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Acoustic characteristics of rough voice: subharmonics
1Ames Vocal Dynamics Laboratory, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, New York, USA.
Summary
Rough voice is characterized by subharmonics in the power spectrum, not just jitter and shimmer. The frequency and power of these subharmonics correlate with the degree of vocal roughness, aiding objective voice evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Acoustic analysis of voice
- Speech pathology
- Signal processing
Background:
- Rough voice is a common vocal disorder.
- Traditional acoustic measures like jitter and shimmer do not fully capture voice roughness.
- Subharmonics, or smaller peaks in the power spectrum, have been observed in pathologic voices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between rough voice and the presence of subharmonics.
- To determine if subharmonics are a reliable acoustic correlate of vocal roughness.
- To explore the acoustic characteristics of subharmonics and their relation to roughness severity.
Main Methods:
- Spectrum analysis of 389 pathologic voices, identifying 20 with subharmonics.
- Perceptual analysis of vocal roughness.
- Digital signal processing to synthesize sound samples with varying subharmonic properties.
- Correlation analysis between subharmonic frequency/power and roughness degree.
Main Results:
- All 20 voices with subharmonics exhibited perceptual roughness.
- A significant inverse relationship was found between roughness degree and subharmonic frequency.
- Synthesized subharmonics demonstrated significant relationships with perceived roughness severity.
- Subharmonics were present in voices with normal jitter and/or shimmer.
Conclusions:
- Subharmonics are a significant acoustic characteristic of rough voices, alongside jitter and shimmer.
- The presence, frequency, and power of subharmonics provide objective measures for evaluating vocal roughness.
- Subharmonic analysis offers a valuable tool for understanding and quantifying voice pathology.