Do you miss your old synthesized repeater controller? I do. I decided to build a vocabulary sourced from a late serial Advanced Computer Controls (ACC) RC-850, version 3.8, which utilized a Texas Instruments TMS5220 series speech synthesis chip from the mid-1980s. The vocabulary includes over 700 words, in male and female format, plus the associated sound effects. I also created new words from other word pieces, syllables, prefixes and suffixes, et al. In addition, I created phrases to fit all of the current app_rpt behavior which live in the rpt directory. You’ll find all of these are in 8 kHz ulaw monaural format, ready for Asterisk as a drop-in replacement…:
Inside this ZIP file, you will find everything ready to drop into your sounds folder, presumably /var/lib/asterisk/sounds. I recommend copying/renaming your existing sounds folder to sounds_original or something to that effect.
If you want to create word phrases, simply ‘cat’ words together, as follows: cat inputfile1.ulaw inputfile2.ulaw > outputfile.ulaw.
Do you miss your old synthesized repeater controller? I do. I decided to build a vocabulary sourced from a late serial Advanced Computer Controls (ACC) RC-850, version 3.8. The vocabulary includes over 700 words, in male and female format, plus the associated sound effects. I also created new words from other word pieces, syllables, prefixes and suffixes, et al. In addition, I created phrases to fit all of the current app_rpt behavior which live in the rpt directory. You’ll find all of these are in 8 kHz ulaw monaural format, ready for Asterisk as a drop-in replacement…:
Inside this ZIP file, you will find everything ready to drop into your sounds folder, presumably /var/lib/asterisk/sounds. I recommend copying/renaming your existing sounds folder to sounds_original or something to that effect.
If you want to create word phrases, simply ‘cat’ words together, as follows: cat inputfile1.ulaw inputfile2.ulaw > outputfile.ulaw.
You’re welcome. Please let me know if you find anything I can improve upon. I did the best I could with what I had before me, hopefully it’s palatable.
You’re welcome. I had to get pretty creative with a few items, so it’s not a word-for-word replacement. Let me know if you find anything I could possibly do better with.
I just thought I would give you all a little historical Allstar info. Jim Dixon use to love his DecTalk. I wasn’t a Ham at the time so I don’t know if he ever hooked up a DecTalk to a repeater. You use to have some tongue twister he would say but I don’t remember exactly what is was. It started of with, “If a DECTalk talked what would a DecTALK…"
Hey there guys.
I would like to see something added to othis.
There are 3 controlers I’m wanting to get a vocab dump for which use a similar texas instruments tms chip but do some things different.
first, A CAT1000. The Cat1000 has some interesting atributes including it’s emphesis on the word repeater, the fact it has an evil laugh, the well done message, and there are some other differences in the vocabulary.
Second, the link communications RC series and line of controlers. Uniquely, most of our repeaters use that particular line. Those have an interesting sound atribute to them.
Any other controler that you know of which uses the TMS voice line would be amazing to give a try to.
Also the RCom RC210.
I would be interested in some vocab dumps from those various controlers.
Not to mention I’m trying to build a repeater somehow, but needing the right gear, 440 MHZ repeater. I have two Kenwood Mobile radios. Not sure if I need anything special for them or what I would need but, something which has interested me is running a repeater.
thanks
Brandon KC0USM
And John, Well done!
Hi Brandon, welcome aboard. I hate to disappoint you, but this effort took hours upon hours of work over many days. I chose the ACC vocabulary for the quality it had in the TMS5220. Having owned CAT and RLC controllers as well, I felt that not only was the voice quality inferior on newer TMS versions, but there seemed to be little more to offer than what already came with the ACC. A few words popped up here and there in the other vocabularies, but nothing worth the effort. Unfortunately, I never cared for the SCOM or Arcom vocabulary sets at all; the goal was to capture synthesized speech. I no longer have that kind of time to dedicate to exporting vocabularies anyway, so what you have is all there is.
I’m currently working on doing this with the vocabulary from a CAT 300DXL. Didn’t know their will be any interest in sharing these files! I still have to do some more work on it, but like John said this stuff takes a long time to do.
Hey John.
Well I appreciate that, however if I may I’d like to give you 2 things
which lead me to that.
At one time I had asked a repeater owner, because the 1000 has a
vocabulary that is for my allstar node and what I’m trying to do,
meaning, it has some words in the vocabulary which the rc850 does not
have. I had asked someone if they were willing to record something
for me. They flat out said, you’ll be lucky if anyone will do
something like that. Again this is due to a lack of words needed.
Not even allyson’s voice has that. Though I need to replace her voice
in my node, but with clear node and every time something changes from
the app it rewriting the IAXRPT thing, I don’t know if I could get it
to stick.
Hi Brandon, welcome aboard. I hate to disappoint you, but this effort took
hours upon hours of work over many days. I chose the ACC vocabulary for the
quality it had in the TMS5220. Having owned CAT and RLC controllers as
well, I felt that not only was the voice quality inferior on newer TMS
versions, but there seemed to be little more to offer than what already came
with the ACC. A few words popped up here and there in the other
vocabularies, but nothing worth the effort. Unfortunately, I never cared
for the SCOM or Arcom vocabulary sets at all; the goal was to capture
synthesized speech. I no longer have that kind of time to dedicate to
exporting vocabularies anyway, so what you have is all there is.
Hey Brandon,
I’d love to help anyway I can. Since it seems you have a specific vocabulary you want, would you mind sharing what exactly you would like? I might be able to get you those files long before (and trust me - I mean a long time) I get the full CAT TX Instrument voice. I’ve now put John’s excellent work on my all my
nodes, and I’m fairly certain that I wouldn’t really need to complete my project. They are very similar in voice if not the same chip.
Well Yeah send me a private email at KC0USM@gmail.com. Actually the
chip is slightly different on the 1000. As I am lead to recall. it’s
different in that, it has more complete words and a higher level
vocabulary. You are right about one thing, the work that John put
into that is an undertaking that I thought for a long time no one
would do. The fact he was even able to pull it off is the deffinition
of what I call, Excelent! With a capital E. But yeah send me an
Email to KC0USM@gmail.com
I will then forward you the info.
Thanks
Brandon
Hey Brandon,
I’d love to help anyway I can. Since it seems you have a specific vocabulary
you want, would you mind sharing what exactly you would like? I might be
able to get you those files long before (and trust me - I mean a long time)
I get the full CAT TX Instrument voice. I’ve now put John’s excellent work
on my all my
nodes, and I’m fairly certain that I wouldn’t really need to complete my
project. They are very similar in voice if not the same chip.
Hey to John, k5DVT could you send me your email address where you
could send me the samples. I Heppened to not find the way to access
the thing where I could send you the list. That part is not
accessible to my screen reader so it seems or I’m pressing the wrong
thing. Could you thus just send me your email directly and I’ll send
you the thing I wanted.
Well Yeah send me a private email at KC0USM@gmail.com. Actually the
chip is slightly different on the 1000. As I am lead to recall. it’s
different in that, it has more complete words and a higher level
vocabulary. You are right about one thing, the work that John put
into that is an undertaking that I thought for a long time no one
would do. The fact he was even able to pull it off is the deffinition
of what I call, Excelent! With a capital E. But yeah send me an
Email to KC0USM@gmail.com
I will then forward you the info.
Thanks
Brandon
Hey Brandon,
I’d love to help anyway I can. Since it seems you have a specific
vocabulary
you want, would you mind sharing what exactly you would like? I might be
able to get you those files long before (and trust me - I mean a long
time)
I get the full CAT TX Instrument voice. I’ve now put John’s excellent
work
on my all my
nodes, and I’m fairly certain that I wouldn’t really need to complete my
project. They are very similar in voice if not the same chip.
