Re: Speech Input/Output on Apple II

["Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com>]

aiiadict@gmail.com wrote:
> SAM is text to speech.  You type on the keyboard,
> and SAM will speak the text on the Apple II speaker.
>
> the program in AppleVisions book (Bob Bishop)
> will record and play back audio through the cassette
> ports.
>
> Michael J. Mahon's DAC522 program will do the
> same thing with much better sound quality.
>
> His site:
> http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/

Thanks, Rich!  But DAC522 is output-only.  To digitize
sound on a pre-IIgs Apple to more than 1-bit precision,
you need additional hardware.

The Audex program digitized 1-bit sound using the cassette
input, as did several others, including one from India that
provided a small external box for a microphone input.

I wrote a program to record and play 1-bit sound almost
as soon as I got my first Apple ][+ home from the dealer.
I then used it to implement a hex dump reader.  That way
I could keep my eyes on the listing while the computer
read back what I had typed in.  ;-)

1-bit sound is "infinitely clipped"--pure fuzz tone.  It
is surprisingly intelligible with a little practice, but
most people find it annoying/fatiguing to listen to.  Ham
operators get pretty accustomed to heavy clipping.  ;-)

-michael

Music synthesis for 8-bit Apple II's!
Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/

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