER's mouth..., "Space the final frontier" :)

Happy 4th of July!
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
July 27-28 Commodore Vegas Expo v9 -
http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex
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orion70
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Post by orion70 »

Reveived mine today and tested untile five minutes ago... I must say I'm veryy happy with it! :D

Rick - PM sent
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RobertBe
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Post by RobertBe »

VIC-VODER will be on exhibit at CommVEx so that all attendees can play with it.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Grou
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
July 27-28 Commodore Vegas Expo v9 -
http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex
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rmelick
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FREE VIC-VODERs to Developers

Post by rmelick »

Dear Friends,

In order to encourage development for VIC-VODER, I would like to offer FREE units to machine language developers willing to publicly commit to the development of two or more applications on a single platform, or a single application on two or more platforms: VIC/64/128. I just don't have the time (or the skills to minimize my time investment). Please publicly reply to the thread on this forum of what you are volunteering for and I will follow up with you via PM for the shipping details. To kick-off the idea generation:
  • - an interrupt-driven, machine language program to vocalize key-presses
    - an interrupt-driven, machine language program to read the screen if a certain key-press sequence is detected (like "Ctrl-F1" or something)
    - an interrupt-driven, machine language clock program that speaks the time
    - a talking calculator program
    - a Morse Code-to-Speech translator for HAM Radio cartridges
    - a program to read sequential text files
    - talking game(s)
    - ...other ideas?
Requirements for you:
1. Commented source code “open sourced
Rick
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Post by Vic20-Ian »

I would like to see a Vic Voder hack for Gorf - "Bad News Space Cahdet"
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brain
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Post by brain »

So, I take it that the hardware-based approach has been discarded?

JIm
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RobertBe
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Post by RobertBe »

The VIC-VODER presentation at yesterday's club meeting was a success! First off, using the sample BASIC program of putting words withing PRINT statements and using a C128 in 40-column mode, I showed off how it could speak, though our treasurer thought the voice could be more natural. ;)

Then our young member, Vincent, tried his hands at it; of course, after awhile he started putting in phrases from cartoon shows and movies and other language that a middle-schooler would use (but no bad language). He amused himself for quite awhile. Our treasurer tried some Spanish on it, even though the VIC-VODER is set for English pronunciation. The VV passably spoke the words (well, it would mispronounce certain English words, too).

The highlight was when we hooked up VV to the VIC-20 and ran Scott Adams' games. First was Adventureland. Very nice! The voice lent more to the atmosphere of the game. Vincent tried going through the game, but we oldsters didn't have the patience to try every command in the parser. Second, we tried The Count. Ah, now we were getting results! We could actually figure out the parser, and it gave us answers that we could use. Again the VV did well. Fun!

In the end, we wondered whether the voice in VIC-VODER could be switched to a different language's pronunciation or even to a feminine voice. Also one member wanted a line-out jack in the unit I had so that the voice could be amplified through bigger speakers (I told him that there are plans to include such a line-out in the next VV run).

Those Scott Adams' games appearing
at CommVEx with VIC-VODER,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
July 27-28 Commodore Vegas Expo v9 -
http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex
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rmelick
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new Kits and Cost Reduced models

Post by rmelick »

That's right Robert, and two new models are being planned that save people a little money:

1. VIC-VODER CR for $65.02: Removes the Amp and Speaker. You will need to self-amplify. (A 3.5mm jack will be exposed to the end user.) The Class 10 SDHC Card will be substituted with something slower. Buyer pays shipping.

2. VIC-VODER KIT for $29.95: This partially assembled kit removes the Pi, Amp and Speaker, LED and SDHC Card. What do you need to do? You will need to supply the Pi. You will need to self-amplify via the 3.5mm jack on your Pi. (A pass-through hole will be supplied to string your audio cable out of the unit to your amplifier.) No SD Card will be furnished. You will need to download the image from the web site and make your own. Buyer pays shipping.

These new models will be in addition to the original $99.95 model (sold today). I encourage anyone interested to contact me to get on the back-order list so I can plan accordingly. Thanks!
Rick
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Muzz73
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Post by Muzz73 »

It certainly was a lot of fun to play with at our Sunday meeting and I will be purchasing one, myself (at some point).

There will be a VIC-20 with the VIC-VODER hooked up to it at CommVEx this weekend and we'll have The Count, Adventure Land and Pirate's Cove plugged in to the Cardboard-6 for all to try.
BCNU,
Louis
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RobertBe
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Post by RobertBe »

Muzz73 wrote:There will be a VIC-20 with the VIC-VODER hooked up to it at CommVEx this weekend and we'll have The Count, Adventure Land and Pirate's Cove plugged in to the Cardboard-6 for all to try.
Oh, Pirate's Cove... Maybe I will be more successful with it than I was with Adventure Land and The Count. ;)

Writing from The Beat Coffeehouse in Las Vegas,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
July 27-28 Commodore Vegas Expo v9 -
http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex
Vic20-Ian
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Post by Vic20-Ian »

Hi Rick,

Vic Voder arrived last week, powered up for quick test ok, full test tomorrow I think!

Thanks.
Ian
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rmelick
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Post by rmelick »

Vic20-Ian wrote:Hi Rick,

Vic Voder arrived last week, powered up for quick test ok, full test tomorrow I think!

Thanks.
Ian
Wow, it took one month to get to you? Thanks for being so patient! I had no idea it would take that long.
Rick
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Post by Vic20-Ian »

No, it took a month for me to get to it. I had 3 weeks on the road in Kuwait and Oman. I got back last weekend bud had to unpack a Vic and a lot of other things to do first.
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Upgrade all new gadgets and mobiles to 3583 Bytes Free today! Ready
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RobertBe
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Post by RobertBe »

Muzz73 wrote:There will be a VIC-20 with the VIC-VODER hooked up to it at CommVEx...
After I did my CommVEx presentation on the VIC-VODER, interested attendees came over and tried the adventure games. Then they tried some programming. Goog even wrote a better BASIC program in which the vocabulary was placed in DATA statements. Ah, that was more efficient.

Writing from the Portland, Oregon area right now,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
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RobertBe
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Post by RobertBe »

I wrote:There will be a VIC-20 with the VIC-VODER hooked up to it at CommVEx...
The video of my CommVEx presentation on the VIC-VODER has been posted at Blip.tv and at YouTube. See http://sleepingelephant.com/ipw-web/bul ... php?t=6630

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
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