B7. SPEECH SYNTHESIZERS

     Speech synthesizers convert text sent from the host computer 
to a pronunciation code using a combination of dictionaries and 
letter-to-sound rules. Some take into consideration surrounding 
words and their effects on individual pronunciations. There are 
both internal and external speech synthesizers and not all 
externals may be portable. Those generally supported by screen 
access software utilize their own specialized sound cards with 
on-board software. Speech synthesizers employing generic 
multimedia sound cards (eg. SoundBlaster) are not usually 
supported by screen access programs.

     There are not as many digital signal processors (DSPs) as 
there are speech synthesizers. Thus different synthesizers with 
the same DSP may sound much the same, though they will offer 
different features. 

     Some synthesizers generate speech that sounds more natural 
than others (more like a human being than a computer) but this 
should not be the sole criterion in making a purchase. 
Responsiveness, consistency and clarity at different speech rates
are also important considerations in choosing a synthesizer. It 
is particularly important to consider the purpose for which you 
are purchasing a speech synthesizer. If the user is visually 
impaired, the responsiveness of a speech synthesizer may be the 
most important factor, whereas for use as an augmentative 
communication device the more natural the speech sounds the 
better.


I) Internal Speech Synthesizers

  a) Accent ($745 U.S.)
     Aicom Corporation
     (408) 453-8251 
     Canada: Frontier Computing
             (416) 489-6690

     - speech rate adjustable from 60 to 850 words per minute
     - 500 word custom dictionary
     - compatible with most screen reader programs
     - no other information presently available

     System requirements: 286SX, expansion slot


  b) DECtalk ($1195 U.S.) 
     Digital Equipment Corporation
     (617) 897-5111 or (508) 874-423

     - nine different voices (four male, four female, one child)
     - speech rate adjustable from 75 to 650 words per minute
     - large integrated dictionary
     - comprehensive pronunciation rules
     - punctuation control to set pauses, pitch and stress
     - user-specified pronunciation dictionary for commonly used 
          acronyms, trade terms, and special words
     - software volume control
     - compatible with most screen reader programs

     System requirements: 286SX, 20K RAM, DOS MB hard disk space, 
                         DOS 3.3x, expansion slot
     Includes: speaker with volume control and headphone jack 

     (NOTE: Considered by many to have the most pleasing voice 
     quality, the DECtalk is also probably the most complicated 
     speech synthesizer available. Many users report a noticeable 
     lag in response time. Some blind users prefer to sacrifice 
     voice quality for responsiveness.)

 
  c) DoubleTalk PC ($279 U.S.)
     RC Systems, Inc.
     (206) 355-3800

     - supports English or Spanish text
     - accessed as a printer or communications port
     - unlimited vocabulary
     - programmable intonation, pitch, volume, tone, speed, 
          delays, punctuation levels
     - requires no interrupts, DMA, memory or CPU resources
     - supports user exception dictionaries

     System requirements: 286SX, expansion slot
     Includes: external speaker, software
     Available with professional speaker, including volume 
          control and headphone jack ($289 U.S.)


  d) Echo PC II ($99.95 U.S.)
     Echo Speech Corporation
     (805) 684-4593

     - IBM Speech adapter compatible (consult manufacturer)
     - 1,000 word dictionary of commonly used words encoded in
           female voice

     System requirements: 286SX, expansion slot
     Includes: speaker with volume control and headphone jack, 
               text-to-speech software, demonstration software


  e) Keynote Gold PC ($945 U.S.)
     HumanWare Inc.
     1-800-722-3393 or (916) 652-7253

     - rules-based, 256K text-to-speech conversion program
     - 16 pitch levels
     - speech rate adjustable from 50 to 500 words per minute
     - English, Spanish, French and German language options
     - compatible with most screen reader programs

     System requirements: 286SX, expansion slot
     Includes: speaker on card, external volume control  
     Available with one additional language  ($200 U.S.)
     Available with two additional languages ($300 U.S.)


  f) Prose 4000
     Speech Plus Inc.
     (408) 428-3701

     - natural sentence rhythm and intonation
     - speech rate adjustable from 50 to 250 words per minute
     - choice of several male voices
     - choice of punctuation modes
     - user-specified pronunciation dictionary for acronyms and 
          abbreviations 
     - compatible with most screen reader programs

     System requirements: 286SX, expansion slot
     Includes: external Super Speaker


  g) Sounding Board ($395 U.S.)
     GW Micro, Inc. 
     (219) 483-3625

     - internal synthesizer with 16K on-board RAM
     - 10 levels of pitch, volume and speech rate
     - 26 levels of tone
     - interactive hotkeys for entering commands
     - capitalization alert and format alert
     - compatible with most screen reader programs

     System requirements: 286SX, expansion slot
     Includes: external Super Speaker


  h) SynPhonix ($395 U.S.)
     Artic Technologies International, Inc.
     (810) 588-7370
     Canada: Frontier Computing
             (416) 489-6690

     - various settings for rate, pitch and amplitude
     - external volume and treble controls
     - can produce music, sound effects and simulated singing
     - compatible with most screen reader programs

     System requirements: 286SX, expansion slot
     Includes: on-board speaker, external speaker, headphones
     Available Turbo pedals for foot control of fast forward, 
          rewind, review mode and quiet commands ($150 U.S.) 



II) External Speech Synthesizers

  a) Accent SA ($995 U.S.)
     Aicom Corporation
     (408) 453-8251
     Canada: Frontier Computing
             (416) 489-6690

     - portable, battery operated synthesizer
     - see Accent PC (separate entry)
     - speech rate adjustable from 60 to 850 words per minute
     - 500 word custom dictionary can be created
     - compatible with most screen reader programs

     Weight: 2.5 pounds
     Dimensions: 5.7 x 8.5 x 1.6 inches
     System requirements: 286SX, serial port
     Includes: AC adapter


  b) Audaptor ($895 U.S.)
     Personal Data Systems, Inc.
     1-800-426-4832 or (408) 866-1126

     - portable, battery powered synthesizer
     - adjustable speech rate up to 700 words per minute
     - user-specified pronunciation dictionary
     - instant silence control
     - menu control of speech rate, voice, pitch settings 
     - command button, power switch, volume control, audio output 
          jack on front panel
     - compatible with most screen reader programs

     Weight: not known
     Dimensions: 5.5 x 9 x 2.5 inches
     System requirements: 286SX, serial or parallel port
     Includes: AC adapter, built-in speaker
     Available parallel port option add-on ($75 U.S.)
     Available internal battery pack add-on ($75 U.S.)


  c) Braille Lite ($3395 U.S.)
     Blazie Engineering
     Tel: (410) 893-9333

     - 18 cell, refreshable 8-dot Braille display
     - Braille keyboard and simple command structure
     - fully adjustable speech synthesizer with user controlled 
          rate of speech, volume, pitch, tone
     - storage for 800 pages of Braille in up to 77 files (640 
          bytes)
     - Grade 2 Braille back translator for print output
     - talking clock, calendar, telephone directory, calculator, 
          stopwatch
     - word processing capabilities, including spell check
     - one-handed operation mode
     - serial and parallel ports for interfacing
     - available in 11 languages
     - can be used as a stand alone Personal Data Assistant
     - can be used with other computer products and external 
          software to expand capabilities
     - can be used with PC Master^3 or Windows Master^4 to 
          connect with a PC and provide Braille input and speech 
          output

     Weight: 2 pounds
     Dimensions: 8.25 x 5 x 1.75 inches
     System requirements: 286SX, DOS 3.x, Windows 3.x, serial or 
                         parallel port, (for use with a PC)
     Includes: leather carrying case, battery charger/AC adapter, 
               earphone, serial interface cable, print manual, 
               audio cassette tutorial, Braille quick reference 
               guide


  d) Braille 'n Speak ($1299 U.S.)
     Blazie Engineering
     Tel: (410) 893-9333

     - Braille keyboard and simple command structure
     - fully adjustable speech synthesizer with user controlled 
          rate of speech, volume, pitch, tone
     - storage for 800 pages of Braille in up to 77 files (640 
          bytes)
     - Grade 2 Braille back translator for print output
     - talking clock, calendar, telephone directory, calculator, 
          stopwatch
     - word processing capabilities, including spell check
     - one-handed operation mode
     - serial and parallel ports for interfacing
     - available in 11 languages
     - can be used as a stand alone Personal Data Assistant
     - can be used with other computer products and external 
          software to expand capabilities
     - can be used with PC Master^3 or Windows Master^4 to 
          connect with a PC and provide Braille input and speech 
          output
     - supported by many screen reader programs

     Weight: 1 pound
     Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 1.25 inches
     System requirements: 286SX, DOS 3.x, Windows 3.x, serial or 
                         parallel port, (for use with a PC)
     Includes: leather carrying case, battery charger/AC adapter, 
               earphone, serial interface cable, interface kit, 
               print and audio cassette manual, audio cassette 
               tutorial, Braille quick reference guide


  e) DECtalk Express ($1195 U.S.) 
     Digital Equipment Corporation
     (617) 897-5111 or (508) 874-423

     - portable, battery powered synthesizer
     - nine different voices (four male, four female, one child) 
     - speech rate adjustable from 75 to 650 words per minute
     - large integrated dictionary
     - comprehensive pronunciation rules
     - user-specified pronunciation dictionary for commonly used 
          acronyms, trade terms, and special words
     - compatible with most screen reader programs

     Weight: less than 1 pound
     Dimensions: 3.6 x 7.6 x 1.25 inches
     System requirements: 286SX, 25K RAM, serial port 
     Includes: serial port cable, carrying case, volume control,
               headphones, AC adapter, Braille labeling, audio 
               cassette and Braille manual 

     (NOTE: Considered by many to have the most pleasing voice 
     quality, the DECtalk is also probably the most complicated 
     speech synthesizer available. Many users report a noticeable 
     lag in response time. Some blind users prefer to sacrifice 
     voice quality for responsiveness.)


  f) DoubleTalk LT/PC ($310 U.S.)
     RC Systems, Inc.
     (206) 355-3800

     - portable synthesizer
     - speed, pitch, volume, etc. software controlled
     - unlimited vocabulary
     - supports user exception dictionaries
     - programmable intonation, pitch, volume, tone, speed, 
          delays, punctuation levels

     Weight: not known
     Dimensions: not known
     System requirements: 286SX, serial port
     Includes: AC adapter, serial port cable, software


  g) Echo PC ($129.95 U.S.)
     Echo Speech Corporation
     (805) 684-4593

     - portable, battery powered synthesizer
     - on-board microprocessor
     - adjustable speech rate
     - text-to-speech software permanently stored in synthesizer 
          memory
     - compatible with most screen reader programs

     Weight: not known
     Dimensions: not known
     System requirements: 286SX, serial port
     Includes: AC adapter, serial port cable


  h) Keynote Gold Stand Alone ($1245 U.S.)
     HumanWare Inc.
     1-800-722-3393 or (916) 652-7253

     - portable, battery powered synthesizer
     - see Keynote Gold PC (separate entry)
     - rules-based, 256K text-to-speech conversion program
     - 16 pitch levels
     - speech rate adjustable from 50 to 500 words per minute
     - English, Spanish, French and German language options
     - compatible with most screen reader programs

     Weight: 1.5 pounds
     Dimensions: 8 x 4 x 1.2 inches
     System requirements: 286SX, serial port
     Includes: AC adapter, serial port cable, headphone jack, 
               volume control
     Available with one additional language  ($200 U.S.)
     Available with two additional languages ($300 U.S.)


  i) LiteTalk ($495 U.S.)
     MicroTalk
     (903) 832-3471

     - cassette demo of speech available 
     - portable, battery powered synthesizer
     - connects to serial or parallel port
     - batteries provide a full-day's work on a single charge
     - batteries can be charged while unit is in use
     - on/off/volume thumb wheel control flush with unit's case 
          to prevent accidental activation while storing or 
          transporting
     - compatible with most screen reader programs

     Weight: less than 1 pound
     Dimensions: 2 x 3 x 6 inches
     System requirements: 286SX, serial or parallel port
     Includes: serial and parallel cables, AC power adapter,
               built in speaker, built in rechargeable batteries,
               earphone jack, manual on disk


  j) Multivoice ($1500 U.S.)
     Institute on Applied Technology

     - portable synthesizer
     - similar to DECtalk (see separate entry)
     - no other information presently available

     Weight: not known
     Dimensions: not known
     System requirements: 286SX, serial port


  k) SmarTalk ($369 U.S.)
     Automated Functions, Inc.
     (703) 536-7741

     - portable, battery powered synthesizer
     - can be connected directly to computer without cables
     - automatically turns on and off with computer
     - speech rate adjustable up to 500 words per minute
     - built-in rewind, fast forward and skip functions  
     - rapid keyboard command response
     - quick silence function
     - tactile headphone and power connector indicators
     - battery provides 25 hours continuous speech
     - automatic spoken low battery indication
     - supports most screen reader programs

     Weight: 6 ounces
     Dimensions: 4.5 x 2.75 x 1 inches
     System requirements: 286SX, parallel port
     Includes: stereo headphones, AC adapter, 18" cable,
               6' cable, parallel interface card, built-in 
               speaker, manual, text-to-speech software


  l) Speak-Out ($640 U.S.)
     GW Micro, Inc. 
     (219) 483-3625

     - portable, battery powered synthesizer
     - 10 levels of pitch, volume and speech rate
     - 26 levels of tone
     - interactive hotkeys for entering commands
     - battery charger automatically shuts down when fully 
          charged
     - voice menu system to control settings on front panel
     - compatible with most screen reader programs

     Weight: 1 pound, excluding charger
     Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.5 x 5.25 inches
     System requirements: 286SX, serial or parallel port, serial 
                         or parallel cable
     Includes: battery charger, built-in speaker


  m) Type 'n Speak ($1395 U.S)
     Blazie Engineering
     Tel: (410) 893-9333

     - standard QWERTY keyboard and simple command structure
     - fully adjustable speech synthesizer with user controlled 
          rate of speech, volume, pitch, tone
     - storage for 300 pages of print (768KB) in file memory, and 
          256KB in program memory
     - talking clock, calendar, telephone directory, calculator, 
          stopwatch
     - word processing capabilities, including spell check
     - one-handed operation mode
     - serial and parallel ports for interfacing
     - available in 11 languages
     - can be used as a stand alone Personal Data Assistant
     - can be used with other computer products and external
          software to expand capabilities
     - can be used with PC Master^3 or Windows Master^4 to 
          connect with a PC and provide typed input and speech 
          output

     Weight: 2 pounds
     Dimensions: 12 x 6 x 1.5 inches
     System requirements: 286SX, DOS 3.x, Windows 3.x, serial or 
                         parallel port, (for use with a PC)
     Includes: leather carrying case, earphone, battery 
               charger/AC adapter, print and disk manual, audio 
               cassette tutorial


  n) TransPort ($895 U.S.)
     Artic Technologies International, Inc.
     (810) 588-7370
     Canada: Frontier Computing
             (416) 489-6690

     - portable, battery powered synthesizer
     - compact, fits in pocket
     - compatible with most screen reader programs
     - no other information presently available

     Weight: 1 pound
     Dimensions: not known
     System requirements: 286SX, serial port
     Available with Business Vision permanently stored in
          ROM memory ($1295 U.S.)


  o) VocaLite ($399 U.S.)
     Words+, Inc.
     1-800-869-8521 or (805) 266-8500
     Canada: The Betacom Group
             (905) 629-1811

     - works with Words+ augmentative communication programs (may 
          not support standard screen reader programs)
     - speed, pitch and volume controlled through program menus
     - male only speech
     - provides highly intelligible speech output
     - can be mounted to laptop monitors

     Weight: 1 pound
     Dimensions: not known
     System requirements: 286SX, parallel port
     Includes: speaker, battery, volume control

     (NOTE: The VocaLite synthesizer is primarily intended for
     use with an augmentative communication program. Though we 
     have no hands on experience with this product, the 
     literature does not list any screen readers as being 
     supported by this synthesizer. Consult the manufacturer for 
     more information.)



III) Multimedia Sound Cards

  a) AudioMan ($179 U.S.)
     Logitech Inc.
     1-800-231-7717 or (510) 795-8500  

     - external 16 bit Sound Card
     - SoundBlaster compatible
     - Synthesizer: BeSTspeech ReadOut^1
     - reads user-highlighted text within Windows applications
     - user can correct mispronounced words using phonetic 
          spelling
     - user can choose from several alternate voices
     - pitch and speed are adjustable

     System requirements: 386SX, DOS 4.x, Windows 3.1x, parallel 
                         port
     Includes: speaker, parallel port pass-through

     (NOTE: In a Jan. 1994 review, PC/COMPUTING (p. 95) said that 
     Port-Able Sound Plus (see separate entry) sounded better and 
     pronounced words more clearly, but that AudioMan's software 
     provided greater flexibility.)


  b) Port-Able Sound Plus ($199 U.S.)
     DSP Solutions
     (916) 621-1787

     - external 16 bit sound card with DSP
     - Synthesizer: WinReader^5
     - reads text files only
     - cannot learn new words

     System requirements: 386SX, DOS 4.x, Windows 3.1x, parallel
                         port
     Includes: speaker, parallel pass-through

     (NOTE: In a Jan. 1994 review, PC/COMPUTING (p. 95) said that 
     Port-Able Sound Plus sounded better and pronounced words 
     more clearly than AudioMan (see separate entry), whose 
     software provides greater flexibility.)


  c) SoundBlaster AWE32 ($399.95 U.S)
     Creative Labs 
     (408) 428-6600
     
     - new model
     - internal 16 bit sound card with DSP
     - Synthesizer: DECtalk 
     - no other information presently available


  d) SoundBlaster 16* (199.95 - $329.95 U.S.)
     Creative Labs 
     (408) 428-6600

   * - 5 models available, with differing capabilities,
          interfaces and bundled software              
     - internal 16 bit multimedia sound cards, 2 models with DSP
     - Synthesizer: Monologue^2

     System requirements: dependent on model, 386SX, DOS 4.x, 
                         Windows 3.x, expansion slot, speakers 
                         or headphones
     Includes: CD-ROM interface, 4 models include microphone


  e) SoundBlaster Deluxe (115.95 U.S.)
     SoundBlaster Pro Deluxe (179.95 U.S.)
     Creative Labs 
     (408) 428-6600

     - internal 8 bit sound cards
     - Synthesizer: Monologue^2

     System requirements: 286SX, DOS 4.x, Windows 3.x, expansion 
                         slot, speakers or headphones
     Includes: Deluxe includes CD-ROM interface 


[NOTE: There are many other internal multimedia sound cards 
available with capabilities similar to those of the SoundBlaster 
cards listed.  For space considerations, and due to their not 
being designed for people with disabilities, a complete list has 
not been included.  For a more complete listing, contact KCC.]


___________________________________

1. [BeSTspeech ReadOut, by Berkeley Speech Technologies - no 
other information presently available.]

2. [Monologue for Windows, by FirstByte, will read text that has 
been copied to the Windows clipboard, a process that may not be 
convenient for someone who has a visual impairment.]

3. [PC Master, from Blazie Engineering, is a software program 
that passes control of DOS programs on a PC to a Braille 'n 
Speak, Braille Lite or Type 'n Speak. The Braille 'n Speak keys 
become the computer keyboard and the built-in synthesizer acts as 
a speech synthesizer for use with other screen reader programs. 
($395 U.S.)]

4. [Windows Master, from Blazie Engineering, is the Windows 
version of PC Master (see 3). It passes control of Windows 
programs on a PC to a Braille 'n Speak, Braille Lite or Type 'n 
Speak. ($495 U.S.)]

5. [Winreader - no other information presently available.]
