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Re: [CQ-Contest] Improving voice recordings for phone contests

To: "cq-contest@contesting.com" <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Improving voice recordings for phone contests
From: Rudy Bakalov <r_bakalov@yahoo.com>
Reply-to: Rudy Bakalov <r_bakalov@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 2013 08:48:53 -0800 (PST)
List-post: <cq-contest@contesting.com">mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
The idea is to pre-record it ALL so that SSB contesting becomes the same as CW 
or RTTY contesting. Use the mic only in extreme situations.

Works great for the exchange as well


<prosody rate="+50%"> 
Kilo Four X-Ray Sugar, five nine oscar november
</prosody>



________________________________
 From: Pete Smith N4ZR <n4zr@contesting.com>
To: cq-contest@contesting.com 
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 10:30 AM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Improving voice recordings for phone contests
 
Amen. Close to 30 years ago I had a Radio Shack speech synthesizer chip that I 
tried to use for this purpose. It made speech, all right, but often the only 
response to my machine-speak was "sorry - your audio went bad. again, please."

73, Pete N4ZR
Check out the Reverse Beacon Network at
http://reversebeacon.net,
blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com.
For spots, please go to your favorite
ARC V6 or VE7CC DX cluster node.

On 3/8/2013 8:57 AM, Cqtestk4xs@aol.com wrote:
> Do NOT use a different voice for the exchange!!!  It really screws up  the
> op on the other end, especially when there is QRM or you don't have a big
> signal.  The guy on the other end is expecting a voice similar to the one
> that CQed or called him.  If you don't hear that in less than optimal
> conditions you think the guy QSYed.
>   As an SSB contester I've had this happen to me a few times and it is a
> PITA.
>   Bill K4XS
>     In a message dated 3/8/2013 1:35:36 P.M. Coordinated Universal Time,
> r_bakalov@yahoo.com writes:
> 
> Have you  guys tried using AT&T Labs' text to speech site? See
> http://www2.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php ; You won't be using  your 
> own voice,
> but at the very least the voice will be consistent. I am not a  SSB fan, but
> do want to get into SSB contests and have been toying with the  idea of
> recording it all with a text-to-speech tools. For call signs, my  thought is 
> to
> make them sound more natural by identifying the top unique  prefixes and
> recording dedicated files for them (e.g., W1, DL5, S50,  etc.).
> 
> 
> Rudy  N2WQ
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Björn SM0MDG  <bjorn@sm0mdg.com>
> To: CQ Contest <cq-contest@contesting.com>
> Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 5:05 AM
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Improving  voice recordings for phone contests
> 
> On 7 mar 2013, at 13:30, Pete Smith  N4ZR <n4zr@contesting.com> wrote:
> 
>> Before last weekend's  contest, I had a chance to experiment a bit with
> my voice recordings.   One of the problems I have always had is that when I
> try to enunciate clearly  I always slow down, and the resulting recording
> lacks the urgency you expect  in a contest situation. I also always notice
> stations whose recorded and live  audio don't sound anything alike, and wanted
> to minimize that as much as  possible.
>> I use Audacity, excellent freeware recording  software, but this time
> around I "discovered" its "Change Tempo" function,  which speeds up speech
> without changing the pitch or timbre.  The results  are wonderful - you can
> speed up any recording 10 or 20 percent at a time, and  it sounds completely
> natural, just faster.
>> *listen and adjust  the tempo (on the same Enhance menu) for the effect I
> want.  Repeat these  4 steps for each recorded message.
> 
> I used the same methodology for the  recordings I made for CQ160 SSB where
> I had to go "silent". I voiced in normal  speed (or slightly below normal),
> articulating clearly and used about 20-30%  tempo increase. I would be
> interested to hear others "best practice" on the  amount of speed increase.
> 
> A sample exchange of mine is posted on the  SE0X blog, go to www.se0x.info
> in the CQ160 SSB update and listen to the audio  file.
> 
> Another benefit of voicing all prompts is that exchanges are kept  to the
> essentials keeping the rate high. Of course this can only happen if  voice
> prompts are clear and easy to receive by the other station. The benefit  is
> probably higher in a contest with a predictable exchange leaving only the
> call to constructed on the fly by N1MM.
> 
> 73 de  Björn,
> SM0MDG
> VP2MSW
> V21BM
> SE0X
> 
> 
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