2015-03-01 23:25:33

hello,
severalv years ago, model talker was used to create 2 freeware text to speech voices, "cody" and "jake" (the ladder after jake McMahan). however, they were only available through a defunct ftp site run by a friend of mine.
If anyone has these voices, could they post a link? also, where can I find flexvoice? that (not to be confused with flextalk) was the successor to text assist. mindmaker, the company who created it, doesn't exist any longer. If anyone knows where flex voice can be downloaded, let me know.

be a hero and stop Coppa now!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dkm … DkWZ8/edit
-id software, 1995

2015-03-02 05:54:33

Hello.
Well I don't have any idea about those TTS voices, but, if you have the web address of that FTP site, maybe archive.org can bring back the files for you, maybe.

All the best,
Adel, Akbari.

2015-03-04 01:07:07

What is Archive.org? Did you try the Layback machine? I never heard the flex talk or flex voice, so I don't know what they sound like.

Ulysses, KJ7ERC
She/they
Reedsy

2015-03-05 20:46:33

Archive.org is the site that runs the wayback machine, so it's the same thing.
Speaking of Model Talker, whatever happened to that project?

The glass is neither half empty nor half full. It's just holding half the amount it can potentially hold.

2015-03-06 01:39:51

The last time I tried to use it, which was years ago, it wasn't very usable. Before you could even get started creating your voice, you had to calibrate your microphone, and that process relied on purely visual feedback.

2015-03-13 22:47:05

Yeah, I remember that. I did manage to make a voice, but unfortunately, it was rejected, because there was too much background noise. There was hissing and other things from my mic, which really wasn't surprising, given that it was a cheap, crappy $10 headset from Wal-Mart. But I digress. I wish it would have stayed around longer, because I think it had a lot of potential.

The glass is neither half empty nor half full. It's just holding half the amount it can potentially hold.

2015-03-16 00:33:31

I have played with moddle talker once and it wasn't very accessable.

2015-03-16 01:00:55

No, but once you started with the recordings, I remember it being doable. It wasn't really worth it in the end, since my voice wasn't accepted, but it killed some idle time I had, anyway.

The glass is neither half empty nor half full. It's just holding half the amount it can potentially hold.

2016-04-27 01:18:37

Hello:
I am Jake McMahan, voice of "jake".  I do happen to have this voice lying around, but it sounds awful.  If you want it, just let me know.

2016-04-27 19:16:34

Hello sir.
Well if this voice can be used with a screenreader as being a SAPI voice then I'd be interested to give it a look if you don't mind uploading it, since it is free.

2016-04-27 20:30:11

I'd love to have it, too. I did manage to get the cody voice as well, but before I could even upload it to my dropbox, I accidentally deleted the installed. I'll have to get it again from shaun who gave it to me in the first place

be a hero and stop Coppa now!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dkm … DkWZ8/edit
-id software, 1995

2016-04-27 22:28:34

@ammericandad2005 if you managed to get that, I'd like to see it as well. But first how's the quality of these voices since they seem recorded by individuals? Is it in first place a natural voice or a compressed one? How much is each one's size?

2016-04-27 23:27:36

quality is a mixed bag. sure it's no cereproc but it's still better than Toshiba's (admitidly horrible) text to speech.H

be a hero and stop Coppa now!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dkm … DkWZ8/edit
-id software, 1995

2016-04-28 15:16:00

Is it sapi5 voices?

2016-04-28 17:57:24

yes.

be a hero and stop Coppa now!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dkm … DkWZ8/edit
-id software, 1995

2016-04-29 05:19:11

ah, if you found it, I want it also.

2016-04-29 23:16:17

here is the cody voice.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/k2ygiocc9aiwx … e.exe?dl=0

be a hero and stop Coppa now!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dkm … DkWZ8/edit
-id software, 1995

2016-04-30 10:02:45

wow, thanks for the link.

2016-04-30 18:43:02

your welcome!

be a hero and stop Coppa now!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dkm … DkWZ8/edit
-id software, 1995

2016-05-01 09:12:41

I used to have the Flex Voice demo, though I don't think I have it anymore. It was fun, think of it as like a take on Dectalk, though sound quality is different. It could even sing, and the script needed was so similart o Dectalk it wasn't even funny! I got Flexvoice first btw and learned Dectalk afterward. Though Dectalk's singing is imho better for most things.
I managed to find plenty of snapshots of Mindmaker on archive.org, but Flexvoice seems to have its own site which archive.org can't seem to display. I didn't really dig that deep into it, if anyone else wants to have a go, by all means do it.
Good luck!

Make more of less, that way you won't make less of more!
If you like what you're reading, please give a thumbs-up.

2016-05-01 21:47:11

I hope datajake or someone else manages to get the flexvoice demo. I used to have it as well. but I lost it when I switched email accounts.

be a hero and stop Coppa now!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dkm … DkWZ8/edit
-id software, 1995

2016-05-02 02:03:21

Are you talking about AT&T Flextalk? I think I might still have a CD of it around here somewhere. My parents gave it to me for my birthday in 1998.

2016-05-02 02:09:26

I'm talking about a different tts engine, flex voice by mindmaker. as I mentioned in post 1, it was the successor to text assist.

be a hero and stop Coppa now!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dkm … DkWZ8/edit
-id software, 1995

2016-05-03 01:28:06

Here is the installer.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/564 … taller.exe
Just a few tips, if you type stuff like shut yo ass up, or stuff like that, it says them funny.  Also try, "if you have a problem with somebody, take it up with them privately.".
Hope you guys enjoy this, despite it's pitfalls

2016-05-03 06:21:29

wow, thanks for the link!

be a hero and stop Coppa now!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dkm … DkWZ8/edit
-id software, 1995