Not sure about that Apple TTS program but I’d love to hear it!!!!! I know quite a few people that use Doepfer A-100 and they love it!!!!! It’s a bit much for a monophonic synth but if you can afford it I’m certain you WON’T be sorry!!!!! ;) I’ve heard some sounds that come from the A-100 system and it’s extremely impressive!!! Real analog ROCKS!!!! LOL As far as comparing to old modulars I’m not too sure…. I would think the Doepfer stuff would be more stable?!?!?! I don’t think of the muppets.. I think great music potential!!! :D I use Waldorf Equipment and love it…… don’t know how I got along with out it!! ;) Now I have a wife & 4 kids …….. the A-100 would be a bit of a stretch for me so I’ll just keep using the Waldorf synths!!!!!!! :D Christian Claycomb UniQue Werkx http://www.ampcast.com/uniquewerkx http://www.mp3.com/christianac http://www.soundclick.com/bands/uniquewerkx_music.htm http://stage.vitaminic.co.uk/unique_werkx/ -----Original Message----- From: kraftwerk-admin@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:kraftwerk-admin@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Paul Mennes Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2002 11:29 AM To: kraftwerk@mailman.xmission.com Subject: [Kraftwerk] Ralph on Apple? Hello there concerning the type-to-speech (or text-to-speech) programs. I recently found out that the electronic voice used on some records (most notably by Air on their new album) is a standard straight out of the box preset on an Apple computer. If I remember correctly one of the other 'preset voices' is called Ralph. Can anyone confirm this? Somebody mentioned Doepfer equipment here. Does anyone on the list use their modular system? Is it any good? Can you compare it to 'old modulars'? Has anyone compaired Doepfer to Analogue Systems (or Solutions, not sure)? And am I the only one who thinks of the Muppet Show when he hears the names Doepfer & Waldorf? :-) Kind greetings Paul

concerning the type-to-speech (or text-to-speech) programs. I recently found out that the electronic voice used on some records (most notably by Air on their new album) is a standard straight out of the box preset on an Apple computer. If I remember correctly one of the other 'preset voices' is called Ralph. Can anyone confirm this?

MacinTalk dates back to 1983 and has come free with the Mac OS since at least System 7.5 (1994) - possibly earlier. It is still present in Mac OS X. It has been used extensively in music, perhaps most notably by Aphex Twin (1995), Marilyn Manson (1996), and Radiohead (1997). One might say that it is ubiquitous and clichéd by this point, particularly in techno. It's now marketed as a tool for the visually disabled, but as a kid, it was fun to type various obscene phrases into a word processor and have the machine recite them. Ralph has been one of the default voices since about the mid-90's. His "catchphrase" (every voice has them) is "The sum of the squares of the legs of a right triangle is equal to the square of the hypotenuse." I would be shocked if Kraftwerk have not played with this system a little, although I'm certain they have access to far more sophisticated implementations of synthesized speech. -Eric