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> With appropriate software, the VCA could respond to voice commands, function as a voice-controlled keyboard, record and play back digital audio, synthesize sp
by js2 8y ago
> With appropriate software, the VCA could respond to voice commands, function as a voice-controlled keyboard, record and play back digital audio, synthesize speech from text, detect and produce dialing signals, and function as a 1,200 baud modem. All that in 1985.
This is very similar to the Novation Apple-CAT II which was available by 1981 or so:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novation_CAT#The_Apple-CAT_II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novation_CAT#The_Apple-CAT_II
https://web.archive.org/web/20160508112704/http://www.jammed.com:80/~jwa/Machines/cat/ https://web.archive.org/web/20160508112704/http://www.jammed...
Ironically, Novation was wiped out when they retooled to produce a card for the PCjr.
- 394549 8y agoCould that do the voice recognition functions? The Apple-CAT II sounds like a conventional modem. I think the unique thing about this IBM sound cards is that it had a programmable DSP which made it much more flexible.
- js2 8y agoYes, my recollection is that it could recognize voice on the line. Besides that: - It had a four-voice synthesizer, so it could play music / synthesize voices, etc over the line. - It had a handset input, I think w/digitizer, so it could be used as a voice distorter. - It supported Bell 202 1200 bps half-duplex to another Cat II. - It could control a tape recorder, so it could be used as an answering machine. - It could control home appliances via BSR X-10. - It had RS-232 support, so it could be used as a serial printer controller. It was not a conventional modem.