Multiple Sounds

Multiple Sounds

Postby ltheden » Tue Nov 09, 2010 11:59 pm

First, thank you for this great app! I got it last week and after a bit of work, I got my entire vocab list for my Chinese class on it. I've been studying on the bus, train etc. Its great, really.

I was wondering if its possible to have multiple sounds for a card? Since mandarin has a limited number of spoken sounds, it would be easy to upload a collection of sounds, then combine them for each word if there are more than one sylabble. Then once the card is shown, each sound would be played in succession.

Is this possible?

Thanks!
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Re: Multiple Sounds

Postby Ernie » Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:23 am

The app does not support this feature. It's an interesting idea, but I doubt I'll ever support this, at least not anytime soon. I think it would be great to provide tools to auto-download sound clips in a variety of language (sure would be nice is there was a global repository of such words), but lack of free time and copyright concerns have kepted me from starting this.
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Re: Multiple Sounds

Postby Guest » Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:07 pm

I think, what I am getting at is not an auto-download feature, just being able to play two or more sound clips in succession. As for copyright issues, it wouldn't be an issue if i were to record myself reciting the words or buying them from some publisher somewhere.
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Re: Multiple Sounds

Postby Ernie » Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:11 pm

I understand. My fault for changing the subject unnecessarily. I don't have any plans to add such a feature to play multiple sounds successively, but I'll keep it on my radar.
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Re: Multiple Sounds

Postby George Wade » Sat Nov 13, 2010 8:20 pm

OK as an idea, but: Eg. the two sounds "xie xie" are usually pronouced differently. The first one 'As in the Book' and the second one more low level to support it. Saves choking or getting hiccups ~ its easier to say that way: so a more complex algorithm is necessary, perhaps, to do this job properly ?

GREAT app. Will stop the gap very nicely till Mnemosysne comes out for iTouch with no limit to years of repetitions. I never want to forget my rules of the road for sailing, nor French, that I'm about to relearn after 45 years. Not intended as a backhanded compliment ~ I can 'Escape' the confines of my microscopic apartment and learn stuff... :twisted:
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Re: Multiple Sounds

Postby Guest » Mon Nov 15, 2010 5:40 am

An older java program I use as a dictionary called DimSum uses this technique. For most words it ends up sounding a bit robotic, but its better than nothing, given the fact that there really isn't an affordable solution. Not to mention, I really like this app, so why change apps if it's not broken?

You are almost correct. The first "xie" is 4th tone, while the second is neutral. So, really they are two different sounds. Which is why I made this post in the first place. The sounds come from www dot chinese-lessons dot com forward-slash download dot html if you want to take a look.
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Re: Multiple Sounds

Postby Ernie » Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:02 am

If I could use those sound in my commercial application, what I might to is offer a service to put them together to create sound clips of entire words. But kind of pointless to talk about since I can't because of copyright.

I think this feature of combining sounds on the fly in the app is too language specific for what I want to do with this app, but I'll keep my ears open and these ideas on the table.
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Re: Multiple Sounds

Postby ltheden » Thu Nov 18, 2010 12:10 am

True, you wouldn't be able to use the sounds, but I would. Also, it not really, processing the sounds so they play as one..."combining". Its just playing one sound, then playing another.
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Re: Multiple Sounds

Postby Ernie » Thu Nov 18, 2010 1:47 am

I understand, but it's not a trivial task to support such a feature.
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