The purpose of this study is to examine the acoustic implications of using aspirated, well-coordinated, coup de la glotte, and hard glottal onset methods, in order to compare and contrast the radiated acoustic spectra. Twenty-five singers trained in bel canto singing style were asked to sing 5-second samples on three pre-determined pitches comprising the low, middle, and high range in male and female voices. Each participant was instructed and trained to sing the three pitches with the four methods. EGG was used with audio perception to verify onset type, and VoceVista Video Pro was used to analyze power spectra. A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (rMANOVA) was performed with the SPSS General Linear Model function, with onset type as the within-subjects variable to determine main effects and interaction effects on harmonic amplitude (up to 5000Hz) from the independent variables. A significant main effect was found for onset type and more specifically, a significant acoustic difference was found between the well-coordinated and coup de la glotte onsets. Substantial inconsistencies were found in the execution of the well-coordinated onset, as well as in participants' reported preferred onset compared to their baseline measurement of executed onset type. Intentional study of the phonatory onset beginning with adducted folds and low subglottal pressure may have important acoustic and efficiency consequences for bel canto singers. There is a need for specificity regarding the prephonatory glottal configuration in vocal pedagogy and voice science research, and a numerical classification system may provide a clearer picture in future onset investigations.

The chief objective of this dissertation is the description of tone realization differences in Hanoian and Saigonese dialects based on a representative sample of recorded material, with special focus on read monologue and semi-spontaneous conversational speech. The research discusses mainly issues of tone production but it is complemented by a section on tone perception in form of a perception test. The theoretical background in Section 2.1. describes the topic of tonality and tonal languages in general. Section 2.2. is devoted to the description of the Vietnamese language and attention is specifically paid to tonal inventories of both researched dialects. Tonogenesis is mentioned on a general level as well as in the Vietnamese language in particular. Chapter 3 introduces the research methodology, namely the speaker selection, speech material preparation and recording, data extraction and preparation for the analyses and the perception test. Chapter 4 is divided into three sections. Section 4.1. speaks about tone realizations in isolation and carefully preselected context. Its goal is to investigate the behaviour of tonal contours influenced by as few variables as possible. The results should be comparable to the findings of previously conducted studies. Section 4.2. strives to assess data from a...

Summary: Objectives/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to examine the temporal-acoustic differences between trained singers and nonsingers during speech and singing tasks. Methods: Thirty male participants were separated into two groups of 15 according to level of vocal training (ie, trained or untrained). The participants spoke and sang carrier phrases containing English voiced and voiceless bilabial stops, and voice onset time (VOT) was measured for the stop consonant productions. Results: Mixed analyses of variance revealed a significant main effect between speech and singing for /p/ and /b/, with VOT durations longer during speech than singing for /p/, and the opposite true for /b/. Furthermore, a significant phonatory task by vocal training interaction was observed for /p/ productions. Conclusions: The results indicated that the type of phonatory task influences VOT and that these influences are most obvious in trained singers secondary to the articulatory and phonatory adjustments learned during vocal training.

No description available.

This study employed spectral analyses for acoustic measures of sustained vowel productions from a group of 20 adolescents and young adults with Friedreich's Ataxia (FA) and compared findings with a group of 20 age-equivalent and gender-matched normal control participants. State-of-the art spectral analyses from the Analysis of Dysphonia in Speech and Voice (ADSV) program, developed for various voice disorders from Kay Elemetrics, were applied to initial 2 second sustained vowel segments of the vowels /a/, /i/, and /o/. Spectral analyses included averages and standard deviations of Cepstral Peak Prominence (CPP), Cepstral Peak Prominence Standard Deviation (CPP SD), Low/High Spectral Ratio (L/H Ratio), Low/High Spectral Ratio Standard Deviation (L/H Ratio SD), Cepstral/Spectral Index of Dysphonia (CSID), and Mean Cepstral Peak Prominence Fundamental Frequency (Mean CPP F0). Statistical analyses revealed significant differences between the spectral analyses of voice characteristics of individuals with FA and those of normal controls for all measures except for CPP SD. The aim of these analyses was to determine spectral differences evident in vowel productions of individuals with FA using new cepstral-derived measures that characterize the phonatory instability and dis-coordination present in this disorder. Such research may not only help develop early non-invasive indicators of ataxia and track disease progression, but also serve to stimulate research into alleviating the symptoms of this devastating disease.

The purpose of this study was to conduct perceptual analyses, using the initial two-second portions, of prolonged vowels /a/, /i/, and /o/. Two groups of adolescents and young adults were analyzed- one group consisting of 20 individuals with Friedreich's ataxia who were compared to 20 individuals with normal voice (control participants). A trained group of 10 graduate students listened to 132 vowel samples (3 vowels X 40 participants, + 12 samples (10%) for reliability purposes) for a total of 132 perceptual judgments. The students listened to the samples which were randomized onto Dell computers (Optiplex 755) and played through headphones that were set at a comfortable level by the listeners prior to analyzing the voice samples. Listeners used a modified version of the Consensus-Auditory Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-VM) to rate the vocal qualities of 'roughness', 'breathiness', and 'strain' in the samples on a 100 millimeter visual analog scale with 0 representing a perception of no roughness, breathiness, or strain, and 100 indicating the most extreme amount of variance from normal voice quality. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine if perceptual measures were significantly different between the two groups. Values on these analyses were expected to be larger for individuals with Friedreich's ataxia than those with normal voice. Results revealed that all three measures were significantly different between the two groups, with those in the Friedreich's ataxia group reported as having increased rough, breathy, and strained components in their voice quality as compared to normal voiced peers. Findings support perceptual measures as useful indicators for reporting changes in the phonatory system due to Friedreich's ataxia.

No description available.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar as características espectrais de sons vocálicos quando pronunciada de maneira oral e nasal. A vogal escolhida é o /a/ sustentado por oferecer menor carga acústica para o sistema glotal. A avaliação qualitativa das diferenças entre estas vogais foi analisada através do espectro vocálico. A quantificação das diferenças foi efetuada através de parâmetros acústicos da voz – nominalmente a suavidade espectral. Os resultados encontrados demostraram que o espectro vocálico é um determinador de nasalidade eficiente por apresentar vales em freqüências características. Uma futura quantificação destes vales certamente auxiliará os especialistas da área de voz a avaliar a nasalidade contida na voz / In this work oral and nasal voices are compared through their spectral characteristics. The chosen vowel is the sustained /a/ due to its lower acoustic load to the glottal system. The differences between both vowels have been qualitatively evaluated through their spectral. These differences were quantified by the acoustic parameter of the voice – namely the spectral flatness. Results show that the vowel spectrum is very effective determine nasality in the voice due to the valley that happens in the spectrum. A quantification of this valley will certainly help voice specialists to evaluate nasality in the voice

O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar as características espectrais de sons vocálicos quando pronunciada de maneira oral e nasal. A vogal escolhida é o /a/ sustentado por oferecer menor carga acústica para o sistema glotal. A avaliação qualitativa das diferenças entre estas vogais foi analisada através do espectro vocálico. A quantificação das diferenças foi efetuada através de parâmetros acústicos da voz – nominalmente a suavidade espectral. Os resultados encontrados demostraram que o espectro vocálico é um determinador de nasalidade eficiente por apresentar vales em freqüências características. Uma futura quantificação destes vales certamente auxiliará os especialistas da área de voz a avaliar a nasalidade contida na voz / In this work oral and nasal voices are compared through their spectral characteristics. The chosen vowel is the sustained /a/ due to its lower acoustic load to the glottal system. The differences between both vowels have been qualitatively evaluated through their spectral. These differences were quantified by the acoustic parameter of the voice – namely the spectral flatness. Results show that the vowel spectrum is very effective determine nasality in the voice due to the valley that happens in the spectrum. A quantification of this valley will certainly help voice specialists to evaluate nasality in the voice

No description available.