"We Choose To Go To the Moon" on TI-99/4A

[PRStoetzer]

Yesterday, after watching the 8-Bit Guy's newest episode on "How Speech Synthesizers Work", which, unfortunately omitted any mention of the TI-99/4A or, frankly, anything about how speech synthesizers actually work, I was inspired to make my own speech on my TI-99/4A.

 

Following Mark Wills's tutorial here:

 

 

I chose a clip of JFK's "We Choose to Go To The Moon" speech off of YouTube:

 

 

I then ripped the audio into a mono 8,000 kHz 16 bit WAV. Then I installed Windows for Workgroups 3.11 into DOSBox to get QBOXPro running, generated the LPC data, and put it into Mark Willis's speech program (http://www.planet-99.net/wotw.htm). Then I assembled it with Win994ASM and put the disk image on my nanoPEB's CF card. It's pretty neat to hear the TI-99/4A speak in JFK's voice.

 

Edited March 11, 2019 by PRStoetzer

[+FarmerPotato]

Very nice!

[Airshack]

What a cool project! Thank you.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[brain]

Impressive, and I think you should send David your comment "Yesterday, after watching the 8-Bit Guy's newest episode on "How Speech Synthesizers Work", which, unfortunately omitted any mention of the TI-99/4A or, frankly, anything about how speech synthesizers actually work, I was inspired to make my own speech on my TI-99/4A.", as I think that he should know that his episode missed the mark in such a large way.

 

Jim

[Omega-TI]

Download?

[jonecool]

Very cool! Nice job

[PRStoetzer]

Download?

 

I'll get the code cleaned up (adding some blank text lines so it doesn't print garbage after it runs out of text while the speech data is still being processed) and post a disk image and the code tonight.

[PRStoetzer]

I've attached the assembler code (JFK.a99) and a TI Files format disk image (JFK.dsk).

 

To run, use Editor/Assembler option 3, file name is JFKC. Program name to run is SPEAK.

JFK.a99

JFK.dsk

[Asmusr]

Shouldn't the code begin by sending a 'speak external' command (>60) to the speech synth? It seems to be working only because byte 9 of the speech data happens to be >65.

[Omega-TI]

I've attached the assembler code (JFK.a99) and a TI Files format disk image (JFK.dsk).

 

To run, use Editor/Assembler option 3, file name is JFKC. Program name to run is SPEAK.

 

Not bad, not bad at all.

If you ever plan to make another one of these, I'd consider adding a clear screen option at the beginning of the program and doing a complete reset on exit.

[PRStoetzer]

Shouldn't the code begin by sending a 'speak external' command (>60) to the speech synth? It seems to be working only because byte 9 of the speech data happens to be >65.

 

I stumbled upon that last night when trying to put LPC data of my own voice into the TI. Most of what I was saying was just a garbled mess and I noticed in Mark Wills' example program (which I copied - http://www.planet-99.net/wotw.htm)that it started with a standalone >60.

 

I have very little experience with TMS-9900 assembly or anything involving speech programming, so this has been an experiment inspired by that video. It looks like TurboForth might provide an easier avenue to playing LPC data, so I think my next project is to play around with that.

 

The TI-99/4A was my first computer. My dad set it up again after probably 20+ years in storage. I got him a FlashROM99 and nanoPEB for Christmas. Playing around with it briefly while I was visiting made me want my own, so I got one on eBay plus a FinalGROM99, Speech Synthesizer, and nanoPEB and am having a lot of fun with it.