Covox Speech Thing LPT DAC Sound Device - LGR Oddware

Overview, installation, and demonstration of the forgotten PC sound device known as the Covox Speech Thing.

Many thanks to Harry for donating this!
http://www.youtube.com/user/HarryMatic

Download the MOD files played at the end of video:
Space Debris
http://modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=57934

what is funk ?
http://modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=103561

Acidjazzed Evening
http://modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=66334

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• covox speech thing
• lpt
• dac
• overview
• review
• disney sound source
• ibm
• pc
• ms-dos
• phreakindee
• lazy game reviews
• video game
• parallel port
• sound card
• oddware
• games
• dos
• classic
• vintage
• retro
• LGR
• inertia player
• mod
• music
• pinball fantasies
• amiga
• Acidjazzed Evening
• Space Debris

[JonteP0nte]

This thing must be pretty CPU-intense, is that true? Seeing as it must be software-based.

Nevertheless, pretty damn cool device!

[phreakindee]

@JonteP0nte Yes, it's a big strain on the CPU. That's why I had to play the songs at something like 11khz. You can achieve higher rates the faster the CPU is.

[GeoNeilUK]

There's sort of a fizzy sound to it... the closest I got to reproducing a sound like it was reducing foobar down to 4 bit DAC. I don't recall the Amiga having that fizzy sound and that was the same tech as this and used 8 bit sampling.

Also, I noticed the MOD you played at the end had 4 voices, was it an Amiga MOD track?

[phreakindee]

@GeoNeilUK It may have been, I'm actually not sure. I know a lot of the MOD files I have were originally created for the Amiga.

[phreakindee]

@Dirik619 Thing is, a lot of other people are enjoying these. And I enjoy making them. If you don't like them, don't watch. Problem solved.

[phreakindee]

@naomikimpenu My review: meatheads with chainsaw guns grunt a lot, shoot creatures, gibs fly, trilogy ends. Ooh look, a lady! Let's trade her for bacon.

[tzankich]

My little brother made one of these when he was 9 years old or so out of parts he found around the house. I only remember playing StarCon 2 with it, and some mod files. It was just a torn apart parallel cable and a bunch of resistors held together by electrical tape, as far as I remember... lol. Not nearly as fancy as the one in the video.

[AnalogX64]

I was really active in the Amiga / Demo scene back in the 90's I'm surprised I never heard about this. Makes that PC sounds like an Amiga.

Good job making this video.

[Blackerer]

@Blackerer wait what?!?! pinball fantasies!!! i loved that game!

[Blackerer]

oh dear, ms dos 5...the memories. i think i even have the installation floppies somewhere. cant forget those qbasic game examples like nibbles and gorillas. ive spent so much time with them.

[slackbuster]

@thelaserman999 Space Debris by Captain

[Clearstarsummer]

for anyone intrested in the updated version of space debris, go here /watch?v=bsapsOqc7UI&feature=r­elated

its been redone for the game rochard

[Chaniyth]

My guess as to why Wolfenstein 3D is not working with the self made Covox is because the Disney Sound Source required additional [DAC bytes] to be sent to an additional control port in order to operate properly. However i'm pretty sure some self made Covox devices emulate Disney Sound Source to get those games to produce sound properly without the need of a Disney Sound Source, though I could be wrong.

Whats neat, is the Disney Sound Source was only $14 and had rudimentary filtering circuitry.