EEM.

ssr: Speaker & Speech Recognition

Vocal-tract acoustics

by
Philip Jackson

CVSSP, School of Electronics & Physical Sciences

 Articulators
• Jaw mid-sagittal MRI for vowel /i/
• Lips
• Tongue
tip
• Tongue
blade
• Velum
• Larynx
 Source-filter theory (1)

• Sound is generated within the vocal tract

(Source)
• Vocal tract independently filters that sound
(Filter)
• Radiated from the lips to the far field
Source-filter theory (2)
 Plane waves
1-D wave  2  2

equation: − 0
2
=0
 2
 2

where c 0 = γRT0

There exist solutions of the form:

 Assumptions
• The duct • Sound waves
– Straight – Propagating
along the axis
– Rigid
– With planar
– Static wavefronts
– Abrupt area changes – Small
– Lossless
• The medium (isentropic)
– Frictionless – Radiated only
from the open
– Homogeneous end
– Fluid at rest
 Boundary conditions

Closed end: Open end:

Wave travelling in a tube

d((t - t 0 ) - x c 0 )t 0
Wave travelling in a tube

d ((t - t 0 ) - x c 0 )t1
Wave travelling in a tube

d((t - t 0 ) - x c 0 )t 2
Wave travelling in a tube

d((t - t 0 ) - x c 0 )t 3
= d (- (x - l ) c 0 )
 Wave travelling in a tube

- d((t - t 3 ) + (x - l ) c 0 )t 4 = - d(t 4 + (x - 2l ) c 0 )
= - d ((x - l ) c 0 )
 Wave travelling in a tube

- d((t - t 3 ) + (x - l ) c 0 )t5 = - d(t 5 + (x - 2l ) c 0 )

 Wave travelling in a tube

- d((t - t 3 ) + (x - l ) c 0 )t 6 = - d(t 6 + (x - 2l ) c 0 )
 Wave travelling in a tube

- d ((t - t 6 ) - x c 0 )t 7 = - d (t 7 - (x + 2l ) c 0 )
 Wave travelling in a tube

- d ((t - t 6 ) - x c 0 )t 9 = - d (t 9 - (x + 2l ) c 0 )
= - d (- (x - l ) c 0 )
 Wave travelling in a tube

d((t - t 9 ) + (x - l ) c 0 )t10 = d (t10 + (x - 4l ) c 0 )

= d ((x - l ) c 0 )
 Wave travelling in a tube

d((t - t 9 ) + (x - l ) c 0 )t12 = d (t12 + (x - 4l ) c 0 )

 Wave travelling in a tube

d ((t - t12 ) - x c 0 )t13 = d (t13 - (x + 4l ) c 0 )

Resonances of a closed tube

c0
fn = (2n - 1)
4l
Vowels
 Summary
• Plane waves approximate sound
propagation in the vocal tract
• Reflections at area changes create
resonances (called formants)
• Formant estimates can be made
from simple tube shapes