Knowledge

Currah

Source 📝

120: 967: 182:
The unit allocated itself the top 256 bytes of memory at switch-on and moved down the USR graphics and RAMTOP. This made it incompatible with some programs, particularly games, which use that space for machine code.
53:
Currah μSource from Quadhouse. In a self-contained ROM cartridge it has a full-function-two-pass macro assembler, Forth and a debugger, all of which can interact with Basic. It is also compatible with Interface 1.
178:
speech processor. It also contained a clock for clear speech and an audio modulator to transfer the sound to the TV lead. A small adjustment screw was provided, to allow fine tuning of the audio output.
203:(Firebird Software Ltd) detected the presence of a MicroSpeech unit and presented the user with a completely different game to that which would be played if the MicroSpeech unit was not present. 107:/ð/. Sixty-three allophones were provided. Rudimentary pitch modulation could be achieved by altering the case of the letters—upper case letters being pronounced at a slightly higher pitch. 138: 136: 1455: 898: 77:
By default, the unit "spoke" every key-press the user made, even the direction keys which came out as "CURSOR". This could be controlled by a reserved variable
137: 74:
signal from the computer into the unit. The TV aerial lead plugged into the unit and speech sounds were added into the UHF signal generated by computer.
1460: 248: 113:
5 REM OKAY WISEGUY THIS IS IT 10 LET a$ =" (oo)K (AA)" 20 LET b$ ="w(ii)z (ggg) (ii)," 30 LET c$ =" (dth)is iz it" 40 LET S$ =a$ +b$ +c$
891: 599: 351: 197:
manufacturers took the same approach, meaning that you could not have a joystick and the MicroSpeech unit plugged in at the same time.
1465: 884: 187: 271: 411: 1434: 669: 746: 442: 407: 664: 508: 344: 215:
in 1985. DK'Tronics continued to manufacture the MicroSpeech unit, and many of their software titles (such as
175: 402: 1375: 1097: 1092: 659: 1470: 674: 337: 223: 644: 488: 835: 720: 589: 574: 167: 104: 95:
Specific words and phrases could be spoken by assigning a value to the reserved string variable
1087: 830: 784: 876: 316: 799: 538: 421: 1475: 794: 503: 461: 71: 8: 1400: 1365: 1352: 1326: 1222: 1198: 1048: 1043: 1037: 1032: 1027: 1202: 1168: 1164: 1160: 1156: 1152: 1148: 1058: 1009: 814: 804: 715: 129: 1429: 1395: 1390: 1280: 1260: 1214: 1078: 916: 907: 779: 296: 70:
on the back of the ZX Spectrum. Additional leads were provided to feed the sound and
1246: 1004: 654: 604: 360: 241: 171: 99:. This was interpreted letter-by-letter unless brackets were used to denote other 27: 1218: 1019: 988: 983: 950: 498: 1424: 1416: 1299: 1294: 1194: 845: 275: 67: 236: 1449: 1336: 1304: 1230: 1066: 946: 865: 855: 774: 518: 368: 212: 42: 30: 1256: 860: 809: 649: 478: 194: 38: 1266: 1270: 1140: 956: 942: 789: 705: 513: 392: 34: 624: 1289: 1176: 730: 695: 594: 584: 523: 153: 23: 1370: 1331: 1210: 1132: 725: 569: 548: 543: 397: 100: 1385: 1357: 1252: 1226: 1206: 1172: 1118: 756: 700: 619: 614: 533: 493: 387: 329: 191: 20: 1136: 975: 483: 416: 217: 966: 1144: 1126: 906: 710: 437: 383: 297:"Booty Hidden Game Review - ZX Planet :: Spectrum Heaven!" 103:. A simple example would be "(dth)is", (dth) representing the 1242: 1234: 1180: 850: 751: 679: 579: 553: 528: 447: 1238: 1188: 1184: 1122: 937: 932: 927: 609: 190:
of further devices on the computer's expansion port. Many
170:
which worked on a WRITE command from the microprocessor, a
144:
Audio recording of output from this program listing - 38 KB
57: 48: 1456:Defunct computer companies of the United Kingdom 1447: 62:The Currah μSpeech, commonly referred to as the 186:For cost reasons, the unit did not provide for 174:containing the keyword speech patterns, and an 892: 345: 249:List of Currah products at World of Spectrum 908:Sinclair computers, derivatives, and clones 899: 885: 352: 338: 1448: 880: 333: 90: 359: 161: 26:manufacturer, famous mainly for the 1461:Defunct computer hardware companies 274:. Sincuser.f9.co.uk. Archived from 272:"Sinclair User 48 - Currah μSource" 13: 670:Texas Instruments LPC Speech Chips 118: 58:Currah μSpeech for the ZX Spectrum 49:Currah μSource for the ZX Spectrum 14: 1487: 230: 1466:Home computer hardware companies 965: 747:Speech Synthesis Markup Language 408:Festival Speech Synthesis System 152:Problems playing this file? See 134: 509:Microsoft text-to-speech voices 310: 289: 264: 1: 257: 87:would turn this feature off. 7: 10: 1492: 963: 317:"Minding his own business" 206: 1409: 1345: 1313: 1279: 1106: 1075: 1057: 1018: 997: 974: 914: 823: 765: 739: 688: 675:General Instrument SP0256 637: 562: 471: 460: 430: 376: 367: 130:Currah Microspeech output 489:Software Automatic Mouth 110:A more complex example: 836:Concatenative synthesis 721:Microsoft Speech Server 590:NIAONiao Virtual Singer 299:. Zxplanet.emuunlim.com 211:Currah was acquired by 105:voiced dental fricative 831:Articulatory synthesis 785:Franklin Seaney Cooper 123: 800:Wolfgang von Kempelen 580:CeVIO Creative Studio 539:CeVIO Creative Studio 422:Automatik Text Reader 237:Review of the product 166:The unit contained a 122: 1193:ZX Spectrum based: 919:Science of Cambridge 795:Haskins Laboratories 504:Microsoft Speech API 323:issue 13, April 1985 33:it designed for the 1401:Magnum Light Phaser 1366:Rotronics Wafadrive 1353:Beta Disk Interface 917:Sinclair Research / 66:, plugged into the 1337:FDD3000 Disk Drive 1323:Neptun 156 Monitor 1093:ZX Spectrum clones 1059:Cambridge Computer 805:Ignatius Mattingly 124: 91:Programming speech 41:, and other 8-bit 1443: 1442: 1430:Richard Altwasser 1396:Stack Light Rifle 1391:RAM Music Machine 1346:Other peripherals 1314:Timex peripherals 1281:Sinclair Research 1020:Timex Corporation 1010:ZX Spectrum Vega+ 874: 873: 780:Catherine Browman 633: 632: 456: 455: 443:Lyricos / Flinger 252:community website 162:Technical details 139: 1483: 1471:Speech synthesis 1247:ZX Spectrum Next 1203:CZ Spectrum Plus 1005:ZX Spectrum Vega 998:Licenced systems 969: 901: 894: 887: 878: 877: 716:Windows Narrator 655:Pattern playback 605:Symphonic Choirs 469: 468: 374: 373: 361:Speech synthesis 354: 347: 340: 331: 330: 324: 314: 308: 307: 305: 304: 293: 287: 286: 284: 283: 268: 227:) supported it. 141: 140: 121: 98: 80: 28:speech synthesis 1491: 1490: 1486: 1485: 1484: 1482: 1481: 1480: 1446: 1445: 1444: 1439: 1405: 1341: 1309: 1275: 1219:Scorpion ZS-256 1111: 1110:related systems 1109: 1102: 1081: 1071: 1053: 1014: 993: 970: 961: 951:ZX Spectrum 128 921: 918: 910: 905: 875: 870: 819: 767: 761: 735: 684: 629: 558: 499:Microsoft Agent 463: 452: 426: 363: 358: 328: 327: 315: 311: 302: 300: 295: 294: 290: 281: 279: 270: 269: 265: 260: 233: 209: 164: 159: 158: 150: 148: 147: 146: 145: 142: 135: 132: 125: 119: 114: 96: 93: 85: 78: 60: 51: 12: 11: 5: 1489: 1479: 1478: 1473: 1468: 1463: 1458: 1441: 1440: 1438: 1437: 1432: 1427: 1425:Rick Dickinson 1422: 1421:John Pemberton 1419: 1417:Clive Sinclair 1413: 1411: 1407: 1406: 1404: 1403: 1398: 1393: 1388: 1383: 1378: 1373: 1368: 1363: 1360: 1355: 1349: 1347: 1343: 1342: 1340: 1339: 1334: 1332:FDD Disk Drive 1329: 1324: 1321: 1320:TS2040 Printer 1317: 1315: 1311: 1310: 1308: 1307: 1302: 1300:ZX Interface 2 1297: 1295:ZX Interface 1 1292: 1286: 1284: 1277: 1276: 1274: 1273: 1263: 1249: 1191: 1129: 1114: 1112: 1107: 1104: 1103: 1101: 1100: 1095: 1090: 1088:ZX80/81 clones 1084: 1082: 1076: 1073: 1072: 1070: 1069: 1063: 1061: 1055: 1054: 1052: 1051: 1046: 1041: 1035: 1030: 1024: 1022: 1016: 1015: 1013: 1012: 1007: 1001: 999: 995: 994: 992: 991: 989:ZX Spectrum +3 986: 984:ZX Spectrum +2 980: 978: 972: 971: 964: 962: 960: 959: 954: 940: 935: 930: 924: 922: 915: 912: 911: 904: 903: 896: 889: 881: 872: 871: 869: 868: 863: 858: 853: 848: 846:Inverse filter 843: 838: 833: 827: 825: 821: 820: 818: 817: 812: 807: 802: 797: 792: 787: 782: 777: 771: 769: 763: 762: 760: 759: 754: 749: 743: 741: 737: 736: 734: 733: 728: 723: 718: 713: 708: 703: 698: 692: 690: 686: 685: 683: 682: 677: 672: 667: 662: 657: 652: 647: 641: 639: 635: 634: 631: 630: 628: 627: 622: 617: 612: 607: 602: 597: 592: 587: 582: 577: 572: 566: 564: 560: 559: 557: 556: 551: 546: 541: 536: 531: 526: 521: 516: 511: 506: 501: 496: 491: 486: 481: 475: 473: 466: 458: 457: 454: 453: 451: 450: 445: 440: 434: 432: 428: 427: 425: 424: 419: 414: 405: 400: 395: 390: 380: 378: 371: 365: 364: 357: 356: 349: 342: 334: 326: 325: 309: 288: 262: 261: 259: 256: 255: 254: 246: 232: 231:External links 229: 208: 205: 188:daisy-chaining 163: 160: 149: 143: 133: 128: 127: 126: 117: 116: 115: 112: 92: 89: 83: 68:expansion port 59: 56: 50: 47: 45:of the 1980s. 43:home computers 31:ROM cartridges 19:was a British 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1488: 1477: 1474: 1472: 1469: 1467: 1464: 1462: 1459: 1457: 1454: 1453: 1451: 1436: 1435:Steve Vickers 1433: 1431: 1428: 1426: 1423: 1420: 1418: 1415: 1414: 1412: 1408: 1402: 1399: 1397: 1394: 1392: 1389: 1387: 1384: 1382: 1379: 1377: 1374: 1372: 1369: 1367: 1364: 1361: 1359: 1356: 1354: 1351: 1350: 1348: 1344: 1338: 1335: 1333: 1330: 1328: 1325: 1322: 1319: 1318: 1316: 1312: 1306: 1305:ZX Microdrive 1303: 1301: 1298: 1296: 1293: 1291: 1288: 1287: 1285: 1282: 1278: 1272: 1268: 1264: 1262: 1258: 1254: 1250: 1248: 1244: 1240: 1236: 1232: 1231:Komputer 2086 1228: 1224: 1220: 1216: 1212: 1208: 1204: 1200: 1196: 1192: 1190: 1186: 1182: 1178: 1174: 1170: 1166: 1162: 1158: 1154: 1150: 1146: 1142: 1138: 1134: 1131:ZX81 based: 1130: 1128: 1124: 1120: 1116: 1115: 1113: 1108:Compatible or 1105: 1099: 1096: 1094: 1091: 1089: 1086: 1085: 1083: 1080: 1074: 1068: 1065: 1064: 1062: 1060: 1056: 1050: 1047: 1045: 1042: 1039: 1036: 1034: 1031: 1029: 1026: 1025: 1023: 1021: 1017: 1011: 1008: 1006: 1003: 1002: 1000: 996: 990: 987: 985: 982: 981: 979: 977: 973: 968: 958: 955: 952: 948: 944: 941: 939: 936: 934: 931: 929: 926: 925: 923: 920: 913: 909: 902: 897: 895: 890: 888: 883: 882: 879: 867: 866:Voice cloning 864: 862: 859: 857: 856:Phase vocoder 854: 852: 849: 847: 844: 842: 839: 837: 834: 832: 829: 828: 826: 822: 816: 813: 811: 808: 806: 803: 801: 798: 796: 793: 791: 788: 786: 783: 781: 778: 776: 775:Alan W. Black 773: 772: 770: 764: 758: 755: 753: 750: 748: 745: 744: 742: 738: 732: 729: 727: 724: 722: 719: 717: 714: 712: 709: 707: 704: 702: 699: 697: 694: 693: 691: 687: 681: 678: 676: 673: 671: 668: 666: 663: 661: 658: 656: 653: 651: 648: 646: 643: 642: 640: 636: 626: 623: 621: 618: 616: 613: 611: 608: 606: 603: 601: 598: 596: 593: 591: 588: 586: 583: 581: 578: 576: 573: 571: 568: 567: 565: 561: 555: 552: 550: 547: 545: 542: 540: 537: 535: 532: 530: 527: 525: 522: 520: 519:Voice browser 517: 515: 512: 510: 507: 505: 502: 500: 497: 495: 492: 490: 487: 485: 482: 480: 477: 476: 474: 470: 467: 465: 459: 449: 446: 444: 441: 439: 436: 435: 433: 429: 423: 420: 418: 415: 413: 409: 406: 404: 401: 399: 396: 394: 391: 389: 385: 382: 381: 379: 375: 372: 370: 369:Free software 366: 362: 355: 350: 348: 343: 341: 336: 335: 332: 322: 321:Your Spectrum 318: 313: 298: 292: 278:on 2012-03-05 277: 273: 267: 263: 253: 250: 247: 244: 243: 238: 235: 234: 228: 226: 225: 220: 219: 214: 204: 202: 198: 196: 193: 189: 184: 180: 177: 173: 169: 157: 155: 131: 111: 108: 106: 102: 88: 82: 75: 73: 69: 65: 55: 46: 44: 40: 36: 32: 29: 25: 22: 18: 1380: 1327:TS2050 Modem 1257:One Per Desk 1165:CZ 1500 Plus 1161:CZ 1000 Plus 1117:ZX80 based: 947:ZX Spectrum+ 861:Self-voicing 840: 810:Philip Rubin 689:Applications 650:Mockingboard 479:Amazon Polly 462:Proprietary 320: 312: 301:. Retrieved 291: 280:. Retrieved 276:the original 266: 251: 240: 222: 216: 210: 200: 199: 185: 181: 165: 151: 109: 94: 86: 76: 63: 61: 52: 39:Commodore 64 16: 15: 1476:ZX Spectrum 1283:peripherals 1271:Jupiter Ace 1177:Ringo R-470 1169:CZ Spectrum 1141:Lambda 8300 943:ZX Spectrum 790:Gunnar Fant 768:Researchers 766:Developers/ 706:Dr. Sbaitso 514:Readspeaker 393:Gnopernicus 84:LET KEYS=0 64:Microspeech 35:ZX Spectrum 1450:Categories 1290:ZX Printer 1251:QL based: 731:Voice font 696:AOLbyPhone 595:PPG Phonem 585:Chipspeech 524:CoolSpeech 303:2012-11-02 282:2012-11-02 258:References 213:DK'Tronics 176:SP0256-AL2 154:media help 101:allophones 24:peripheral 1371:Multiface 1267:SAM Coupé 1211:Dubna 48K 1133:Apply 300 1098:QL clones 1077:Lists of 1040:(TC 2068) 740:Protocols 726:PlainTalk 570:Alter/Ego 549:LaLaVoice 544:Voiceroid 438:eCantorix 398:Gnuspeech 195:interface 81:. Typing 1386:SpecDrum 1376:Kempston 1358:DISCiPLE 1253:CST Thor 1227:Kay 1024 1223:Sprinter 1207:Didaktik 1199:Pentagon 1173:NE-Z8000 1119:MicroAce 1038:T/S 2068 1033:T/S 1500 1028:T/S 1000 757:VoiceXML 701:DialogOS 620:Vocaloid 615:Vocalina 600:Realivox 534:CereProc 494:Talk It! 472:Speaking 464:software 388:eSpeakNG 377:Speaking 245:magazine 192:joystick 21:computer 1265:Other: 1261:Q40/Q60 1157:CZ 1500 1153:CZ 1000 1149:CZ 2000 1137:AS-1000 1049:TC 3256 1044:TC 2048 976:Amstrad 824:Process 645:Echo II 638:Machine 625:Xiaoice 563:Singing 484:DECtalk 431:Singing 417:FreeTTS 224:Zig Zag 218:Maziacs 207:History 1410:People 1381:Currah 1215:Hobbit 1145:CP-200 1127:NE-Z80 1079:clones 841:Currah 815:Yamaha 711:MBROLA 660:Phasor 575:Cantor 384:eSpeak 17:Currah 1243:Robik 1235:TK90X 1181:TK82C 851:PSOLA 752:SABLE 680:TuVox 554:15.ai 529:IVONA 448:Sinsy 412:Flite 319:from 242:CRASH 201:Booty 1362:MB02 1239:TK95 1189:TK85 1185:TK83 1123:TK80 938:ZX81 933:ZX80 928:MK14 665:RIAS 610:UTAU 403:Orca 221:and 79:KEYS 1195:ATM 1067:Z88 239:at 172:ROM 168:ULA 97:S$ 72:UHF 1452:: 1269:, 1259:, 1255:, 1245:, 1241:, 1237:, 1233:, 1229:, 1225:, 1221:, 1213:, 1209:, 1205:, 1201:, 1197:, 1187:, 1183:, 1179:, 1175:, 1171:, 1167:, 1163:, 1159:, 1155:, 1151:, 1147:, 1143:, 1139:, 1135:, 1125:, 1121:, 957:QL 949:, 37:, 1217:, 953:) 945:( 900:e 893:t 886:v 410:/ 386:/ 353:e 346:t 339:v 306:. 285:. 156:.

Index

computer
peripheral
speech synthesis
ROM cartridges
ZX Spectrum
Commodore 64
home computers
expansion port
UHF
allophones
voiced dental fricative
Currah Microspeech output
media help
ULA
ROM
SP0256-AL2
daisy-chaining
joystick
interface
DK'Tronics
Maziacs
Zig Zag
Review of the product
CRASH
List of Currah products at World of Spectrum
"Sinclair User 48 - Currah μSource"
the original
"Booty Hidden Game Review - ZX Planet :: Spectrum Heaven!"
"Minding his own business"
v

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.