The * [[MEA8000 is a Speech Synthesizer chip. It is a French equivalent to the ]]* [[SPO256MEA8000 I/O Ports and Pinouts]]* [[MEA8000 Voice Generator]] speech chip.
To hear what the MEA8000 chip is capable of go [here]].== Overview ==
With some clever programming it The MEA8000 is possible to program a software Speech Synthesizer with good resultschip. 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.
Speech Synthesizer technology was also used in some gamesTo 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 qualityallophone 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).
== Hardware Speech Synthesisers Technical ==
* [[Amstrad SSA-1 Speech SynthesizerMEA8000 I/O Ports and Pinouts]]* [[MEA8000 Voice Generator]]* [[MEA8000 Unknown Details]] (SPO256 based)
[[Dk'tronics == CPC Speech Synthesizer]] (SPO256 based)Synthesisers ==
== * [[Amstrad SSA-1 Speech Synthesizer]] ([[SP0256]] based)* [[Dk'tronics Speech Synthesizer]] ([[SP0256]] based)* [[MHT Speech Synthesizer]] ([[SP0256]] based)* [[TMPI speech synthetizer]] ([[MEA8000]] based)* [[Software Speech synthesisers ==Synthesizers]] (Software based)* [[LambdaSpeak]] covers all the others
[[== Speech]] (Symbos software)Examples ==
== Games using Speech Synthesizer ==* [[Media:Parole_et_micros_-_TO8_-_Direct_recording.mp3]] - Direct sound recording of a MEA8000 chip (mp3) (Recorded on a Thomson TO8)
Ghostbusters * [[Media:Clair de la lune.mp3|The French song ''Clair de la lune'' sung by a MEA8000 chip]] (Softwaremp3) (Recorded using the MEA8000 emulator from MESS?)
Jumpjet (Hardware)* Showing the TMPI speech synthesizer in action: {{#ev:youtube|oMa5ekqn06M}}
LastV8 (Software)== Misc ==
Robocop * [[MEA8000 on PC Printer Port]] - DIY (SoftwareFrench) (for PCs) (does NOT work on CPCs)
== Datasheet (English) 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)* [[Media:Parole_et_Micros_-_Synth%C3%A8se_vocale.zip]] - '''Parole et micros - Synthèse vocale''' (1985) Technical book about the MEA8000 and its usage (French) (Some chapters are missing)* [[Media:Klatt-1980-JAS000971.pdf]] - MIT research paper describing the Klatt formant synthesizer. The MEA8000 is largely based on it. (1980)* '''Manipulaties met spraakgeluid, Philips Technisch Tijdschrif 40''' (Philips 1982) (Dutch) (this should contain technical details of the MEA8000 implementation) (there seems to be no copy in the internet yet)* '''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 similarly) == Weblinks == * http://vesta.homelinux.free.fr/wiki/cpc6128_amstrad.html - TMPI Speech Details (French)* http://vesta.homelinux.free.fr/wiki/le_synthetiseur_vocal_mea_8000.html - MEA8000 Chip Details (PDFFrench) [[Category:Programming]] [[Category:Music and sound]][[Category:Electronic Component]]
