VOTRAX INTERNATIONAL, INC.

24027 Research Drive 
Farmington Hills, MI 48335 

Earlier:  Votrax Division
          Federal Screw Works
          500 Stephenson Highway
          Troy, MI 48084

Original: Vocal Interface Division
          Federal Screw Works
          3401 Martin Avenue
          Detroit, MI 48210


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CONTENTS:

HISTORY

FORMANT SYNTHESIS FROM PHONETIC TEXT (19    - 19   )

TEXT TO SPEECH SYNTHESIS  (19    -     )

BIOGRAPHIES


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HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION




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PROJECTS: FORMANT SYNTHESIS FROM PHONETIC TEXT (19    - 19   )


R.T. Gagnon became interested in voice synthesis because of an
interest in audio and a concern with problems with his own
vision, a worry that he might eventually become blind. He had a
broad interest in the sciences, saw a need, and thought he could
make a better synthesizer than the laboratory models then
working.


1971 Patent application 119,473 (abandoned)


19xx VS1:  first prototype before agreement with Federal Screw
     Works (R. T. Gagnon says model appears to have been lost)

     Tape: none available (R.T. Gagnon)


19xx VS2:  breadboard version, lab use only

     Tape: none available (R.T. Gagnon)


19xx VS3:  one demonstration model was built, whereabouts
     unknown

     Tape: none available (R.T. Gagnon)


US Patent 3,836,717 shows a parallel formant synthesizer with
voiced and unvoiced source generators.  The first embodiment
(VS4) had three electronically tunable formants; the second
embodiment (VS5) had four electronically tunable formants.
Control voltages for the formants were obtained by low-pass
filtering step voltages obtained from a memory driven by commands
for the desired phonetic sequence. The low-pass filters were
C/L/C Pi sections with about a 70-millisecond response time. A
desired formant transition was obtained by adjusting the timing
and amplitude of the sequence of step voltages from the memory.
Input to the synthesizer was a sequence of 8-bit codes from a
computer, each code representing a desired "phoneme".


1972 Patent Application 274,029 (7/21/72) resulting in US Patent
     3,836,717 (9/17/74). (in SSSHP USA Votrax file)


     VS4:  first commercial phonetic speech synthesizer product
     in the world, with about 100 sold.  Production ended with
     introduction of the VS6.  Synthesis was modeled after R.T.
     Gagnon's speech.  Developed by Scitronix Corp., which was a
     member of the Vocal Interface Group consisting of
     Scitronics, Interface Systems, and Federal Screw Works.


     Scientific American, September, 1972, p. 165. Advertisement
     shows all three circuit boards which went into cabinet with
     power supply. (in SSSHP USA Votrax file)

     SSSHP 8.4 Tape: "Various Synthesizers from R.T. Gagnon,
          VS4, VS6, VS6G2 7/3/88"
          (Mar 7, 1972, "zero, one...ten")
           Cassette, quality ok, -15 VU, both sides

     SSSHP 8.5 Tape: "Various Synthesizers from R.T. Gagnon,
          VS4, VS6, VS6G2 7/3/88"
          (Mar 20,1972, "Hello, zero, one...ten, four, six,
           seven, To be or not..., The only thing..., Early to
           bed..., A bird in the hand...bush, zero..., credit
           balance...climb to altitude...barometric pressure...
           in service, (random words)...zero")
           Cassette, quality ok, -15 VU

     SSSHP 141 Tape: "Application Based Sample speech of VS4,
          May 15, 1972." Additional speech samples.
          (Maxey Tape T72.1)

     ARTIFACTS:  SSSHP 1 & 2, two Phoneme Parameter Matrix
          circuit boards (center board in advertisement) were
          only ones in Gagnon's possession.


     VS5: Improved model about December, 1972, based on voice
     of Carl Bixby, President of Interface Systems, Inc.  Short
     product life, sales ended with production of VS6.  Gagnon
     has no tapes of this model.


US Patent 3,908,085 shows an improved synthesizer for the VS6
model. In this synthesizer, the formants are cascaded in
numerical sequence (F1-F4) with fricative energy being added to
the second formant filter. The low-pass filters in the control
path are tunable, allowing the speaking rate to be variable.
Analog control was implemented with variable duty-cycle
modulation at a high frequency (20 kHz).


1973 VS6:  Dec 1973 to 1980/82, thousands sold. Multiple models:
     VS6.0, VS6.1, VS6.2, VS6.3, VS6.G (German language), $3605.
     64 phonemes for synthesizing General American English.

     Naval Research Lab (see SSSHP USA Naval Research Laboratory
     file) based their text-to-speech algorithms on the VS5 and
     VS6.  Several labs later modified NRL algorithms for their
     own use.  Also, another company (General Instrument) devised
     a replacement synthesizer that used the same phonetic 
     interface between the NRL algorithms and Votrax synthesizer. 
     This different synthesizer was sold about 1990 by Radio Shack 
     Corp. as voice synthesis IC's SP0256-AL2 ($12.95) and CTS 
     0256-AL2 ($16.95)


1974 Patent application 486,506 (7/8/74) resulting in US Patent
     3,908,085 (9/23/75) for the VS6. (in SSSHP USA Votrax file)

     SSSHP 8.3 Tape: "Various Synthesizers from R.T. Gagnon,
          VS4, VS6, VS6G2 7/3/88"
          (Apr 1974, "zero, one...100, Jan...Dec, Sun...Sat,
           Alabama...Wyoming, alpha...Zulu, To be or not...,
           A bird in the hand..., Four score and... fear itself,
           Supercalif...shus (Mary Poppins, different speeds),
           Hello (basic sounds), Goodbye (6 stress var)")
           Cassette, quality ok, -15 VU

     SSSHP 8.5 Tape: "Various Synthesizers from R.T. Gagnon,
          VS4, VS6, VS6G2 7/3/88"
          (Apr 1974, "Welcome to the Raytheon..., Officer 136
           inquiry on..., This is the Pillsbury Data Center...
           Cassette, quality ok, -15 VU


1974 Votrax Audio Response System Operators Manual VS6.0, Vocal
     Interface Division, Federal Screw Works, 500 Stephenson
     Highway, Troy, MI 48084.  Manual accompanying speech
     synthesizer. (SSSHP 35 Product Manual in SSSHP USA Votrax
     file)


1974 VUG Newsletter, Number 1, October 1974 (in SSSHP USA Votrax
     file).  Newsletter of the Votrax User's Group, initiated and
     edited by Honey Elovitz of the Naval Research Laboratory
     (see SSSHP USA NRL file).  NRL had a VS5 synthesizer and
     were converting to the VS6.  Names and addresses of 26
     users (who presumedly had synthesizers).

     **** obtain copies of all VUG Newsletters?

     ****  obtain copies of all Votrax Talking Points? 


1975 VUG Newsletter, Number 2, February 1975. Additional names.
     (in SSSHP USA Votrax file)


1975 VS6.2 synthesizer.

     SSSHP 8.1 Tape: "Various Synthesizers from R.T. Gagnon,
          VS4, VS6, VS6G2 7/3/88"
          (Apr 1975, "zero, one...100, Jan...Dec, Sun...Sat,
           Alabama...Wyoming, alpha...Zulu, To be or not...,
           A bird in the hand..., Four score and... fear itself")
           Cassette, quality ok, -15 VU


1975 VS6G2 Synthesizer for German language.

     SSSHP 8.2 Tape: "Various Synthesizers from R.T. Gagnon,
          VS4, VS6, VS6G2 7/3/88"
          (Aug 1975, German: 7 sen, twice each, words)
           Cassette, quality ok, -15 VU


1977? VS6.4: "naturalized" VS6.0, which can be upgraded in field
     by changing 2 boards (for about $1500).


1978 Gagnon, R.T., "Votrax real time hardware for phoneme
     synthesis of speech," Proc ICASSP-78, 175-178 (1978).  (K)
     VS6 synthesizer. (SSSHP USA Votrax file)

     ARTIFACTS: SSSHP 3-8, all five VS6 circuit boards (from
          Gagnon).  Would have to be integrated in cabinet with
          power supply to work.


1978 "ML-I Multilingual Voice System," Vocal Interface Division,
     Federal Screw Works, 500 Stephenson Highway, Troy, MI 48084.
     Manual accompanying speech synthesizer. 81 phonemes for
     producing multiple languages. Examples of phoneme
     programming. (SSSHP 35 Product Manual in SSSHP USA Votrax
     file)

     Tape ?  Sample phonetic coding in instruction manual
             ("hello, made, hot, cat, class, tent, cab, dress,
              quite, trade, jump")

     ML-IES (and ML-2ES): English/Spanish version, developed
     by R.T.  Gagnon for use by the Dallas Independent School
     District.  Votrax Talking Points, Vol. 4, No. 8 (in Votrax
     file).

     Tape ?


19xx VSK  - on encapsulated circuit cards for personal computers
     (Radio Shack, Tandy Corp.) and products like Handivoice, (HC
     Electronics, Mill Valley CA), 64 phonemes, RS232C interface.
     (see product brochures in SSSHP USA Votrax file)


1980 SC01 - The first integrated circuit version of synthesizer,
     compatible with existing Votrax synthesizers, used in Votrax
     circuit cards Speech PAC and VSM/1 Versatile Speech Module
     (see product brochures in SSSHP USA Votrax file).

     There was a patent dispute between Votrax, who believed the
     integrated circuit version was not covered by Gagnon's
     patents, and the patent holding company (Interface Systems,
     Inc.) who believed it was.  The disagreement was settled
     privately and Gagnon receives small compensatory royalties.

     SC-01 Speech Synthesizer Data Sheet, 9 pages (in SSSHP
     USA Votrax file).

     CDS1 - Custom Development System 1, emulation of SC-01, has
     CRT display, text-to-speech algorithms run on
     microprocessor, user can modify phonetic strings.


197x VSA - single board, multi-language (7 languages). US Patent
     4,264,783 issued on April 28, 1981.

     VSC - American English, British English, French, Spanish,
           Italian, Japanese

     ARTIFACTS: R.T. Gagnon has VSA if Smithsonian is interested


1980 VSB - Used in IBM Audio Typing Unit, talking typewriter for
     the blind. Votrax Talking Points, Vol. 6, No. 2.


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PROJECT: TEXT TO SPEECH SYNTHESIS  (19    - 19   )


Votrax Type-'n-Talk system.  Synthesis-by-rule program and
formant synthesizer with version of the Elovitz, et. al. (1976)
letter-to-sound rules (see SSSHP USA Naval Research Laboratory
file).  Uses SC-01 synthesis-by-rule chip.  (K)

     SSSHP 118.14 "Voice Output From Computers, Course 430, 
              Integrated Computers Systems, 1980."
          ("Hello, I am a Votrax speech synthesizer. The
          field of speech comm. ... publication. ...
          information.")
          Cassette, good quality

     SSSHP 91.11 Tape: "MIT - Demo Tape 1, 10/90"
          (syn, 4 sen: "Rice is often served in round bowls.  The
          juice of lemons makes fine punch.  A box was thrown
          beside the parked truck.  The hogs were fed chopped corn
          and garbage.")
          7" reel, 7.5 ips, good quality
                   ****  use for master  ****

     SSSHP 32.28 Tape: Demo for "Review of Text-to-Speech
          Conversion for English", D.H. Klatt, JASA 82.3, 9/87.
          ("The juice of lemons makes fine punch. A box was
          thrown beside the parked truck.")
          Cassette, Klatt MIT A/D and D/A of SSSHP 91.11


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BIOGRAPHIES


RICHARD T. GAGNON

     B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Univ of Michigan
1963 B.S. E.M., Univ. of Michigan
     General Dynamics, San Diego, CA (Vandenberg AFB)
     Hughes Aircraft, Fullerton, CA
     Martin Marietta, Orlando, FL
     Space Defense Corp., Birmingham, MI
     Scitronix Corp., Birmingham, MI
     R.T. Gagnon Associates, consultant
     Gagnon Electronics & Research, consultant

     (See notes from telephone conversation, H.D. Maxey, 7/7/88,
      in SSSHP USA Votrax file.)


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CONTRIBUTIONS AND REVIEW BY:

Mr. Richard T. Gagnon (Votrax synthesizer)
Gagnon Electronics & Research Co.
Milford, MI