This external needs the Speech Manager extension, which isn't included with this package. A license to include it would cost me $1000 or $1500 US dollars!!! And I would need to distribute it on CD-ROM! :-)
Here is a list of places where you can find (at the time of this writing) the software you need to use Speech Pack:
• CD-ROMs distributed by Apple like the Developer Series;
• on the Internet FTP site ftp.apple.com (130.43.2.3) you can find both
the Speech Manager and PlainTalk 1.0 extension in the
/dts/mac/sys.soft/speech directory. And the StdTTS extension is
• The Speech Manager 1.2 software is also available on the
ftp.support.apple.com site (130.43.6.3) in this directory:
"/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/Supplemental System
Software/Text to Speech Software"
The latest version of the PlainTalk installer (version 1.3, which
includes the Speech Manager 1.3) can be found at the same site:
"/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/Supplemental System
Software/PlainTalk/"
• CompuServe, if you know were to find it let me know and I include it
here.
• your local reseller, like:
Quality Computers of St. Claire Shores, MI USA (1-800-777-3642)
• the Apple distributor in your area/country
• usergroups
• Bulletin Board Systems (lot of download time! last option…)
The Speech Manager extension can be installed with System 6.0.6 and later.
With Speech Manager 1.1.1 you need to put the extension in the Extensions Folder and the ”MacinTalk Voices“ file direct in the System Folder or Extensions Folder, and restart. The same goes for the PlainTalk extension and its voice files. (With System 7 you can also use an alias to any voice file and/or the PlainTalk extension, but NOT to the Speech Manager extension.)
Speech Manager 1.2 & 1.3 comes with the PlainTalk 1.2 &1.3 installer and takes care of putting the files in the right places.
Be aware of the fact that the PlainTalk extension, which contains the MacinTalk Pro voice synthesizer, needs the Speech Manager extension. It just contains another speech synthesizer for the Speech Manager, and isn't a replacement. The Speech Manager needs the Component Manager to work. The Component Manager is part of the system software and included with System 7.1 and later. if you use an earlier system version you need other software which installs the Component Manager. QuickTime and the Sound Manager 3.0 extension do this, and some smaller extensions from Apple as wel.
Speech Manager 1.3 is at the moment the most recent released final version and is recommended. But Speech Pack works also with older versions of the Speech Manager and PlainTalk. If you have a beta-version it should work fine also. Wel, there shouldn't be any problem for which this external package can be blamed.
If you have Speech Manager 1.2, or later, you can trash all the old Speech Manager 1.0 extensions and voices.
You don't need the Sound Manager 3.0 to use this external, although it is recommended. But if you create 16-bit sound files using the SP Voice sound function you need it to play them back. Sound Manager 3.0 is installed by System Update 2.0 and later.
Because the Speech Manager and Speech Pack use additional memory in the same space 4D uses, you may need to increase the application memory size of 4D. You can do this by selecting your 4D application in the Finder and choose ”Get Info…“ from the ”File“ menu. At the bottom of the window which appears you can change the amount of memory allocated to 4D.
Since the tune-up for System 7.0 and System 7.1 itself, an application will be launched in less memory, without any warning, if the preferred amount is not available (but above the minimum amount). You may be working with much less memory you expected to have!
As a rough rule of thumb plan on adding 250Kb for each open voice. Or if you use only MacinTalk II or III voices add about 50Kb per voice. The MacinTalk Pro voices may require 2Mb or more per voice.*
You can use this external with both 4th Dimension version 2 and 3 and 4D Server/4D Client 1. When using 4D Server/4D Client the Speech Manager software has to be installed at the client machine. It's no problem if it isn't installed with the server machine.
On some older Macs (Mac SE, Mac Plus and older) you will hear a click before and after the voice read your text and when opening and closing a voice, this is due to a hardware problem which is difficult to fix. On the same machines it is not possible to speak two or more texts at the same time. The PlainTalk extension will not work on machines with an 68000 processor (Macintosh, Macintosh XL, Macintosh 512Ke, Macintosh Plus, Macintosh SE, Macintosh Portable, Macintosh Classic and PowerBook 100).
