plgDavid
Offline
Montreal

Hello

The research behind our upcoming chipspeech product led us to develop a great interest on the different versions of the CPU and Speech ROMS (VSMs) that were shipped in the various revisions of the US speak and Spell. Earlier versions had bugs and a different word list than the final ones.

We (me and a few other researchers) so far have collected three different word list/roms for the main US Speak and Spell, but we feel there might be more than that out there.

We are looking specifically for the earliest "Buttons" versions that have date codes in 1978 and early 1979.
If you have one with a membrane keyboard, do not bother.

How to get the date code:

Whether or not it is circuit bent or broken makes little difference to us.
This is for research that will be published, not for inclusion in the software.

Thanks!

Last edited by plgDavid (Jul 28, 2014 5:19 pm)

plgDavid
Offline
Montreal

As an example an early Speak & Spell built-in word was removed in later releases for obvious reasons.

I'll let you guess what it really was.
http://plogue.com/davidv/chipspeech/sns … render.wav

Last edited by plgDavid (Jul 28, 2014 5:13 pm)

Jazzmarazz
Offline
Michigan

is it freak?

plgDavid
Offline
Montreal
Jazzmarazz wrote:

is it freak?

Yes, it indeed  _sounds_ like freak, but that's not the word they encoded.
They recorded and encoded "SHRIEK", but LPC being what it is, out of context and 'blind' you can hear other things. smile

They have changed/removed/disqualified bunch of words this way, this is part of the story we want to document.

kineticturtle
Offline
Matthew Joseph Payne

I used to have some and don't anymore, wish I did so I could help. This is awesome!

plgDavid
Offline
Montreal
kineticturtle wrote:

I used to have some and don't anymore, wish I did so I could help. This is awesome!

I have two "Buttons" unit so far. the problem is the date-code being relatively small and embossed, its hard to tell from eBay pictures alone. The best would be to get access to a first 'test' run unit.

8BIT KIDD
Offline
New Zealand

mine is a homonym heros speak and spell made for nz and australia market
the date code is MTA0380

plgDavid
Offline
Montreal

Thanks KIDD.
Interesting Item.  Does it have the British voice or the US voice?
(note: I Know Homonym Heroes is an US cart and as such has the US accent)

Last edited by plgDavid (Jul 28, 2014 11:48 pm)

8BIT KIDD
Offline
New Zealand

it has a u.s voice, when it pronounce's "W" it sounds way fucking crazy

at the moment it is in peices as it needed a clean up, if you want me to send any photos etc i am happy to oblige

Last edited by 8BIT KIDD (Jul 28, 2014 11:51 pm)

plgDavid
Offline
Montreal

It's OK, if its a non-membrane SNS with Manuf date of anything in 1980, means its the mass produced bug fixed, standard 2x16KB Speech roms.
(note a bit later the membrane had only 1x16KB speech rom. thus roughly half of the number of built in words)

nordloef
Offline
sweden

MTA3080

plgDavid
Offline
Montreal

Thanks but still 1980, anyone else has a  1979 or 1978(best) unit?