MG005 Speech Synthesiser - Designed for RC2014

Name: MG005 Speech Synthesiser - Designed for RC2014
SKU: 22200
Price: 45.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.94 (4 reviews)

(4 Reviews)

SP0256A-AL2 based Speech Synthesiser designed for RC2014

Designed by Mr Gelée's tech in United Kingdom

MG005 Speech Synthesiser - Designed for RC2014 1

MG005 Speech Synthesiser - Designed for RC2014 2

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SP0256A-AL2 based Speech Synthesiser designed for RC2014

What is it? A kit to make a speech synthesiser for the RC2014. Why did you make it? I found a SP0256A-AL2 “Narrator Speech Processor” integrated circuit (designed by General Instrument) in my loft. …

What is it?

A kit to make a speech synthesiser for the RC2014.

Why did you make it?

I found a SP0256A-AL2 “Narrator Speech Processor” integrated circuit (designed by General Instrument) in my loft. I think I ripped this out of a DKtronics speech processor for the ZX Spectrum in the late 1980's. I thought it would be great to get this working, and a module for RC2014 was an obvious choice. I've found a source of genuine "new-old" SP0256A-AL2 ICs, therefore I'm able to offer kits for sale.

What makes it special?

It's a genuine 1980's speech synthesiser, with all that that implies with respect to character and voice quality. It is operated by sending it a list of allophones (spoken sounds) that can be used to build words. This is all possible using the standard RC2014 BASIC (my instructions get you started with a "hello world")

What's included?

A PCB and all components required are included, including sockets for all ICs. A small speaker is included to mount on the PCB, but there's also a connection for an external speaker. A PDF with full instructions is available at the link below.

All components are new, with the exception of the SP0256A-AL2, which I test before selling.

There's an option to purchase the kit MINUS the SP0256A-AL2, in case the purchaser has one of their own or can source one. But please beware, many of the cheap ones on eBay appear to be fakes, which may or may not work.

What else do I need to know?

MG005 has been designed for RC2014 with reference to the RC2014 Module Template. All pinouts used and the physical outline are in compliance with the RC2014 Module Template.

RC2014 is a trademark of RFC2795 Ltd.

MG005 has been designed for hobbyist use only and is not to be used for safety or business critical applications. The kit assumes basic through-hole soldering skills.

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Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (5.00)

Documentation: (4.75)

Shipping: (5.00)

Communication: (5.00)

Michael | March 31, 2023

Exactly what I was looking for

Back in the 1980's, I read a computer magazine article about building your own speech synthesizer for the Commodore C-64 using the SPO256AL2 chip. I rushed off to Radio Shack and used all of my lawnmower money to pick one up. I still have it to this day, and I've bought another one as a backup, but I wasn't sure it was a real or fake chip (fake SPO256 chips are rampant on the online auction shops due to their popularity). I've wanted to relive those fun days when we used to prank call our girlfriends and make it ask if their refrigerator was running.

Last year, I attempted to build Scott Baker's version, but I couldn't work out the exact Bill of Materials and the one I assembled just spoke garbage with a lot of static. I was excited to find this kit on Tindie, and I ordered it as soon as I saw that it had good reviews.
The kit was easy to assemble, and the parts were clearly labeled. I had a few 3.12 MHz crystals in my collection from when I tried to make a similar board in the past, so I used one of those to get an "authentic" sound. I found them on Digi-Key, I think. The biggest advantage is that the SPO256AL2 chip was legitimate and worked as soon as I plugged it in and wrote the quick demo program.

Make sure to read all the documentation so you don't miss the jumper settings to make the demo code work.

David | April 6, 2021

Easy to build, worked first time

Needed to clean the PCB in order to get solder to adhere to some of the pads, but otherwise it was easy and straightforward to assemble and the instructions were good. The demo program worked first time and now I'm hooked writing software to translate text to allophones

Spencer | Feb. 4, 2021

Just what you need to bring your RC2014 to life!

This is a great kit, and one that I've been waiting for for a long time! It shipped quickly and went together easily. The documentation is easy to follow and the example program will get your RC2014 saying "Hello World" in no time at all. It is also a really good basis to make your RC2014 say anything else. Breaking words down in to their allophones can sometimes be a bit hit and miss, and are a little bit restrictive, so don't expect this 1980s technology to be reading the news in perfect Queens English any time soon! But it is a lot of fun. Talking of fun, How About A Nice Game Of Thermonuclear War?

Stephen | Jan. 25, 2021

Easy to put together and a lot of fun to play with.

I'm impressed - this kit is easy to put together (it took me about 30 minutes to solder everything). Once the soldering was checked, it worked first time. At the current price (including a SPO256-AL2 chip ) its pretty good value for money too.

Playing about with it brought me back to when I was a kid playing with the DK'Tronics speech synthesiser for the Amstrad CPC 464 - magic!

My only - very minor - criticism would be that the components weren't labeled and with older eyes, determining which resistors and capacitors were which involved an illuminated magnifying glass and the documentation. That said, it was hardly difficult.