Our thanks to VOTRAX for the prompt clarification above. Here's a helpful answer from a reader:

Re: Edward Sweeny,

"Your Atari 800 is quite compatible with your Votrax Type'N Talk speech synthesizer. If the TNT is properly connected to a speaker, it should say, "SYSTEM READY," when you turn it on.

You also must have the Atari 850 interface and its initialization software. Set the baud rate switch #6 down on the TNT and plug TNT into your interface port #1.

If you have already run into trouble, contact Votrax. If you are sure that TNT and 850 are OK up to this point, the following little Atari Basic routine will get you started.

1 OPEN #2, 8, 0, "R1:"
2 XIO 36, #2, 12, 0, "R1:"
3 XIO 34, #2, 48, 0, "R1:"
4 PRINT #2; "TALK 2ME"
5 STOP

Jerry White