Date   : Mon, 03 May 1999 00:12:35 +0100
From   : Mike Mallett <mike.mallett@...>
Subject: Re: re BBC's and speech system (FWD)

>From distant memory ...

The speech chips were made by Texas Instruments.

One was the actual synthesiser and the other the Phrase ROM (PHROM).
Both plugged into sockets on the motherboard. 

The PHROM supplied was created especially for the BBC using the voice 
of a newsreader, Kenneth Kendall.

TI also produced PHROMs for special uses such as telephony and aircraft
but I never saw these available retail.

There was another socket supplied which had to be soldered in the 
hole to the left of keyboard. This was meant to take additional PHROMs or
serial ROMs. This was the hardest part of installing the kit but in the end
nothing ever appeared from Acorn for it.  I gather they had planned 
to supply general software on cartridges to use this socket.

Computer Concepts later made a ROM (that went in the usual sockets)
that allowed the built in phrases in the PHROM to be manipulated to say 
or sing anything.

There was an excellent article on this in 'Body Building' in MicroUser.
This may still be on Mike Cook's website.

I've still got most of the docs for this if there is any further interest.

All the above only applied to the original BBC as this facility 
wasn't included in the Master. 




-- 
Mike Mallett                mike.mallett@...               Reading, UK