Robovox was built in 1990 and has a SC-02 chip inside. Ralf said that the device used in 'Radio-Activity' is a 'talking typewriter' by Votrax taken from a big Siemens computer from some factory. This device could only whisper, so it needed to be run through a vocoder to sing.
And this version (SC-01 or 01A) is used a lot by Karl Bartos, but he tells too different stories about the device itself.
Another reason that the four-letter words cannot be used is that the machine in nanny fashion replaces the profane four letter words f__k and s__t to "fudge" and "sugar". Har, har.
I got mine on Ebay,,, you should look there or craigslist,, I've seen the Type "n" Talk retail for about $200.00 USD, I used mine with Windows XP and had to use a null modem from the RS-232 serial port of the Votrax to my usb port on th pc
The actual Votrax itself doesnt come with software,,, you need a RS-232 serial adapter to plug into the Votrax. I used my PC which I needed to find a RS-232 adapter that has USB on the other end since my computer is newer (not from the 1980's) The RS-232 adapter I bought had software to install but I dont remember if I installed it or not,, I still have the adapter and a "null Modem" that a computer geek made for me in order to trick the Votrax into working.
I have a soft spot for those robotic voices myself. I'm totally blind and my first real exposure to speech synthesis came on an Apple 2E computer with a synthesizer called an Echo. Listen to the song Revolution, Revolutions by Jean-Michel Jarre and you'll get an idea of what the Echo sounded like. Hell, he could even have used an Echo in that song. AllI know is that the voice that intones things like "Human, not human" sounded exactly like the Echo.
I so love that really artificial computer voices who doesn't try to hide their synthesized roots. Too bad you can hardly find that kind of text to speech voices for normal TTS applications. What did you used to make that voice? Did you used a hardware based TTS system?
Yes, or "Out-Of-Box" if you will, I actually used a Votrax Type N Talk Speech Synthesizer. But being your user name (obviously inspired by Kraftwerk) I can see that at least you and I are on the same level, as for TTS sounds, just like the song "Numbers" a WHOLE line of computers and TTS Synthesizers. Kraftwerk actually made their own TTS Speech synth and called it "ROBOVOX" I would love to get my hands on one of those!!!
I wish there would be a software TTS that would sound like that, that i could use for my laptop (and for making my music). Synthesized voices should sound synthetic. And yes, we are on the same level :)
@KRAFTWERK2K6 Well, if you have a Mac OS 10.3 or higher, there's a shareware program you can get called VocalWriter. Free for 30 days, $40 to buy. There's a lot of nice synthetic voices on there, as well as some that attempt to sound like singing instruments (think Peter Frampton's guitar). Voices are nice, the only thing is that it's only available as a stand-alone, and the non-vocal tracks must be MIDI, and, of course, sound as such. :P
@intromix I'm not sure whether you know this, and I just found out about a minute ago, but KW's album Radio-Activity uses a Votrax VS6 on a few tracks (my guesses are Radioland, Radio Stars and Uranium). Ralf said in a recent interview that the Robovox was just an old computer that Florian got a few techies to disassemble and rebuild, but that could just be exKraft animosity. In any case, it's impressive how they got it to work in realtime. :)
@ALXXMaXX Really? Thats cool to know, They also used a Speak and Spell calculator if I remember correctly? The Votrax SC-02 is really nice too, it is "beefy" and has more of the deep robotic voice sounds and not as "geeky" as my Votrax. Nevertheless, I always like the sounds of Commodore's S.A.M. also
A blind person who uses a computer would need a speech synthesizer to read the text they have typed, because someone who is blind cannot see a computer screen, they need auditory output from the computer so they know what they're typing, and they know what program they are using.
I just tried it, sounds like human voice. The whole point of vintage speech synthesizers is to have the classic "robotic" sound to it. All these NEW text to speech programs are focused on sounding to close to the human voice (which is good if you are doing business or learning speech) but if you are mixing voices for techno music (for example) the HUMAN voice text to speech would sound like shit.
Well, the ABSOLUTE BEST in vintage text to speech would be found here; "text2speech com" from the Soft Voice company. Listen to the "Colossus" sample, which SURE MAKES my Votrax sound like shit!! I would love to have the Colossus program but these idiots at Softvoice NEVER once return any of my emails. If you have luck let me know and tell me what you think of their tts samples as opposed to the votrax or 5.0
You need a device called a "speech synthesizer" The older ones make this "robotic" style voice, otherwise you can buy a program called "dragon naturally speaking" but that ONLY does more human like voices which doesn't sound useful for Techno music.
as text to speech becomes more realistic it will become less fun
moriluk 8 months ago
so i guess this is just one those videos where the comments are really long... ok -.-
jimmjimm6699 11 months ago
greeetings eveerybody....leets fahkkin parrrtyyy(awesome beat starts)
thapizzakillr 1 year ago
votrax is the BEST !!!
geraldflip2010 1 year ago
Robovox was built in 1990 and has a SC-02 chip inside. Ralf said that the device used in 'Radio-Activity' is a 'talking typewriter' by Votrax taken from a big Siemens computer from some factory. This device could only whisper, so it needed to be run through a vocoder to sing.
And this version (SC-01 or 01A) is used a lot by Karl Bartos, but he tells too different stories about the device itself.
BigLesbowski 1 year ago 2
@BigLesbowski Very good information! I wonder where I can get my hands on one of those chips... *devilish laugh*
ALXXMaXX 11 months ago
Microsoft SAM lol
Gresons 1 year ago
joshua!
chrismofer 1 year ago
Another reason that the four-letter words cannot be used is that the machine in nanny fashion replaces the profane four letter words f__k and s__t to "fudge" and "sugar". Har, har.
vixletvixen 1 year ago
I got mine on Ebay,,, you should look there or craigslist,, I've seen the Type "n" Talk retail for about $200.00 USD, I used mine with Windows XP and had to use a null modem from the RS-232 serial port of the Votrax to my usb port on th pc
intromix 2 years ago
@intromix Does it come with software?
cookie123456789012 2 years ago
The actual Votrax itself doesnt come with software,,, you need a RS-232 serial adapter to plug into the Votrax. I used my PC which I needed to find a RS-232 adapter that has USB on the other end since my computer is newer (not from the 1980's) The RS-232 adapter I bought had software to install but I dont remember if I installed it or not,, I still have the adapter and a "null Modem" that a computer geek made for me in order to trick the Votrax into working.
intromix 2 years ago
I have a soft spot for those robotic voices myself. I'm totally blind and my first real exposure to speech synthesis came on an Apple 2E computer with a synthesizer called an Echo. Listen to the song Revolution, Revolutions by Jean-Michel Jarre and you'll get an idea of what the Echo sounded like. Hell, he could even have used an Echo in that song. AllI know is that the voice that intones things like "Human, not human" sounded exactly like the Echo.
Bryan198026 2 years ago
Sounds like Q*Bert :D
cookie123456789012 2 years ago
What the letters to make the train sound? :D A roflcopter goes soi soi soi soi. :D I needa train!!
Bilbo586711 2 years ago
An identical voice/synthesizer chip is used in the 1981 "Black Hole" pinball machine.
MatAllum 2 years ago
sjfnhgpiunfvblokfndg;asg nkladf lgarfgbv ;aljnrtgag
scrublife188 2 years ago
I so love that really artificial computer voices who doesn't try to hide their synthesized roots. Too bad you can hardly find that kind of text to speech voices for normal TTS applications. What did you used to make that voice? Did you used a hardware based TTS system?
KRAFTWERK2K6 2 years ago 2
Yes, or "Out-Of-Box" if you will, I actually used a Votrax Type N Talk Speech Synthesizer. But being your user name (obviously inspired by Kraftwerk) I can see that at least you and I are on the same level, as for TTS sounds, just like the song "Numbers" a WHOLE line of computers and TTS Synthesizers. Kraftwerk actually made their own TTS Speech synth and called it "ROBOVOX" I would love to get my hands on one of those!!!
intromix 2 years ago
So would I :D
I wish there would be a software TTS that would sound like that, that i could use for my laptop (and for making my music). Synthesized voices should sound synthetic. And yes, we are on the same level :)
KRAFTWERK2K6 2 years ago
@KRAFTWERK2K6 Well, if you have a Mac OS 10.3 or higher, there's a shareware program you can get called VocalWriter. Free for 30 days, $40 to buy. There's a lot of nice synthetic voices on there, as well as some that attempt to sound like singing instruments (think Peter Frampton's guitar). Voices are nice, the only thing is that it's only available as a stand-alone, and the non-vocal tracks must be MIDI, and, of course, sound as such. :P
ALXXMaXX 1 year ago
@intromix I'm not sure whether you know this, and I just found out about a minute ago, but KW's album Radio-Activity uses a Votrax VS6 on a few tracks (my guesses are Radioland, Radio Stars and Uranium). Ralf said in a recent interview that the Robovox was just an old computer that Florian got a few techies to disassemble and rebuild, but that could just be exKraft animosity. In any case, it's impressive how they got it to work in realtime. :)
ALXXMaXX 1 year ago
@ALXXMaXX Really? Thats cool to know, They also used a Speak and Spell calculator if I remember correctly? The Votrax SC-02 is really nice too, it is "beefy" and has more of the deep robotic voice sounds and not as "geeky" as my Votrax. Nevertheless, I always like the sounds of Commodore's S.A.M. also
intromix 1 year ago
@intromix I discovered a while back that on some machines SAM could sing. Rm4ZCGgzeeU
ALXXMaXX 1 year ago
hahah that's a funny voice
SMRDcompany 3 years ago
Actually, if you were making a Techno/Trance track, the regular human speaking voice would sound VERY funnier than this one
intromix 3 years ago
this voice (which was an IC chip-hardware!) was used in "Wizard or Wor" and "Gorf" arcade machines! the voice is unmistakable.
VideyoJunkei 3 years ago
That actually sounds like the old Braille'n'Speak portable computer for the blind. The Braille'n'Speak was released in the late 1980's.
Lachlant1984 3 years ago
why would they need to speak if they were blind? they need eyes not a mouth
rightwowvideos 3 years ago
A blind person who uses a computer would need a speech synthesizer to read the text they have typed, because someone who is blind cannot see a computer screen, they need auditory output from the computer so they know what they're typing, and they know what program they are using.
Lachlant1984 3 years ago
I like it too when it sounds like a computer.
conradhw 3 years ago
Does it works in Vista?
Jucajucajuca731 3 years ago
please I also want to know!
dudaolucho 3 years ago
Not sure, never tried it in Vista
intromix 3 years ago
mine is much better
JackBurt1101 3 years ago
How do you get this
DrakenGuardz 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
speakonia is better! THIS IS NOT SPAM!!!!!
iamstpdguy 4 years ago
Cool 'intromix'!! BUT I still MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, PREFER the old vintage classic analog hardware vocoder!!!
AnalogVocoder1 4 years ago 2
Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday...
VoltageControlled 4 years ago
dude stop smoking man
GIZMO1D1 4 years ago
Sounds like shit. Try using Speech Synthesizer 5.0.
DeathByBarbwire 4 years ago
I just tried it, sounds like human voice. The whole point of vintage speech synthesizers is to have the classic "robotic" sound to it. All these NEW text to speech programs are focused on sounding to close to the human voice (which is good if you are doing business or learning speech) but if you are mixing voices for techno music (for example) the HUMAN voice text to speech would sound like shit.
intromix 4 years ago
Ooooh yeah. That's a good point.
I htink they have more robotic voices. At least the version I got. But that's still a good reason I guess.
By the way, when I said that it sounded like shit I didn't mean to be mean. I meant it more in a funny way.
Now that I'm reading it now I feel like a jackass.
DeathByBarbwire 4 years ago
Well, the ABSOLUTE BEST in vintage text to speech would be found here; "text2speech com" from the Soft Voice company. Listen to the "Colossus" sample, which SURE MAKES my Votrax sound like shit!! I would love to have the Colossus program but these idiots at Softvoice NEVER once return any of my emails. If you have luck let me know and tell me what you think of their tts samples as opposed to the votrax or 5.0
intromix 4 years ago
No way...check out the answer video I made..
sounds much more natural..
JackBurt1101 3 years ago
That's the point...
KabakaLion 3 years ago
Ok... pointless... and poor grammar... five stars?
Etimos 4 years ago
what is the four lettered word
ssj4gogeta0 4 years ago
It's the word F**K .. LOl..
Svonki 4 years ago
You need a device called a "speech synthesizer" The older ones make this "robotic" style voice, otherwise you can buy a program called "dragon naturally speaking" but that ONLY does more human like voices which doesn't sound useful for Techno music.
intromix 4 years ago
how do u do that on the computer
carmelcoveredsk8rmop 4 years ago
"I am a Gorfian Robot. Attack, ttack"
"hahaha"
"All your base belong to us.."
jci10 4 years ago
lol, i was thinking of both Gorf and Wizard of Wor as soon as i heard the voice
figment1988 4 years ago 2
@figment1988 Oh yes. 'Surrrenderr the Blizzard of Blorrr!..."
Has anybody a comparison of that game on the C64 speech module? Wasn't a votrax also used for a Sinclair ZX Spectrum or ZX81interface?
AerialTheShamen 1 year ago
Great Zombie Jesus! :P Yes the Votrax SC-01 chip is the one used in the Gorf and Wizard of Wor arcade games. Classic speech synthesis at it's prime.
fredturd 3 years ago
uh...
goblnking 4 years ago