PRC Dissertation

Thesis Title: Identification of Control Parameters In An Articulatory Vocal Tract Model With Applications To the Synthesis of Singing

Overview

Outlines, notes, thoughts, on Perry Cook's disseration on Singing Synthesis in 1991.

Abstract (Summary)

"The synthesis fo singing is investigated using an articulatory model which simulates the human vocal tract as a network of digital filter simulations of acoustic tubes"

(Love that succient definition).

Presents methods for finding vocal tract shapes.

A "new method for adaptively tracking vocal tract shape" from an input signal.

Glottal signal information is explored as well.

Preface

Some choice bits.

"Speech Organ"

"flexible synthesis of music"

digital filters simulate the "solutions of wave equations inside acoustic tubes"

"perturbations in the source signal are the primary focus of the experimental research presented in this dissertation"

"computers most easily make irritating and boring sounds"

"such systems sound like machines imitating speech"

Part 1: Synthesis of the Singing Voice

There are many differences between speech and singing. A bullet list of about 10 such differences are presented, with source citations.

TODO Fourier Model of Speech and Singing

TODO Formant Based Models

TODO Source/Filter Models

TODO Derivation of a Digital Simulation of the Acoustic Tube

TODO The Periodic Glottal Source

TODO Sources of Noise in the Vocal Tract

TODO Identification of Filter and Source Control Parameters

Part 2: Identification of Glottal Source Deviations

TODO Pitch Deviation in the Voice Source

TODO A Study of Singer Jitter and Drift

TODO Rules for synthesis of Jitter and Drift

TODO Spectral Deviation in the Voice

TODO Pulsed Noise in the Glottis

TODO Methods of Extract of Non-Periodic Part of Glottal Waveform

TODO Methods for Analysis

TODO Extensions and Similar Methods

TODO Male Singing Voice Extraction and Analysis Examples

TODO A study of the noise characteristics of singers

TODO Subharmonics in the Singing Voice

TODO Use of Noise Residual for Vocal Tract Filter Identification

TODO Pulsed Noise in Other Musical Systems

Part 3: Software Systems For Singing Synthesis

The Synthesis Model

The meat of this is a block diagram on page 123. There are some words which accompany this. Might be worth including here.

TODO The SPASM system

TODO The Singer Software Synthesis System

Part 4: Conclusions and Suggestions for Future Research

TBD. May read this bit first, actually.