TY - JOUR
T1 - Modeling the voice source in terms of spectral slopes
AU - Garellek, Marc
AU - Samlan, Robin
AU - Gerratt, Bruce R.
AU - Kreiman, Jody
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant No. DC01797.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Acoustical Society of America.
PY - 2016/3/1
Y1 - 2016/3/1
N2 - A psychoacoustic model of the voice source spectrum is proposed. The model is characterized by four spectral slope parameters: the difference in amplitude between the first two harmonics (H1-H2), the second and fourth harmonics (H2-H4), the fourth harmonic and the harmonic nearest 2 kHz in frequency (H4-2 kHz), and the harmonic nearest 2 kHz and that nearest 5 kHz (2 kHz-5 kHz). As a step toward model validation, experiments were conducted to establish the acoustic and perceptual independence of these parameters. In experiment 1, the model was fit to a large number of voice sources. Results showed that parameters are predictable from one another, but that these relationships are due to overall spectral roll-off. Two additional experiments addressed the perceptual independence of the source parameters. Listener sensitivity to H1-H2, H2-H4, and H4-2 kHz did not change as a function of the slope of an adjacent component, suggesting that sensitivity to these components is robust. Listener sensitivity to changes in spectral slope from 2 kHz to 5 kHz depended on complex interactions between spectral slope, spectral noise levels, and H4-2 kHz. It is concluded that the four parameters represent non-redundant acoustic and perceptual aspects of voice quality.
AB - A psychoacoustic model of the voice source spectrum is proposed. The model is characterized by four spectral slope parameters: the difference in amplitude between the first two harmonics (H1-H2), the second and fourth harmonics (H2-H4), the fourth harmonic and the harmonic nearest 2 kHz in frequency (H4-2 kHz), and the harmonic nearest 2 kHz and that nearest 5 kHz (2 kHz-5 kHz). As a step toward model validation, experiments were conducted to establish the acoustic and perceptual independence of these parameters. In experiment 1, the model was fit to a large number of voice sources. Results showed that parameters are predictable from one another, but that these relationships are due to overall spectral roll-off. Two additional experiments addressed the perceptual independence of the source parameters. Listener sensitivity to H1-H2, H2-H4, and H4-2 kHz did not change as a function of the slope of an adjacent component, suggesting that sensitivity to these components is robust. Listener sensitivity to changes in spectral slope from 2 kHz to 5 kHz depended on complex interactions between spectral slope, spectral noise levels, and H4-2 kHz. It is concluded that the four parameters represent non-redundant acoustic and perceptual aspects of voice quality.
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U2 - 10.1121/1.4944474
DO - 10.1121/1.4944474
M3 - Article
C2 - 27036277
AN - SCOPUS:84963516774
SN - 0001-4966
VL - 139
SP - 1404
EP - 1410
JO - Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
JF - Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
IS - 3
ER -