Difference between revisions of "MEA8000"

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== Weblinks ==
 
== Weblinks ==
  
* http://vesta.homelinux.net/site/wiki/cpc6128_amstrad.html - TMPI Speech Details (French)
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* http://vesta.homelinux.free.fr/site/wiki/cpc6128_amstrad.html - TMPI Speech Details (French)
* http://vesta.homelinux.net/site/wiki/le_synthetiseur_vocal_mea_8000.html - MEA8000 Chip Details (French)
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* http://vesta.homelinux.free.fr/site/wiki/le_synthetiseur_vocal_mea_8000.html - MEA8000 Chip Details (French)
  
 
[[Category:Programming]] [[Category:Music and sound]][[Category:Electronic Component]]
 
[[Category:Programming]] [[Category:Music and sound]][[Category:Electronic Component]]

Revision as of 05:39, 29 June 2013

Overview

The MEA8000 is a Speech Synthesizer chip. It contains a Voice Generator similar to that used in the SP0256 speech chip. However, unlike the SP0256, it doesn't contain a built-in microprocessor, nor built-in ROM.

To output an allophone, one must send one (or usually more) 32bit packet(s) to the chip. This is making it more complicated to use than the SP0256 (which needs only one 8bit value per allophone). On the other hand, it's making the MEA8000 more flexible: The SP0256 contains predefined allophones (usually the -AL2 english allophone set), whilst the MEA8000 can be freely used with different allophone sets (english, french, other languages), different intonations (eg. raise the pitch to pronounce questions), or even as general purpose sound processor (ie. to produce music or sound effects).

Technical

CPC Speech Synthesisers

Speech Example

Misc

Datasheets

  • Media:MEA8000 Mullard.pdf - MEA8000 Datasheet (Mullard)
  • Media:MEA8000 Signetics.pdf - MEA8000 Datasheet (Signetics)
  • MEA8000 Figures - Additional info on Filters and Parameter Translation (which aren't described in the normal MEA8000 datasheets)
  • MEA8000 voice synthesizer: principles and interfacing, Philips Technical Publication 101 (Philips/Elcoma 1983) (this might contain additional info on the filters & voice generator) (there seems to be no copy in the internet yet)
  • PCF8200 - newer chip, based on MEA8000 (isn't backwards-compatible, but works similar)

Weblinks