Re: Speech Input/Output on Apple II

[Jeff Blakeney <CUTjblakeney@sympatico.ca>]

On 16 Oct 2005 08:31:28 -0700, aiiadict@gmail.com wrote:

>S.A.M. "Software Automated Mouth" is speech output for the apple II.
>It requires no sound card (it can output through the speaker).  It is
>the only software I have seen before today that would do this.
>
>Echo, Mockingboard, DoubleTalk, Slotbuster were all hardware cards that
>would output speech.  There was a card for the SAM software that would
>improve speech output (d/a converter on a card)
>
>Other voice software:
>ghostbusters had digitized voice
>Bob Bishop did some fun things with digitized voice...
>--B.B. Talking Calculator
>--B.B. Apple Lis'ner (speech recognition through the cassette port, all
>through software)
>--B.B. AppleVisions book, sound record and playback through cassette
>port
>--B.B. AppleVisions book, mentions speech recognition in last chapter,
>through cass. port.

Dung Beetles had speech when you got caught.  ("We got ya!")

The original Castle Wolfenstein had digitized voices but I can't
remember if Return to Castle Wolfenstein did or not.

Sea Dragon had digitized speech at the beginning of the game while
loading the level.  ("Good day, Captain.  Your ship's computer is now
ready.  Please wait while I initialize systems."  Or something to that
effect.  I can't believe I still remember that.  :-)

>Voice input for the Apple II:
>Covox Voice Master:  Connects to game port, recognizes 32 words (more
>if you write your own code to get around the included software
>limitations)
>Voice Input Module: Speech recognition on a card + automated keyboard
>Heuristics H2000: Speech recognition on a card
>Scott Instruments Shadow/VET: Speech Recognition on a card

Steve Ciarcia of Circuit Cellar fame built a speech recognition card
for the Apple II as well and it was published in Byte magazine.  I
believe the card had on board RAM for storing up to 32 words or short
phrases that the user recorded.

>"The Voice" by Muse Software?
>according to Bill Garber:
>"Everything I'm getting from my searches
>tells me "The Voice" also does voice recognition."
>
>I've never heard of this one, but apparently "Lis'ner" by Bob Bishop
>does the same thing.

Never seen either of these ones and I can't say I've seen any other
software only speech recognition systems for the Apple II.  After
having seen how Steve Ciarcia did his I always thought it would be
neat to try to adapt his software to use the Apple IIgs sound hardware
instead.

-- 
 Jeff Blakeney - Dean of the Apple II University in the
                 Apple II Community on Syndicomm.com
 CUT the obvious from my address if you want to e-mail me