Measurement of formant frequencies and bandwidths in singing

That singers under certain circumstances adjust the articulation of the vocal tract (formant tuning) to enhance acoustic output is both apparent from measurements and understood in theory. The precise effect of a formant on an approaching (retreating) harmonic as the latter varies in frequency during actual singing, however, is difficult to isolate. In this study variations in amplitude of radiated sound components as well as supraglottal and subglottal (esophageal) pressures accompanying the vibrato-related sweep of voice harmonics were used as a basis for estimating the effective center frequencies and bandwidths of the first and second formants.     

Effects of Tonsillectomy on Speech Spectrum

Changes in the speech spectrum of vowels and consonants before and after tonsillectomy were investigated to find out the impact of the operation on speech quality. Speech recordings obtained from patients were analyzed using the Kay Elemetrics, Multi-Dimensional Voice Processing (MDVP Advanced) software. Examination of the time-course changes after the operation revealed that certain speech parameters changed. These changes were mainly F3 (formant center frequency) and B3 (formant bandwidth) for the vowel /o/ and a slight decrease in B1 and B2 for the vowel /a/. The noise-to-harmonic ratio (NHR) also decreased slightly, suggesting less nasalized vowels. It was also observed that the fricative, glottal consonant /h/ has been affected. The larger the tonsil had been, the more changes were seen in the speech spectrum. The changes in the speech characteristics (except F3 and B3 for the vowel /o/) tended to recover, suggesting an involvement of auditory feedback and/or replacement of a new soft tissue with the tonsils. Although the changes were minimal and, therefore, have little effect on the extracted acoustic parameters, they cannot be disregarded for those relying on their voice for professional reasons, that is, singers, professional speakers, and so forth.     

Formant frequency analysis of children''s spoken and sung vowels using sweeping fundamental frequency production

High-pitched productions present difficulties in formant frequency analysis due to wide harmonic spacing and poorly defined formants. As a consequence, there is little reliable data regarding children's spoken or sung vowel formants. Twenty-nine 11-year-old Swedish children were asked to produce 4 sustained spoken and sung vowels. In order to circumvent the problem of wide harmonic spacing, F₁ and F₂ measurements were taken from vowels produced with a sweeping F₀. Experienced choir singers were selected as subjects in order to minimize the larynx height adjustments associated with pitch variation in less skilled subjects. Results showed significantly higher formant frequencies for speech than for singing. Formants were consistently higher in girls than in boys suggesting longer vocal tracts in these preadolescent boys. Furthermore, formant scaling demonstrated vowel dependent differences between boys and girls suggesting non-uniform differences in male and female vocal tract dimensions. These vowel-dependent sex differences were not consistent with adult data.     

Assessment of the Formant Frequencies in Normal and Laryngectomized Individuals Using Linear Predictive Coding

The objective of this study was to assess the difference in voice quality as defined by acoustical analysis using sustained vowel in laryngectomized patients in comparison with normal volunteers. This was designed as a retrospective single center cohort study. An adult tertiary referral unit formed the setting of this study. Fifty patients (40 males) who underwent total laryngectomy and 31 normal volunteers (18 male) participated. Group comparisons with the first three formant frequencies (F1, F2, and F3) using linear predictive coding (LPC) (Laryngograph Ltd, London, UK) was performed. The existence of any significant difference of F1, F2, and F3 between the two groups using the sustained vowel /i/ and the effects of other factors namely, tumor stage (T), chemoradiotherapy, pharyngectomy, cricothyroid myotomy, closure of pharyngoesophageal segment, and postoperative complication were analyzed. Formant frequencies F1, F2, and F3 were significantly different in male laryngectomees compared to controls: F1 (P<0.001, Mann-Whitney U test), F2 (P<0.001, Student's t test), and F3 (P=0.008, Student's t test). There was no significant difference between females in both groups for all three formant frequencies. Chemoradiotherapy and postoperative complications (pharyngocutaneous fistula) caused a significantly lower formant F1 in men, but showed little effect in F2 and F3. Laryngectomized males produced significantly higher formant frequencies, F1, F2, and F3, compared to normal volunteers, and this is consistent with literature. Chemoradiotherapy and postoperative complications significantly influenced the formant scores in the laryngectomee population. This study shows that robust and reliable data could be obtained using electroglottography and LPC in normal volunteers and laryngectomees using a sustained vowel.     

Perceived pitch of whispered vowels-relationship with formant frequencies: A preliminary study

To clarify the role of formant frequency in the perception of pitch in whispering, we conducted a preliminary experiment to determine (1.) whether speakers change their pitch during whispering; (2.) whether listeners can perceive differences in pitch; and (3.) what the acoustical features are when speakers change their pitch. The listening test of whispered Japanese speech demonstrates that one can determine the perceived pitch of vowel /a/ as ordinary, high, or low. Acoustical analysis revealed that the perception of pitch corresponds to some formant frequencies. Further data with synthesized whispered voice are necessary to confirm the importance of the formant frequencies in detail for perceived pitch of whispered vowels.     

The Acoustic Effects of Vowel Equalization Training in Singers

Vowel equalization is a technique that can be used by singers to achieve a more balanced vocal resonance, or chiaroscuro, by balancing corresponding front and back vowels, which share approximate tongue heights, and also high and low vowels by means of a more neutral or centralized lingual posture. The goal of this single group study was to quantify acoustic changes in vowels after a brief training session in vowel equalization. Fifteen young adults with amateur singing experience sang a passage and sustained isolated vowels both before and after a 15-minute training session in vowel equalization. The first two formants of the target vowels /e, i, ɑ, o, u/ were measured from microphone recordings. An analysis of variance was used to test for changes in formant values after the training session. These formant values mostly changed in a manner reflective of a more central tongue posture. For the sustained vowels, all formant changes suggested a more neutral tongue position after the training session. The vowels in the singing passage mostly changed in the expected direction, with exceptions possibly attributable to coarticulation. The changes in the vowel formants indicated that even a brief training session can result in significant changes in vowel acoustics. Further work to explore the perceptual consequences of vowel equalization is warranted.     

Formant frequency development: 15 to 36 months

Developmental characteristics of formant I (FI) and formant 2 (F2) are reported for spontaneous vocalizations produced by four young children. Each child was systematically sampled at between 15 and 36 months of age. Results indicated that both F1 and F2 remained relatively unchanged prior to 24 months of age. Significant decreases in average F1 and F2 occurred between 24 and 36 months. When F1 and F2 values were categorized according to tongue elevation and tongue advancement, the most significant changes were associated with high/back articulations. The pattern of formant frequencies noted in the present group of children appears to reflect developmental changes in vocal tract growth and reconfiguration.     

An improved model for the acoustic radiation impedance of the mouth based on an equivalent electrical network

This paper proposes a model for acoustic radiation impedance of the mouth in the form of the equivalent electrical network. Five known models of radiation impedance are compared: radiation of a circular piston set in a spherical baffle: radiation of a circular piston set in an infinite baffle, the Flanagan model, the Wakita and Fant model, and the Stevens, Kasowski and Fant model. The proposed model most accurately approximates the radiation impedance of a circular piston set in a spherical baffle. Differences between the acoustic resistance and reactance calculated by the proposed model and the piston set in a spherical baffle of 9 cm radius are relatively small in the kr < 2 region. The deviations in calculated values of the acoustic resistance and the reactance are within ±0.023 × ρc/A_m and ±0.008 × ρc/A_m, respectively, where A_m denotes the area of the mouth aperture. The accuracy of the proposed model is demonstrated by vowel formant frequency calculations. Differences in formant frequencies calculated by applying the proposed model and the piston set in a spherical baffle model are less than 0.3%.     

A Comparison of Two Methods of Formant Frequency Estimation for High-Pitched Voices

This study sought to compare formant frequencies estimated from natural phonation to those estimated using two methods of artificial laryngeal stimulation: (1) stimulation of the vocal tract using an artificial larynx placed on the neck and (2) stimulation of the vocal tract using an artificial larynx with an attached tube placed in the oral cavity. Twenty males between the ages of 18 and 45 performed the following three tasks on the vowels /a/ and /i/: (1) 4 seconds of sustained vowel, (2) 2 seconds of sustained vowel followed by 2 seconds of artificial phonation via a neck placement, and (3) 4 seconds of sustained vowel, the last two of which were accompanied by artificial phonation via an oral placement. Frequencies for formants 1-4 were measured for each task at second 1 and second 3 using linear predictive coding. These measures were compared across second 1 and second 3, as well as across all three tasks. Neither of the methods of artificial laryngeal stimulation tested in this study yielded formant frequency estimates that consistently agreed with those obtained from natural phonation for both vowels and all formants. However, when estimating mean formant frequency data for samples of large N, each of the methods agreed with mean estimations obtained from natural phonation for specific vowels and formants. The greatest agreement was found for a neck placement of the artificial larynx on the vowel /a/.     

The Relative Contributions of Speaking Fundamental Frequency and Formant Frequencies to Gender Identification Based on Isolated Vowels

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy with which listeners could identify the gender of a speaker from a synthesized isolated vowel based on the natural production of that speaker when (1) the fundamental frequency was consistent with the speaker's gender, (2) the fundamental frequency was inconsistent with the the speaker's gender, and (3) the speaker was transgendered. Ten male-to-female transgendered persons, 10 men and 10 women, served as subjects. Each speaker produced the vowels /i/, /u/, and //. These vowels were analyzed for fundamental frequency and the first three formant frequencies and bandwidths. Formant frequency and bandwidth information was used to synthesize two vowel tokens for each speaker, one at a fundamental frequency of 120 Hz and one at 240 Hz. Listeners were asked to listen to these tokens and determine whether the original speaker was male or female. Listeners were not aware of the use of transgendered speakers. Results showed that, in all cases, gender identifications were based on fundamental frequency, even when fundamental frequency and formant frequency information was contradictory.     

一种新的基于倒谱的共振峰频率检测算法

共振峰频率是语音信号的一个重要参数。传统的基于线性预测的共振峰检测算法由于受到计算量的限制,很难实现实时处理。本文提出一种基于倒谱变换的共振峰频率检测算法,采用后置处理,比较声道冲击响应对数幅频特性的二次导数和相频特性一次导数检测出的结果,删除伪峰数值和甄别合并共振峰,提高检测精度。仿真结果证明,该算法计算效率高,低信噪比下仍能保持较好的检测性能。     

The interaction of formant frequency and pitch in the perception of voice category and jaw opening in female singers

This study represents a first step toward understanding the contribution formant frequency makes to the perception of female voice categories. The effects of formant frequency and pitch on the perception of voice category were examined by constructing a perceptual study that used two sets of synthetic stimuli at various pitches throughout the female singing range. The first set was designed to test the effects of systematically varying formants 1 through 4. The second set was designed to test the relative effects of lower frequency formants (F1 and F2) versus higher frequency formants (F3 and F4) through construction of mixed stimuli. Generally, as the frequencies of all four formants decreased, perception of soprano voice category decreased at all but the highest pitch, A5. However, perception of soprano voice category also increased as a function of pitch. Listeners appeared to need agreement between all four formants to perceive voice categories. When upper and lower formants are inconsistent in frequency, listeners were unable to judge voice category, but they could use the inconsistent patterns to form perceptions about degree of jaw opening.     

Study of the formant and duration in Chinese whispered vowel speech

Study on the acoustical characteristic is important to speech and speaker recognition in Chinese whispered speech. In this paper, the characteristics of whispered speech are introduced and the acoustical characteristics in Chinese whispered speech are discussed. There is no fundamental frequency in the whispered speech, so other characteristics such as the duration and frequency of formant are extracted and analyzed. From experiments with six simple Chinese whispered vowels, it is proved that the duration and the frequency of formant can be used as the main acoustical characteristics in the Chinese whispered recognition.     

Dependence of jaw opening on pitch and vowel in singers

In singing, F₀ sometimes is much higher than the typical frequency value of F₁. According to previous investigations, sopranos raise F₁ to a frequency near F₀ by widening the jaw opening in such cases. In the present study, the jaw opening was measured in 10 professional singers of different categorizations whose task was to sing an ascending two-octave scale on different vowels. Their normal F₁ values for these vowels were determined at a low F₀. Only for the vowels /a/ and /a/ did the singers widen the jaw opening when F₀ approached the F₁ value measured at a low pitch. For the other vowels, jaw opening was widened, beginning at a higher F₀. It is assumed that for these vowels the singers used other articulatory means to increase F₁.     

Overtone singing: Productive mechanisms and acoustic data

Overtone singing is where one person sings in two voices, the first voice represented by the fundamental and the second by an enhanced harmonic. Overtone singing is performed in chest register. Tuning of the first or second formant and a reduction of the formant bandwidth down to 20 Hz make harmonics prominent. Narrowing the pharynx, velar constriction, variation of the small mouth opening, and a tension of the walls of the mouth cavity are used. Changing prominent harmonics has the effect of creating an overtone melody with sustained tones, tone steps, and trillos.     

What is “Twang”?

A single female professional vocal artist and pedagogue sang examples of “twang” and neutral voice quality, which a panel of experts classified, in almost complete agreement with the singer's intentions. Subglottal pressure was measured as the oral pressure during the occlusion during the syllable /pae/. This pressure tended to be higher in “twang,” whereas the sound pressure level (SPL) was invariably higher. Voice source properties and formant frequencies were analyzed by inverse filtering. In “twang,” as compared with neutral, the closed quotient was greater, the pulse amplitude and the fundamental were weaker, and the normalized amplitude tended to be lower, whereas formants 1 and 2 were higher and 3 and 5 were lower. The formant differences, which appeared to be the main cause of the SPL differences, were more important than the source differences for the perception of “twanginess.” As resonatory effects occur independently of the voice source, the formant frequencies in “twang” may reflect a vocal strategy that is advantageous from the point of view of vocal hygiene.