The Effect of Head Flexion/Extension on Acoustic Measures of Singing Voice Quality

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the fidelity and accuracy of a smartphone microphone and recording environment on acoustic measurements of voice. Method A prospective cohort proof-of-concept study. Two sets of prerecorded samples (a) sustained vowels (/a/) and (b) Rainbow Passage sentence were played for recording via the internal iPhone microphone and the Blue Yeti USB microphone in two recording environments: a sound-treated booth and quiet office setting. Recordings were presented using a calibrated mannequin speaker with a fixed signal intensity (69 dBA), at a fixed distance (15 in.). Each set of recordings (iPhone—audio booth, Blue Yeti—audio booth, iPhone—office, and Blue Yeti—office), was time-windowed to ensure the same signal was evaluated for each condition. Acoustic measures of voice including fundamental frequency ( f o ), jitter, shimmer, harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR), and cepstral peak prominence (CPP), were generated using a widely used analysis program (Praat Version 6.0.50). The data gathered were compared using a repeated measures analysis of variance. Two separate data sets were used. The set of vowel samples included both pathologic ( n = 10) and normal ( n = 10), male ( n = 5) and female ( n = 15) speakers. The set of sentence stimuli ranged in perceived voice quality from normal to severely disordered with an equal number of male ( n = 12) and female ( n = 12) speakers evaluated. Results The vowel analyses indicated that the jitter, shimmer, HNR, and CPP were significantly different based on microphone choice and shimmer, HNR, and CPP were significantly different based on the recording environment. Analysis of sentences revealed a statistically significant impact of recording environment and microphone type on HNR and CPP. While statistically significant, the differences across the experimental conditions for a subset of the acoustic measures (viz., jitter and CPP) have shown differences that fell within their respective normative ranges. Conclusions Both microphone and recording setting resulted in significant differences across several acoustic measurements. However, a subset of the acoustic measures that were statistically significant across the recording conditions showed small overall differences that are unlikely to have clinical significance in interpretation. For these acoustic measures, the present data suggest that, although a sound-treated setting is ideal for voice sample collection, a smartphone microphone can capture acceptable recordings for acoustic signal analysis.

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Measuring Vocal Fatigue in Sports Coaches

Journal of Clinical Speech and Language Studies ◽

10.3233/acs-2017-23104 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 1-20

Author(s):

Kathy Connaughton ◽

Irena Yanushevskaya

Keyword(s):

Acoustic Analysis ◽

Voice Quality ◽

Professional Sports ◽

Muscle Adaptation ◽

Voice Change ◽

Acoustic Measures ◽

Perceptual Evaluation ◽

Coaching Session ◽

Sports Coaches ◽

Voice Use

Objective: This study explores the immediate impact of prolonged voice use by professional sports coaches. Method: Speech samples including sustained phonation of vowel /a/ and a short read passage were collected from two professional sports coaches. The audio recordings were made within an hour before and after a coaching session, over three sessions. Perceptual evaluation of voice quality was done using the GRBAS scale. The speech samples were subsequently analyzed using Praat. The acoustic measures included fundamental frequency (f0), jitter, shimmer, Harmonics-to-Noise ratio and Cepstral Peak Prominence. Main results: The results of perceptual and acoustic analysis suggest a slight shift towards a tenser phonation post-coaching session, which is a likely consequence of laryngeal muscle adaptation to prolonged voice use. This tendency was similar in sustained vowels and connected speech. Conclusion: Acoustic measures used in this study can be useful to capture the voice change post-coaching session. It is desirable, however, that more sophisticated and robust and at the same time intuitive and easy-to-use tools for voice assessment and monitoring be made available to clinicians and professional voice users.

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Singing power ratio: Quantitative evaluation of singing voice quality

Journal of Voice ◽

10.1016/s0892-1997(96)80003-8 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 228-235 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

Koichi Omori ◽

Ashutosh Kacker ◽

Linda M. Carroll ◽

William D. Riley ◽

Stanley M. Blaugrund

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Evaluation ◽

Voice Quality ◽

Power Ratio ◽

Singing Voice

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Singing Power Ratio Analysis in the Context of the Influence of Warm up on Singing Voice Quality

Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing - Progress in Computer Recognition Systems ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-19738-4_25 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 246-254

Author(s):

Edward Półrolniczak

Keyword(s):

Voice Quality ◽

Ratio Analysis ◽

Power Ratio ◽

Singing Voice ◽

Warm Up

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The reliability and sensitivity to change of acoustic measures of voice quality

Clinical Otolaryngology ◽

10.1111/j.1365-2273.2004.00846.x ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 29 (5) ◽

pp. 538-544 ◽

Cited By ~ 82

Author(s):

P.N. Carding ◽

I.N. Steen ◽

A. Webb ◽

K. MacKenzie ◽

I.J. Deary ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Voice Quality ◽

Sensitivity To Change ◽

Acoustic Measures

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Perception of Dysphonic Voice Quality by Naive Listeners

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/jslhr.4303.697 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 43 (3) ◽

pp. 697-705 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Virginia I. Wolfe ◽

David P. Martin ◽

Chester I. Palmer

Keyword(s):

Clinical Assessment ◽

High Frequency ◽

Voice Quality ◽

Frequency Noise ◽

Perceptual Training ◽

Perceptual Dimension ◽

Acoustic Measures ◽

Fundamental Frequencies ◽

Student Training ◽

Frequency Power

For clinical assessment as well as student training, there is a need for information pertaining to the perceptual dimensions of dysphonic voice. To this end, 24 naive listeners judged the similarity of 10 female and 10 male vowel samples, selected from within a narrow range of fundamental frequencies. Most of the perceptual variance for both sets of voices was associated with "degree of abnormality" as reflected by perceptual ratings as well as combined acoustic measures, based upon filtered and unfiltered signals. A second perceptual dimension for female voices was associated with high frequency noise as reflected by two acoustic measures: breathiness index (BRI) and a high-frequency power ratio. A second perceptual dimension for male voices was associated with a breathy-overtight continuum as reflected by period deviation (PDdev) and perceptual ratings of breathiness. Results are discussed in terms of perceptual training and the clinical assessment of pathological voices.

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Student Voice Use and Vocal Health During an All-State Chorus Event

Journal of Research in Music Education ◽

10.1177/0022429410387145 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 58 (4) ◽

pp. 346-367 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

James F. Daugherty ◽

Jeremy N. Manternach ◽

Kathy K. Price

Keyword(s):

Vocal Fold ◽

Voice Quality ◽

Health Perceptions ◽

Singing Voice ◽

Vocal Health ◽

Close Proximity ◽

Rest Time ◽

Field Notes ◽

Voice Use

This field-based case study documented students’ ( N = 256) voice use and voice health perceptions during a 3-day all-state high school chorus event through daily surveys, phonation duration data, analysis of rehearsal voice use behaviors, and field notes. Among the primary results are the following: (a) First and final day survey comparisons indicated significant declining changes in 5 of 7 voice health indicator statements and in self-perceptions of singing voice quality, yet (b) most students (78.8%) believed they had taken good care of their voices; (c) self-reported sleep hours decreased significantly; (d) vocal fold contact time measured with two students ranged from 15% to 38% during rehearsal periods, 1% to 27% during on-site non-rehearsal times, and 3% to 17% during measured pre- and post-event activities, but (e) overall percentages of vocal fold contact varied little between regular rehearsal and on-site non-rehearsal events (female: 19.37% rehearsal, 20.11% non-rehearsal; male: 22.89% rehearsal, 20.54% non-rehearsal); (f) rehearsal voice rest time (63%) exceeded voice use time (37%); (g) students sat in close proximity to other choristers for approximately 73% of rehearsal time; and (h) the two compositions ranked highest relative to demands on adolescent voices consumed 61% of rehearsal time.

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Acoustic Analysis of Voice in Singers: A Systematic Review

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2017_jslhr-s-17-0145 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

pp. 40-51 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Dhanshree R. Gunjawate ◽

Rohit Ravi ◽

Rajashekhar Bellur

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Acoustic Analysis ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Severity Index ◽

Sound Studies ◽

Singing Voice ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Acoustic Measures ◽

Great Heterogeneity ◽

Acoustic Evaluation

Purpose Singers are vocal athletes having specific demands from their voice and require special consideration during voice evaluation. Presently, there is a lack of standards for acoustic evaluation in them. The aim of the present study was to systematically review the available literature on the acoustic analysis of voice in singers. Method A systematic review of studies on acoustic analysis of voice in singers (PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, ProQuest, Cochrane, Ovid, Science Direct, and Shodhganga) was carried out. Key words based on PIO (population–investigation–outcome) were used to develop search strings. Titles and abstracts were screened independently, and appropriate studies were read in full for data extraction. Results Of the 895 studies, 26 studies met the inclusion criteria. Great variability was noted in the instruments and task used. Different acoustic measures were employed, such as fundamental frequency, perturbation, cepstral, spectral, dysphonia severity index, singing power ratio, and so forth. Conclusion Overall, a great heterogeneity was noted regarding population, tasks, instruments, and parameters. There is a lack of standardized criteria for the evaluation of singing voice. In order to implement acoustic analysis as a part of comprehensive voice evaluation exclusively for singers, there is a certain need for methodical sound studies.

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Singing Voice Quality: The Effects of Maxillary Dental Arch and Singing Style

Journal of Voice ◽

10.1016/j.jvoice.2019.09.015 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Pasquale Bottalico ◽

Mark T. Marunick ◽

Charles J. Nudelman ◽

Jossemia Webster ◽

Maria Cristina Jackson-Menaldi

Keyword(s):

Voice Quality ◽

Dental Arch ◽

Singing Voice ◽

Singing Style

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