When It Rains It Pours (Seen On A Box Of Morton Salt)
I contacted Synleor, makers of
Visual Vox and Harmony Improvisator (my letter below) and I received this wonderful reply today. You can bet that I will be promoting PG Music products every step of the way.
What do you think, my friends?
Dear Don,
Thank you very much for your message. Synleor is more than happy to support your project!
It sounds like a fantastic thing and I am sure that many people who are in similar situations as you will greatly benefit from what you do.
We would therefore like to provide you with free copies of both Harmony Improvisator and Visual Vox.
The following promotional code will give you a 100% discount on the purchase. So please go to our website and follow the standard purchasing process but make sure to fill in this code in the respective field. With that you should get both for free. If there are any problems with this procedure please let us know.
Your code is: XXXXXXX (Masked)
We would be very interested to hear from time to time how you are progressing with this exciting experiment.
Please feel free to contact us any time if you have any questions.
We wish you all the best for your project,
Ruth
Synleor
www.synleor.comMy letter to Synleor:
Name : Don Gaynor
E-Mail : XXXXXXX (Masked)
Subject : Experiments In Speech SynthesisMessage : I am a mute as a result of a stroke. I communicate via a DynaVox speech synthesis device. I am a composer and formerly a singer/guitarist. I am striving to convert digital speech from my Dynavox into some semblance of singing. Are you willing to support my experiments by contribution of your Visual Vox and Harmony Improvisator software in exchange for my promotion of your products through the U. S.Veteran's Administration?
Dynavox is preparing a "Success Story" about my life and I am confident that you would benefit from the positive exposure. Additionally, I have the support of Dr. Peter Gannon of PG Music, creators of "Band In A Box" music composition software. I am confident that SYNLEOR would tangibly benefit from my experiments.
Thank you for your consideration.
Donald J. Gaynor, Sr.
Awesome Brotha! That is some good news. Another cool toy to add to your tool box.
Don:
I know from reading your posts that you can handle it. (big smile).
Great news.
Glenn
Thanks for starting the long running thread on humour - I've linked to it in e-mails to friends, and they have been laughing ever since.
Congrats Don! It's always good to see folks in the corporate world step up to the plate when needed.
Good for you and a big thanks to Synleor.
That is way cool Don, I am happy for you and it is very nice to see companys do what they have done for you.
Brian
Totally cook, Don! You can't be held back. We'll see if your album will go Platinum! Bet it will!
Gary
Wonderful news Don, could not have happened to a nicer guy!
Later,
Quote:
Wonderful news Don, could not have happened to a nicer guy!
Later,
a big +1
Very cool, Don! Looking forward to hearing more!
Steve
Dude, you are totally pulling this off! I'm impressed! You set a crazy 2-part goal then went and accomplished stage 1 already!
Stage 2 will be the song with vocals. Can't wait to hear the first one!
(Does this mean the jokes will have longer spaces between 'em?)
Projecting forward, I can see it all now:
"Don? You mean Don Gaynor, the guy who made
all those platinum hits based on synthetic voice
and Band In A Box? Yeahhhh, I knew him when
he was still talking about it...
Oh yeah, we're good friends"
pat, you are a nut!
as of today, v.a. prosthetics has not even placed the order yet. how do i get him moving?
yes, i'm excited about the prospect of singing (of sorts) again. maybe these products are not the answer i'm looking for. in that case i'll go to melodyne and see what they will do to support my experiments. can't hurt to ask.
incidentally, my friend, you are still in the loop with your melodyne support offer.
by comparison, these are probably kids toys. i'm not sure until i tinker a bit. based on price, under $200.00 for both, i really don't expect to be another caruso. possibly robinson.
Great news Don!!!
Your letter was well written & to the point. Their response was that of a successful company. (my opinion)
I wish you all the best in your endeavor.
Mick
Great news Don! You really deserve it......and I know you'll make the most of it...and have fun at the same time! A Very Happy New Year from Scotland!
Regards, Joe G.
Good job,Don!!
Your efforts in this area could end up helping thousands, even millions who want to "join us in the choir".
You have all our support and best wishes!
Carkins
Don,
Wishing you the very best with your efforts to make this happen!!
Onward and upward,
Cecil
Very good project and I am glad to see that Synleor is fully on-board. Congrats to you for taking the initiative.
Very happy for you, Don, and you have so much to "Gaynor" for your efforts.
You're gonna be busy.
Ian
You Go Don!
well, my friends, i got both programs downloaded today so i'm anxious to delve and diddle. i'll keep you informed. still waiting for my new dynavox maestro to arrive so can't really experiment too deeply yet. but i'm sure that i'll have fun.
thanks to all for your encouragement.
going to diddle now.
today, Autotune has thrown in their support and i am afraid that melodyne WILL NOT support my experiments. sad!
hold your cards! another email from melodyne. they may support my experiments! they just asked for more details. that's very encouraging.
Quote:
hold your cards! another email from melodyne. they may support my experiments! they just asked for more details. that's very encouraging.
Don, I speak and write German, so if that's of any assistance to you getting the Melodyne folks involved, I'm raising my hand to help.
Actually, Google translate does an amazing first-cut job on this compared to programs available as standalone items in the past. Keep your sentences simple, avoid using technical wording as much as possible, and you can get a very usable and understandable translation to/from English to/from most of the major world languages.
-Scott
Don,
you have really taken the ball and scored big on this project! And I just love the fact that it is a win-win for everybody! All of these companies gain something by showing how their products add value to the lives of everybody...
and to think the unthinkable... that a man who hasn't been able to sing or play his guitar for years could be technologically restored to a state of being able to write, record and sing his songs again! Man, what a human interest story!
Once this goal is a done deal, don't forget to contact the media. They love stories like this, and all the businesses that have so graciously helped deserve a big public attaboy!
And don't forget that it all started here... PGMusic was the first company to provide you with the tools to rediscover your music. (I want to hear that name first in all of the news stories!)
Congratulations, Don - well done!
once you have things working a youtube video about your project would probably go viral if promoted right
you might also consider documenting the process and publishing the results as an article in as many outlets you can think af that would reach an audience who would benefit
you could also consider writing for grants to fund and promote the project
here some links that may help
http://goo.gl/s7aAE could be the start of something big!
Great news Don! I'd love to hear some experiments.
If Melodyne won't help you might try the folks at Steinberg. Cubase 6 (and 5 before that) has great tools for manipulating wave files like they where midi. AutoTune is also included.
Good luck!
scott, in the dark recesses of me wee oyrish mind i had already seen your hand. i know you have been involved in dsp for years. your valued input seems to be a given. i hope that i can call upon your expertise when i get my proverbial ducks in an orderly column.
today i spoke with my speech language pathologist (SLP) and the dynavox rep who is also a SLP and they are recruiting masters students who may take on the project as a masters' thesis.
regarding german, the person who has been corresponding with me by email writes very fluent english so that has not been a problem so far. perhaps i will call upon your language skills very soon. thank you.
just received an email from an executive at melodyne. he recognized the negative impact that would result from their glaring absence so they are seriously considering supporting my experiments. yahoo, kids!
Auto-tune folks are at the NAMM show but have already promised their full support.
Does anyone want to tackle the video demo task? I'm waiting to see what dynavox does with my "success story" before i duplicate their efforts unintentionally.
Don,
Never give up with a company, that is until you have pleaded your case to the "top dog". I know from experience because the CAD mic company was very good to our little children's charity, as they donated 2 mics for the in school special ed programs we were doing with no questions asked. That(and because they make a wonderful product at reasonable prices)is why I tout Cad Mics every chance I get . . . see, here is one of those chances.
Best To Ya!
Quote:
Quote:
hold your cards! another email from melodyne. they may support my experiments! they just asked for more details. that's very encouraging.
Don, I speak and write German, so if that's of any assistance to you getting the Melodyne folks involved, I'm raising my hand to help.
Actually, Google translate does an amazing first-cut job on this compared to programs available as standalone items in the past. Keep your sentences simple, avoid using technical wording as much as possible, and you can get a very usable and understandable translation to/from English to/from most of the major world languages.
-Scott
scott, amigo, you have a PM. i'm as excited as a kid in a candy shoppe! woohoo!
I got AutoTune software today as promised so color me tinkering for a few days. Put a huge grin on my face.
Hi Don. And congratulations are in order. Thru you the world will change for the better. And thru these companies that donate their equipment is just awesome. Hats off to all who contribute.
Don you rascal, you have really been busy on this project. I can't wait to see how it progresses.
And look...... even Don's chicken is excited.
Now we sit upon our carpals while waiting for the veteran's administration to get new funding. The Maestro costs a mere US$16,000.00. I have absolutely no idea how many loonies or Ozzie Bux that is. I sincerely hope to see it in February. I have absolutely no idea what month that is in Oz or what year, for that matter.
Ya, my chicken is doing The Funky Chicken 1-Step trying not to step in it.
Way to go Don !! That made ME happy . . .
Congrats,
Eddie
Way to go Don. You're making amazing progress with these folks and we're all there rooting for you!
Just received an email from Melodyne's Director of Marketing saying that he has requested support from Engineering and has forwarded my idea and request for support. Perhaps they realize the potential for speech-impaired people like me. A forward-thinking company leaves no stone unturned. I may have merely alerted a firm, in a much better position than me to bring it to fruition, of an untapped market of speech-disabled singer/musicians. Anyway, don't count Melodyne out yet. It's just that the bigger wheels turn much slower. You can quote me on that.
Bummer, I got a call from my VA Speech Therapist, the wonderful lady that ordered my DynaVox Maestro, and she said the order has been delayed 6 to 8 weeks while awaiting funding. She told me up front that other veterans were in the queue ahead of me but I had assumed a month or so and it is 5+ weeks already. I've been chomping at the bit until I've bit the bit clean in two! Hey buddy, you wouldn't happen to have $16,000.00 for a cup of coffee, would you?
She said there is not a doubt of my getting it, the order has already been approved, it's just a matter of waiting my turn.
Color me dark delta blue with disappointment trim.
Meanwhile you could use the waiting time effectively by downloading the demos and start learning how to add pitch & melody to a synthetic voice.
If you already have access to the voice, and a way to save it to a sound file then all you need is a Melodyne demo, available here:
http://www.celemony.com/cms/index.php?id=demosthis is a 30 day demo, almost as long as the wait for your dynavox.
If you don't have a way to convert typed text to audio speech then save it as an MP3, here's is a downloadable app that will let you do exactly that:
http://download.cnet.com/Text-Speaker/3000-7239_4-10877963.html
Good morning, Pat.
I still have my original DynaVox V/Max (qv) that I can record for synthesized speech sampling but the Maestro allows direct recording to solid state hard drive, no acoustic coupling or digital recording required. Also, a broader selection of "voices" to chose from. As it is now, I must acoustically couple to my digital voice recorder from less than ideal DynaVox speakers, through all levels of extraneous ambient noise, then into my DAW. Too many ways to degrade the specimens (I recently was called a fine physical specimen then I learned what those blinking medicos call specimen. Not pretty). I already have received the AutoTune software so am okay on that score.
Hopefully, I will have some MP3 speech specimens ready for serious analysis this weekend. Stay tuna!
Yippee! Melodyne came through for me with a free download of Melodyne assistant version 2 NFR. Color me happiness trimmed in excited. Withdrawing to my laboratree with Egor. Will be up for air, occasionally, maybe.
