FAQ

SpeechStation2 - Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Does SpeechStation2 run on Windows 7/8?

A. No. SpeechStation2 does not currently work with Windows 7/8.

Q. Why am I getting errors while trying to install/run SpeechStation2 on Windows^® 2000/XP/Vista?

A. On operating systems based on NT 5 (Windows^® 2000, Windows^® XP, Windows^® Vista) it is necessary to log in as an administrator to properly install SpeechStation2. While installing as a Power User may appear to succeed, in fact the program will not be correctly installed. Note: On Windows^® XP all user accounts other than Limited Users normally have administrator privileges and may be used to install SpeechStation2.

Q. Does SpeechStation2 work under MacOS or Linux/Unix?

A. No. The SpeechStation2 is available for Windows^® 98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista only.

Q. Can SpeechStation2 accept non .WAV files as input?

A. Yes, SpeechStation2 also reads Sensimetrics .DAT files (by converting them to .WAV files). Other file formats are not supported.

Q. What is the default format of the audio files produced by SpeechStation2?

A. SpeechStation2 outputs only one file type: Windows .WAV files.

Q. What kind of sounds can be analyzed with SpeechStation2? Can I record signals? Stereo?

A. There is no limit on the kind of sounds that can be analyzed with SpeechStation2. Any recorded sound (e.g., animal sounds, machines, music, human speech) can be analyzed by the SpeechStation2. Stereo recordings can be made and stereo .WAV files can be analyzed using SpeechStation2; each of the two channels will be shown in a separate window.

Q. What is the sampling rate in SpeechStation2?

A. SpeechStation2 depends on your computer's sound card to record input and play output. Most modern PC audio cards support 11.025 kHz, 22.05 kHz, and 44.1 kHz sampling rates; SpeechStation2 supports recording and playback at these three sample rates and supports real-time spectrograms at the first two of these rates (but check your card's documentation to be sure the card also supports the rate you want to use). For operations other than recording and playback SpeechStation2 is not limited by the sound card, and will support essentially any sampling rate (i.e., any rate that will fit in the header of a .WAV file).

Q. Does SpeechStation2 require any additional PC hardware to be installed in order to function?

A. No. SpeechStation2 utilizes your Windows-compatible sound card or audio adapter, but requires no additional hardware. Some PC’s are sold without sound cards or audio adapters. Users must acquire and install their own if they wish to play or record sounds from within SpeechStation2.

Q. Does SpeechStation2 require any additional peripherals for the PC?

A. If you want to record sounds, you will need a microphone. Additionally, the PC must be equipped with either loudspeakers or headphones to listen to the recordings.

Q. How can I view multiple files in the SpeechStation2 window?

A. Under the File menu, pick "New". This will open a new wave file viewer window, within which you can open a second (or succeeding) file.

Q. What kind of visual display does SpeechStation2 produce? What data can I extract?

A. The primary display of SpeechStation2 shows the audio waveform and its spectrogram. Other available displays show spectral slices, LPC-based spectrograms, formant tracks, pitch tracks, 3-D and line waterfall plots, vowel space plots, and real-time spectrograms.

Q. Can SpeechStation2 save formant tracks and/or pitch tracks to ASCII/text output files?

A. Yes, the SpeechStation2 can save pitch tracks to a text file, and also formant tracks (as of Version 1.1)

Q. How does SpeechStation2 permit the viewing of real-time spectrograms?

A. In the Tools menu, select "Real-Time spectrogram", and when the continuous spectrogram view window appears adjust the parameters given there to your liking. Then click on the "Go" button to begin recording and analyzing sound from your sound card. Click on "Stop" to stop the recording and scrolling process. The spectrogram of the entire recording is then available for analysis.

Q. I am having a problem printing spectrograms with SpeechStation2. What should I do?

A. To see the list of known issues, and possible resolutions, click here.