DECtalk Archive

Contents

What is DECtalk

DECtalk is a speech synthesizer, originally released as a hardware module in 1984 by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC).

DECtalk's origins

The DECtalk technology is based on the work of Dennis Klatt, who was a pioneer in speech synthesis throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He developed the phoneme-to-speech part of a system known as MITalk, a project developed at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), using recordings of his own voice to build a functioning voice model, later to be known as Perfect Paul. Perfect Paul would end up being a model emulating how Klatt talked in his younger days. In 1982, Klatt developed his own speech system nown as Klattalk, which added other voices to give a much wider selection, most of which were modelled after his family. This included Beautiful Betty, modelled after Klatt's wife, and a child voice, Kit the Kid, modelled after his daughter. In 1983, DEC bought an exclusive license to Klattalk to use it in their own products, the first of which was released in 1984 under the name "DECtalk".

DECtalk editions

Digital Equipment Corporation and others (1984-2000)

When DEC licensed the system and released it as DECtalk, they continued to collaborate with Klatt on the development, until his dead in 1988, whereafter DEC continued development until the late 90s, both as hardware, and later software products. Hardware products included, but were not limited to:

In 1994, DEC launched DECtalk as a software product running on Windows NT with their own Alpha architecture, and later ported to run on Intel as well. DECtalk software was available as a SDK for developers, though it could be demonstrated for free through a demo program, which allowed a user to type in text and have it read aloud by DECtalk. The voice sounded mostly similar to the DECtalk hardware products, though it had a few differences in the sound and how it behaved, some of which related to the singing.

Listen to a sample of DECtalk 4.2 Software:

The sound of DECtalk software remained mostly the same throughout the nineties, even through DECtalk's acquisition by Compaq in 1998, who released DECtalk version 4.51, and later by SMART Modular Technologies in 1999, who released DECtalk version 4.60. DECtalk 4.60 is probably best remembered for being the version used in DECtalk Access32, a product sold specifically as a speech synthesizer option for screen readers.

Listen to a sample of DECtalk 4.60:

Force Computers, Inc. (2000-2001)

In 2000, DECtalk was sold to Force Computers, Inc., who radically altered the sound of DECtalk. Their first and only release, version 4.61, had a much thinner sound than previews versions, and altered the pitch and characteristics of most of the voices. This version was released as software, and was also made available both for the DECtalk PC2 and DECtalk Express.

Listen to a sample of DECtalk 4.61:

Fonix Corporation (December 2001-2020)

In december 2001, DECtalk was sold again, this time to Fonix Corporation, who are the last known owner of DECtalk, under their branch Speech FX, Inc. Fonix made an efford to revert many of the changes made in DECtalk 4.61, to restore a more classic DECtalk sound. However the resulting version, 4.64, ended up being even more removed from the older DECtalk versions from DEC. It had restored a more present sound, but the voice intonation, characteristics and pronunciation was altered to a point of almost not sounding like DECtalk at all. This version of DECtalk is probably best nown for being included in the Moonbase Alpha game's chat client.

Listen to a sample of DECtalk 4.64:

Fonix also released DECtalk 5.0, which was available in many different sounding editions. This was meant to be Fonix's own spin on the DECtalk sound, but is one of the lowest regarded DECtalk version today. This also later released FonixTalk 6.0 and 6.1, which was a continuation of the DECtalk 5.0 sound.

Listen to a sample of FonixTalk 6.0:

In 2004, Fonix licensed DECtalk to Access Solutions, to be used in their DECtalk USB unit. The DECtalk USB is a hardware unit, regarded as the successor to the DECtalk Express. It has similar functions, but can connect to a computer both through USB and RS232, and has support for multiple languages. It uses a modified version of DECtalk 5.0, altered to sound more like DECtalk 4.2CD from the DECtalk Express. The DECtalk USB is not being manufactured anymore, but is still for sale until stock runs out.

Listen to a sample of the DECtalk USB:

Fonix went out of business in 2014 and Speech FX in 2020. DECtalk is therefore not being worked on officially anymore, though a small group of private developers are maintaining a project containing working DECtalk builds for modern architecture, known as DECtalk 4.99.

DECtalk today

Today, DECtalk is probably best known for being incorrectly attributed to being the voice used by Stephen Hawking. It has also become somewhat famous for it's ability to sing, which many people have used in text-to-speech creations such as songs, skits and anything inbetween. The most used DECtalk version for these projects is version 4.3, which is generally agreed upon to be the best software version of DECtalk, sounding the closest to the hardware products.

Listen to a sample of DECtalk 4.3:

About the DECtalk Archive

The focus of this archive is speech synthesizer creations, especially those that use DECtalk. The archive is available either as a Resilio Sync folder, or as a website at dectalk.nu, either of which will allow anyone to download the archive. However, if new files are added to the Resilio Sync folder, they will not be shared automatically with everybody else. Read on to find out how you can contribute to the archive.

About different speech synthesizers in the archive

The primary focus of the software part of the archive is to include different versions of the DECtalk speech synthesizer, however it is also open to other, primarily older, software speech synthesizers, as long as they meet the following criteria:

  1. The archive will only host speech synthesizers which are free to use for everyone, and do not require payment to be usable. Example of software requiring payment: Eloquence from Code Factory
  2. The archive will not contain cracks, keygens or the like for any type of software, even if the software is "presumably" unsupported, or the company behind it have gone out of business. It is almost impossible to be absolutely certain about those circumstances without a direct, public statement from the company in question, and it is likely not worth it to take the risc. Example of software requiring cracking to be used: Infovox 230
  3. The archive will primarily focus on hosting english speech synthesizers, though a speech synthesizer of a different language might be accepted, depending on the file size and current availability.

If you have a speech synthesizer you think belongs in the archive, or if you notice a speech synthesizer in the archive not meeting these criteria, please get in touch.

Download as ZIP

If you would like to download the entire archive, I'd recommend connecting to the Resilio Sync folder, to help keep the archive alive by automatically distributing it to other people through Resilio Sync. However, if you do not want to / are unable to use Resilio Sync for one reason or another, you can download the archive as a ZIP file. Please note however, that the ZIP file might not be updated as frequently as the archive itself. You can see the latest updates in the archive in the changelog at the bottom of the page.

Last ZIP update: 05/14/2025

Browse the archive

Content Warning

WARNING!

Some files in this archive contain content that might be deemed unsuitable by various people. Since this content is relevant to the topic of speech synthesizer creations, it has been added to the archive. You have been warned. If you find this offensive, you have my appologies, but the content will not be removed unless requested by it's creator. Listen and/or read at your own risk.

Contributing to the archive

If you would like to contribute to the archive, contact Aksel Christoffersen by mail, or through the AudioGames.net Forum. If it's your first time contributing your own creation(s) to the archive, please specify which name you would like your content to be listed under. It could be your real name, or a selected username. If no name is specified, the content will be saved in the "Miscellaneous" folder.

If your content is in .wav format, I would recommend you convert it to .flac format instead. FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) is a so called "lossless" audio format, which compresses an audio file to a smaller size, about 60 percent of the original size, without losing any of the original audio. Since FLAC also preserves the timestamp of the original file, no data is lost at all, and virtually all operating systems can play FLAC at this time. If you would like to keep your content in .wav format, or if you do not know how to convert to .flac, please let me know, and I'll be happy to do it for you. All existing archive content in .wav format will remain unchanged.

If the size of your content is small, under 10 MB, you can send it as attachments to your e-mail. If not, you might want to use a file sharing site. My reccomendation would be Dropbox, where you can copy a link to a file or folder in your Dropbox folder, and send it in an e-mail for easy sharing. If you don't already have a Dropbox account, you can sign up for a free one here and get 2.5 GB of space for free.

Distributing the archive

The purpose of this archive is to get the content into the hands of anyone who wants it. As such, you are always permitted to distribute anything from this archive to anyone who might want it. If an individual intend to keep the content around for a longer period of time, I'd strongly adwise to connect to the Resilio Sync folder, to help keep the archive alive by automatically distributing it to other people through Resilio Sync. Alternatively, you can always give the url to the website, dectalk.nu, if the individual in question is simply looking to get a small number of files.

How to get started with Resilio Sync

Note: this guide describes installation of Resilio Sync on Windows, with specific instructions for screen reader users, and has not been tested with other operating systems.

  1. You'll need the Resilio Sync program itself. You can download it here.
  2. When you've downloaded Resilio Sync, run the installation file. Check the first four boxes in the installation window as you like, but make sure to check the fifth one called "Install Resilio Sync as Windows service", and press Next.
  3. Resilio Sync will now begin the installation process, and at some point, a Windows Security box will open. Here you'll need to enter your computer's username and password, in order for Resilio Sync to be properly installed.
  4. When the installation is complete, the installation window will automatically close, and Resilio Sync will open in your web browser. You will now be asked to choose a username and password, which will be used to access Resilio Sync. This username is only used for signing in to Resilio Sync on this computer alone, and is not visible to anybody else. Press Continue after entering your information.
  5. You'll now be asked to enter a username again along with your e-mail address, and two boxes you have to check, to agree with Resilio's terms of use. This username functions as your Resilio Sync identity, and will be what other users will see when reviewing who is connected to a particular folder. Press Next when you're done.
  6. Resilio Sync will now ask you to get a free license, in order to use the program. You can register for one here. Follow the instructions on the site to receive a license via e-mail.
  7. When you receive an e-mail, you'll find the license file attached in the message. Save it to your computer from your mail application. Then go back to the Resilio Sync window, and press the link called "Apply New License" at the bottom of the site.
  8. Now, use Windows Explorer to locate your license file, and right click on the file with shift+f10. Select the option called "Copy as path".
  9. Now, go back to the Resilio Sync window, and find the text field called "Path", and paste the path to the license here with ctrl+v. Make sure to remove the quotes at each end of the path. Go down to the bottom of the site and press Open. Resilio Sync should now be activated and fully unlocked.
  10. Now, we need to add the DECtalk Archive folder. Select the button right above the "Follers" button, which your screen reader might describe as "Toggle Dropdown". Then press "Enter a key or link".
  11. Locate the text field described as "Use this field to enter a key or link generated from another device.", and paste the following link: https://link.resilio.com/#f=DECtalk%20Archive&sz=28E8&t=2&s=5SXCMCWMZ6U74JBLVITW4UWEPTYMM47GAQISEMMPBJW4NNC7QW6Q&i=CQV6OGHXPQ7E3S6445YMS25WSIXEDA6OT&v=3.0&a=2 then press Next.
  12. You can now choose where you want to save the data from the DECtalk Archive. The standard location is already writen in the "Path" field. If you're satisfied with the location, go to the bottom of the site and press Connect.
  13. You're good to go. The content in the DECtalk Archive folder will begin to download automatically. You will also be sending the data to others connected to the folder. You can close the window with ctrl+w.

About legality and the archive

To my knowledge, the songs created with synthesizers are not violations of copyright. Certainly, the skits created with speech synthesizers do not violate anything. However, if something does violate copyright or gives information relevant to breaking copyright law, I reserve the right to remove it at any time. This would, for example, include links to pirated software or content, so please don't post anything like that.

List of DECtalk versions currently in the archive

In this archive you will find at least one type of every known official version of the DECtalk speech synthesizer, that being either as a speak window, software for DECtalk hardware units, or some other type of software. However, this archive will not contain any unofficial or modified version of DECtalk, due in part to the, at the moment, unclear state regarding the ownership of DECtalk. This rule does however have the following exceptions:

  1. Every DECtalk speak window, which originally had the option to convert text to a .wav file grayed out, does now have this option available, at least in the version found in the DECtalk Speak Windows installer.
  2. The DECtalk 4.1 speak window is originally restricted, and is therefore provided in an unlocked version.

If you're looking for ready-to-go modern builds of DECtalk, you can find them here, and you can find everything about the current DECtalk development here. Here is a list of every version of DECtalk currently in the archive, with links to the apropriate file(s) for each version.

Note: Some of these versions are also available as NVDA Add-ons. Check the NVDA Add-ons folder for more information.

DECtalk 1.8

DECtalk 2.0

DECtalk 4.0

DECtalk 4.1

DECtalk 4.2

DECtalk 4.2B

DECtalk 4.2BW

DECtalk 4.2C

DECtalk 4.2CC

DECtalk 4.2CD

DECtalk 4.3

DECtalk 4.40

DECtalk 4.41

DECtalk 4.51 (Original)

DECtalk 4.51 (NWS)

DECtalk 4.60 (Original)

DECtalk 4.60 (R011)

DECtalk 4.60 (NWS)

DECtalk 4.61

DECtalk 4.61.1

DECtalk 4.62

DECtalk 4.63

DECtalk 4.64

DECtalk 5.0

DECtalk 5.1

FonixTalk 6.0

FonixTalk 6.1

Other

Other DECtalk resources

Here you can find some other resources relating to DECtalk speech synthesis.

Changelog

This section contains virtually every change made to the archive since it's revival on march 3rd, 2025. Information about older changes can be found in Miscellaneous/Old ReadMe Files.

03/03/2025

03/04/2025

03/05/2025

03/07/2025

03/10/2025

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04/22/2025

04/25/2025

04/27/2025

04/30/2025

05/01/2025

05/02/2025

05/06/2025

05/08/2025

05/09/2025

05/10/2025

05/11/2025

I sincerely hope you'll enjoy the content of this archive. If you have any questions, requests, comments or the like, feel free to drop a message.