Predicted Singers' Vocal Fold Lengths and Voice Classification—A Study of X-Ray Morphological Measures

Students admitted to the solo singing education at the University of Music Dresden, Germany have been submitted to a detailed physical examination of a variety of factors with relevance to voice function since 1959. In the years 1959–1991, this scheme of examinations included X-ray profiles of the singers' vocal tracts. This material of 132 X-rays of voice professionals was used to investigate different laryngeal morphological measures and their relation to vocal fold length. Further, the study aimed to investigate if there are consistent anatomical differences between singers of different voice classifications. The study design used was a retrospective analysis. Vocal fold length could be measured in 29 of these singer subjects directly. These data showed a strong correlation with the anterior-posterior diameter of the subglottis and the trachea as well as with the distance from the anterior contour of the thyroid cartilage to the anterior contour of the spine. These relations were used in an attempt to predict the 132 singers' vocal fold lengths. The results revealed a clear covariation between predicted vocal fold length and voice classification. Anterior-posterior subglottic-tracheal diameter yielded mean vocal fold lengths of 14.9, 16.0, 16.6, 18.4, 19.5, and 20.9 mm for sopranos, mezzo-sopranos, altos, tenors, baritones, and basses, respectively. The data support the assumption that there are consistent anatomical laryngeal differences between singers of different voice classifications, which are of relevance to pitch range and timbre of the voice.     

“Hot Potato Voice” in Peritonsillitis: A Misnomer

The "hot potato voice" is widely recognized as a symptom of peritonsillar cellulitis or abscess; yet there have been no studies assessing the resonance characteristics of the vocal tract in peritonsillitis. Analysis was undertaken of formant frequencies in the articulation of the vowels /i:/. /a:/ and /u:/ in six subjects with peritonsillitis and compared with articulation once the peritonsillitis had settled. Significant variation was found in F1 when articulating /i:/ and in F2 when articulating /a:/, which are explainable by dyskinesis of the peritonsillar musculature. These findings were compared with six subjects articulating the same vowels with and without a hot potato in their mouth. Variation was found in both F1 and F2 when articulating /i:/, which can be related to interference of the potato with movement of the anterior tongue. The changes in the vocal tract differ in these two cases and the title "hot potato voice" in peritonsillitis is a misnomer.     

目标物材料特性对激光语音获取的影响研究

为了扩大激光语音检测系统的应用场景,分析目标物材料参数对系统语音获取的影响,在完善语音获取中,语音信号从产生到与目标物作用的信号流程基础上,对目标物进行声致振动建模,以Sewell-Sharp-Cremer模型为基础,提出目标物声致振动幅度计算方法,并根据Matlab分析计算和实验对比了铁、铝、塑料、纸4种目标物的振幅及其对激光语音获取的影响。仿真及实验结果表明:目标物振幅在300 Hz～1 000 Hz呈指数型衰减,在1 000 Hz以上衰减趋于平缓;300 Hz处非金属材料振幅为69 nm和62 nm,高于金属材料的30 nm和10 nm。金属材料较非金属材料动态范围小,频率敏感度低,更适合作为语音获取的目标物。     

车载便携式智能桩考训练装置的设计与实现

针对目前部队大型车辆及地方B照以上大中型车辆桩考无人值守训练的实际需求,设计了一种基于接近式开关采集违规信号、单片机控制及语音告警组成的车载便携式智能桩考训练装置;阐述了系统硬件与软件的设计实现;给出了违规信号获取与编码、违规位置自动识别和语音告警等关键技术的具体解决方法;并对系统核心电路控制单元进行验证,输入编码20 H时,软件自动识别后输出6个告警控制脉冲,并判决为右侧违规,与编码设计完全拟合;由此表明该装置设计合理,满足部队训练需求,为部队执行多样化任务提供有力保障。     

Just noticeable differences of open quotient and asymmetry coefficient in singing voice

This study aims to explore the perceptual relevance of the variations of glottal flow parameters and to what extent a small variation can be detected. Just Noticeable Differences (JNDs) have been measured for three values of open quotient (0.4, 0.6, and 0.8) and two values of asymmetry coefficient (2/3 and 0.8), and the effect of changes of vowel, pitch, vibrato, and amplitude parameters has been tested. Two main groups of subjects have been analyzed: a group of 20 untrained subjects and a group of 10 trained subjects. The results show that the JND for open quotient is highly dependent on the target value: an increase of the JND is noticed when the open quotient target value is increased. The relative JND is constant: ΔO_q/O_q = 14% for the untrained and 10% for the trained. In the same way, the JND for asymmetry coefficient is also slightly dependent on the target value–an increase of the asymmetry coefficient value leads to a decrease of the JND. The results show that there is no effect from the selected vowel or frequency (two values have been tested), but that the addition of a vibrato has a small effect on the JND of open quotient. The choice of an amplitude parameter also has a great effect on the JND of open quotient.     

Source Characteristics of Aged Voice Assessed from Long-Term Average Spectra

This study is the first to investigate age-related changes in the source characteristics of dynamic speech using long-term average spectral analysis (LTAS). A total of 80 speakers divided equally by age and gender participated. All participants were healthy, active community members. From the first paragraph of the Rainbow Passage, spectral energy measurements were completed for all speakers at 50 frequency levels across the LTAS. In comparison with young women, elderly women demonstrated: (1) significantly higher spectral amplitude levels at the frequencies of 320, 6080, 6240, 6400, 6560, and 6720 Hz; (2) significantly lower levels at the frequencies of 3040 and 3200 Hz; and (3) a tendency toward higher levels at 160 Hz. These findings suggest that both young and elderly women demonstrate spectral features associated with breathy voice quality, while differing in the specific spectral regions in which breathiness is indicated. Elderly men demonstrated significantly higher spectral amplitude levels than young men at 160 Hz, as well as significantly lower levels at 1600 Hz. Findings for men provide acoustic support for previous laryngoscopic findings of an age-related increase in the incidence of glottal gaps.     

Significance of Auditory and Kinesthetic Feedback to Singers'' Pitch Control

An accurate control of fundamental frequency (F0) is required from singers. This control relies on auditory and kinesthetic feedback. However, a loud accompaniment may mask the auditory feedback, leaving the singers to rely on kinesthetic feedback. The object of the present study was to estimate the significance of auditory and kinesthetic feedback to pitch control in 28 students beginning a professional solo singing education. The singers sang an ascending and descending triad pattern covering their entire pitch range with and without masking noise in legato and staccato and in a slow and a fast tempo. F0 was measured by means of a computer program. The interval sizes between adjacent tones were determined and their departures from equally tempered tuning were calculated. The deviations from this tuning were used as a measure of the accuracy of intonation. Statistical analysis showed a significant effect of masking that amounted to a mean impairment of pitch accuracy by 14 cent across all subjects. Furthermore, significant effects were found of tempo as well as of the staccato/legato conditions. The results indicate that auditory feedback contributes significantly to singers' control of pitch.     

The frequency of hard glottal attacks in patients with muscle tension dysphonia, unilateral benign masses and bilateral benign masses

Hard or abrupt glottal attack (HGA) is one of the vocal behaviors often associated with benign lesion of the vocal folds. This study was designed to determine whether the frequency of HGA was different in hyperfunctional voice patients with and without vocal fold masses. One hundred and forty-seven subjects were studied. All subjects received a complete otolaryngological evaluation including strobovideolaryngoscopy, objective voice measures, and evaluation by a speech-language pathologist. Thirty-two patients were diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia (19 male, 13 female) without vocal fold masses. Fifty-seven patients were diagnosed with unilateral vocal fold masses (29 male, 28 female), most of which were cysts. Fifty-eight patients were diagnosed with bilateral vocal fold masses (13 male, 45 female). Of the 45 females with bilateral vocal fold masses. 26 had a vocal cyst and reactive nodule and 19 had bilateral vocal fold nodules. The control group was balanced and matched based on sex and on percentage of singers and nonsingers. It consisted of 49 subjects with no vocal fold pathology (20 male, 29 female). The group was composed of professional speakers, singers, and nonprofessional speakers. All voice disordered groups demonstrated higher frequencies of HGA than the control group. Differences were found between the male and female subjects in this study. No differences were found between the various disorders. Differences were also found between the subgroups of bilateral masses, where the bilateral nodules group presented a higher frequency of HGA than the cyst and contralateral reactive nodule.