Eva Björkner Helsinki University of Technology Laboratory of Acoustics and Audio Signal Processing HUT, Helsinki, Finland KTH – Royal Institute of Technology TMH – Department of Speech, Music and Hearing Stockholm, Sweden

Vocal tract (VT) Larynx ventricle Pharynx Mouth – tongue & lips Nose cavity - velum VT shape affects => resonance (formant) frequencies Which generates  different vowels & consonants ! Analysis of voice production

Keywords: voice source characteristics inverse filtering formant frequencies the effect of subglottal pressure variation on the voice source AND..  The Normalized Amplitude Quotient NAQ (Alku et al. 2002) - for what purposes can it be used? My research: Analysis of voice production in the singing voice

Speech: you decide when to breathe pitch voice quality loudness  Singing – the music decides! Entails demand for control of breathing behaviour P s pitch voice quality Glottal excitation estimation during singing is very challenging because of the wide ranges between extremes: from very low to extremely high pitches (Hz) from extremely loud to very soft phonations (dB) voice qualities – hypo-/hyper functional etc registers – differences in vocal fold vibratory pattern

Sound Production  Contraction of expiratory muscles  Rise in subglottic air pressure  Escape through glottis  Closure Bernoulli effect elasticity The voice source The pulsating air through the glottis The pulsating air through the glottis

Mask or microphone recordings Flow (Rothenberg mask) Audio TEAC Multi channel digital recorder Oral pressure EGG

Flow glottogram parameters (Time-based & amplitude-based) Differentiated flow glottgram

Û p-t-p (MFDR*T0) NAQ = the normalized amplitude quotient Negative peak of the differentiated flow Glottal closing phase Information about vocal intensity and phonation type are reflected in the changes of the glottal closing phase. The amplitude-based NAQ has been found to be more robust than the time-based Closing Quotient, because the extraction of NAQ does not involve the problematic time- instant of the glottal opening. Alku P, Bäckström T, Vilkman E. (2002)

Voice Source Differences Between Registers In Female Musical Theatre Singers Björkner E, Sundberg J, Cleveland T & Stone R. E. Voice Source Differences Between Registers In Female Musical Theatre Singers Björkner E, Sundberg J, Cleveland T & Stone R. E. accepted for publication in J.Voice High subglottal pressures are known to jeopardize vocal health in both speech and singing Analysis: voice source and subglottal pressure P s characteristics of the chest and head register in the female voice. studied by inverse filtering a sequence of /pae/ syllables sung at constant pitch and decreasing vocal loudness in each register by seven female musical theatre singers ten equidistantly spaced P s values were selected and the relationships between P s and several parameters were examined Aim: Better understanding of register function in female singing voice

Means across Clear Samples Register => Register differences Control parameter Glottogram parameters

Same pressure = approximately 11 cmH2O Register differences

NAQ variation with Ps in Classically Trained Baritone Singers Björkner E, Sundberg J & Alku P Filled symbols= ~139 Hz Open symbols= ~278 Hz

Articles on their way: “NAQ variation with Ps in Classically Trained Baritone Singers” Björkner E, Sundberg J & Alku P “Comparison of two inverse filtering methods for determining NAQ and closing quotient - Voice source characteristics in different phonation types” Lehto L, Airas M, Björkner E, Alku P Articles accepted for publication in the Journal of Voice: the Journal of Voice: “Voice source differences Between Registers in Female Musical Theatre Singers” Björkner E, Sundberg, Cleveland T & Stone R.E “Throaty Voice Quality: subglottal pressure, voice source, and formant characteristics” Laukkanen A-M, Björkner E & Sundberg J An overview: the use of the NAQ paramete in voice source analysis To be presented in Finnish-Swedish Voice meeting in Tampere 5-6 nov -04