Modeling the vocal tract transfer function using a 3D digital waveguide mesh

TY - JOUR

T1 - Modeling the vocal tract transfer function using a 3D digital waveguide mesh

AU - Speed, Matthew David Adam

AU - Murphy, Damian Thomas

AU - Howard, David Martin

N1 - ©2013, IEEE.

PY - 2014/2

Y1 - 2014/2

N2 - The digital waveguide mesh has been shown to be capable of reproducing the acoustic impulse response of cylindrical vocal tract analogs. This study extends the same methodology to three-dimensional simulation of the acoustic response of graphical models of the vocal tract obtained from magnetic resonance imaging for a group of trained subjects. By such simulation of the vocal tract transfer function and convolution with an appropriate source waveform, basic phonemes are resynthesised and compared with benchmark audio recordings. The technologies and techniques used for simulation are described, alongside the protocol for image capture and the process for collection of benchmark audio. The results of simulation and acoustic recording are then evaluated and compared. The value of three-dimensional simulation in comparison to existing lower-dimensionality equivalents is assessed. It is found that while three- dimensional simulation provides a strong representation of the low frequency vocal tract transfer function, at higher frequencies its performance becomes geometry-dependent. MRI imaging and benchmark audio is provided for future studies and to permit comparison with comparable means of acoustic simulation.

AB - The digital waveguide mesh has been shown to be capable of reproducing the acoustic impulse response of cylindrical vocal tract analogs. This study extends the same methodology to three-dimensional simulation of the acoustic response of graphical models of the vocal tract obtained from magnetic resonance imaging for a group of trained subjects. By such simulation of the vocal tract transfer function and convolution with an appropriate source waveform, basic phonemes are resynthesised and compared with benchmark audio recordings. The technologies and techniques used for simulation are described, alongside the protocol for image capture and the process for collection of benchmark audio. The results of simulation and acoustic recording are then evaluated and compared. The value of three-dimensional simulation in comparison to existing lower-dimensionality equivalents is assessed. It is found that while three- dimensional simulation provides a strong representation of the low frequency vocal tract transfer function, at higher frequencies its performance becomes geometry-dependent. MRI imaging and benchmark audio is provided for future studies and to permit comparison with comparable means of acoustic simulation.

KW - waveguide

KW - vocal tract

KW - MRI data

U2 - 10.1109/TASLP.2013.2294579

DO - 10.1109/TASLP.2013.2294579

M3 - Article

SN - 1558-7916

VL - 22

SP - 453

EP - 464

JO - IEEE Transactions On Audio Speech And Language Processing

JF - IEEE Transactions On Audio Speech And Language Processing

IS - 2

ER -