Related Experiment Videos
A formant bandwidth estimation procedure for vowel synthesis [43.72.Ja]
1School of Speech Pathology & Audiology, Kent State University, Ohio 44242.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|February 1, 1995
Summary
This study presents new regression equations for estimating vowel formant bandwidths in speech synthesis. These equations, based on formant center frequency, offer a more consistent approach for creating synthetic speech.
Area of Science:
- Acoustics
- Speech Science
- Signal Processing
Background:
- Vowel formant bandwidth specification for speech synthesis has historically lacked consistency.
- Difficulties in measuring formant bandwidths from natural speech and their perceived importance for intelligibility contribute to this inconsistency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and present novel regression equations for estimating vowel formant bandwidths.
- To provide a method for formant bandwidth estimation that relies solely on formant center frequency.
Main Methods:
- Measurements were taken from natural speech.
- Regression equations were derived based on formant center frequency.
- The new estimation procedure was compared with existing algorithms.
Main Results:
- New regression equations for estimating vowel formant bandwidths were established.
- The proposed method is independent of other formant values.
- Comparison with a known algorithm indicates acceptability for specific speech synthesis applications.
Conclusions:
- The developed regression equations offer a more consistent method for specifying vowel formant bandwidths in speech synthesis.
- This approach, based on formant center frequency, is practical for certain speech synthesis applications.
- The findings suggest improved accuracy and reliability in synthetic speech production.