Vocal registers revisited
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Vocal registers revisited Gerrit Bloothooft Peter Pabon Utrecht Institute of Linguistics OTS The Netherlands
description
Vocal registers revisited. Gerrit Bloothooft Peter Pabon Utrecht Institute of Linguistics OTS The Netherlands. Vocal registers. Scientific agreement same mechanical principle of voice production pulse- modal- falsetto- register Singers terminology - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Vocal registers revisited
Vocal registers revisited
Gerrit Bloothooft
Peter Pabon
Utrecht Institute of Linguistics OTS
The Netherlands
Vocal registers
Scientific agreement same mechanical principle of voice
production pulse- modal- falsetto- register
Singers terminology ‘sub’ registers: chest voice, middle
voice, head voice
Phonetogram
Display of all possible phonations X-axis: fundamental frequency Y-axis: sound pressure level
Unit: 1 dB x 1 semitone
Fundamental frequency (Hz)
Voc
al I
nten
sity
(dB
SP
L)
Sam
ple
Den
sity
Phonetogram sample density
Research goal
Use of phonetogram recordings to reconsider the vocal register terminology
Enriched phonetogram
Acoustic voice quality parameters added jitter
stability of fundamental frequency
crest factor differentiates between pulse-like and sine-like
relative rise timefast versus slow signal change in period
Displayed using colour scale
Data recording
For real-time presentation best jitter value last crest factor value last value of relative rise time
For post-recording processing median value of distribution
Real-time display of crest factor
Vo c
al I
nten
sity
(dB
SP
L)
Fundamental frequency (Hz)
Cre
st f
acto
r
Median smoothing of crest factor
Vo c
al I
nten
sity
(dB
SP
L)
Fundamental frequency (Hz)
Cre
st f
acto
r
Most significant changes
Description using
Iso-crest factor linesIso-jitter linesIso-relative rise time lines
Iso-crest factor lines
4 dB
6 dB
Vo c
al I
nten
sity
(dB
SP
L)
Cre
st f
acto
r
Fundamental frequency (Hz)
Iso-jitter lineV
o cal
Int
ensi
ty (
dB S
PL
)
Fundamental frequency (Hz)
3 %
Jitt
er (
%)
Iso-relative rise time lineV
o cal
Int
ensi
ty (
dB S
PL
)
Fundamental frequency (Hz)
Rel
ativ
e ri
se ti
me
(%)
6 %30
20
10
0
New representation
Areas defined by iso-parameter lines crest factor < 4 dB crest factor > 4 dB, < 6 dB crest factor > 6 dB jitter < 3 % relative rise time < 6 %
Areas in the phonetogramV
o cal
Int
ensi
ty (
dB S
PL
)
Fundamental frequency (Hz)
Jitter > 3%, unstable
RRT < 6 %pressed-like Crest factor < 4 dB
sine-like
Relation to vocal registers
Ask subject to sing in specific register only and determine register-phonetogram
Map these register boundaries on full phonetogram
Fundamental frequency (Hz)
Vocal registers in the phonetogram
Falsettoupper boundary
Modallower boundary
Chest voiceboundary
Vo c
al I
nten
sity
(dB
SP
L)
First observations
High modal boundary corresponds with iso-crest factor = 4 dB
Upper falsetto boundary corresponds in part with iso-crest factor = 6 dB
Chest voice boundary corresponds with iso-crest factor = 6 dB
Conclusions
Close relation between iso-crest factor lines and register boundaries
Chest voice may well have a perceptual basis
Low falsetto boundary not related to any of the measures used
Systematic research needed
ExamplesV
o cal
Int
ensi
ty (
dB S
PL
)
Fundamental frequency (Hz)
