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The human voice is notoriously variable, and conventional measurement paradigms are weak in terms of providing evidence for effects of treatment and/or training of voices. New methods are needed that can take into account the variability of metrics and types of phonation across the voice range. The “voice map” is a generalization of the Voice Range Profile (a.k.a. the phonetogram), with the potential to be used in many ways, for teaching, training, therapy and research. FonaDyn is intended as a proof-of concept workbench for education and research on phonation, and for exploring and validating the analysis paradigm of voice-mapping. Version 3.1 of the FonaDyn system adds many new functions, including listening from maps; displaying multiple maps and difference maps to track effects of voice interventions; smoothing/interpolation of voice maps; clustering not only of EGG shapes but also of acoustic and EGG metrics into phonation types; extended multichannel acquisition; 24-bit recording with optional max 140 dB SPL; a built-in SPL calibration and signal diagnostics tool; EGG noise suppression; more Matlab integration; script control; the acoustic metrics Spectrum Balance, Cepstral Peak Prominence and Harmonic Richness Factor (of the EGG); and better window layout control. Stability and usability are further improved. Apple M-series processors are now supported natively.

The activation of the musculature of the larynx of six professional trumpeters during performance was analysed using audio, electroglottography (EGG), oxygen saturation, and heart rate signals. Two university trumpet teachers listened to the audio recordings, to evaluate the participants’ laryngeal effort during performance. Statistical analysis was performed to explore if there were any correlations between parameters extracted from the EGG data and the responses to the audio stimuli by the listeners. Two hundred and fifty (250) laryngeal articulations were identified where laryngeal raising and effort was observed during trumpet performance. It was not possible to find any correlation between the EGG data and the auditory evaluation results, but both listeners could clearly hear the laryngeal effort.

In voice analysis, the electroglottographic (EGG) signal has long been recognized as a useful complement to the acoustic signal, but only when the vocal folds are actually contacting, such that this signal has an appreciable amplitude. However, phonation can also occur without the vocal folds contacting, as in breathy voice, in which case the EGG amplitude is low, but not zero. It is of great interest to identify the transition from non-contacting to contacting, because this will substantially change the nature of the vocal fold oscillations; however, that transition is not in itself audible. The magnitude of the cycle-normalized peak derivative of the EGG signal is a convenient indicator of vocal fold contacting, but no current EGG hardware has a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio of the derivative. We show how the textbook techniques of spectral thresholding and static notch filtering are straightforward to implement, can run in real time, and can mitigate several noise problems in EGG hardware. This can be useful to researchers in vocology.

Voice-to-MIDI real-time conversion is a challenging problem that comes with a series of obstacles and complications. The main issue is the tracking of the human voice pitch. Extracting the voice fundamental frequency can be inaccurate and highly computationally exacting due to the spectral complexity of voice signals. In addition, on account of microphone usage, the presence of environmental noise can further affect voice processing. An analysis of the current research and status of the market shows a plethora of voice-to-MIDI implementations revolving around the processing of audio signals deriving from microphones. This paper addresses the above-mentioned issues by implementing a novel experimental method where electroglottography is employed instead of microphones as a source for pitch-tracking. In the proposed system, the signal is processed and converted through an embedded hardware device. The use of electroglottography improves both the accuracy of pitch evaluation and the ease of voice information processing; firstly, it provides a direct measurement of the vocal folds' activity and, secondly, it bypasses the interferences caused by external sound sources. This allows the extraction of a simpler and cleaner signal that yields a more effective evaluation of the fundamental frequency during phonation. The proposed method delivers a faster and less computationally demanding conversion thus in turn, allowing for an efficacious real-time voice-to-MIDI conversion.

The application of IT solutions in medicine makes it possible to develop new, more accurate, and noninvasive medical diagnostics. The aim of this study was to propose this kind of solution. It enables the accurate assessment of vocal nodules in children while measuring glottal insufficiency. The input data includes voice and electroglottographic recordings of patients' voices as well as diagnoses made by practitioners. The recordings were parameterized and used to develop a classifier to assess glottal insufficiency of vocal nodules. The classifier was designed with the help of a genetic algorithm. The diagnoses established thanks to the classifier show a 92% agreement with those reached through medical examination. Such effective performance renders the classifier a useful noninvasive screening tool. We compared our method with Deep Neural Network classifier and the Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES) evolutionary algorithm. The solution that we propose offers a more accurate continuous diagnosis in comparison with the discrete diagnosis of a deep neural network as well as greater accuracy in relation to the CMA-ES algorithm. Another advantage of the proposed solution is the ease with which it can be implemented by healthcare professionals. A Visual Basic for the Applications (VBA) code for LibreOffice macro for the classifier is attached at the end of this paper.

The aim of this paper was to present an analysis of the feasibility of voice quality prediction on the roughness, breathiness, hoarseness (RBH) scale for children with vocal nodules on the basis of both acoustic parameters and electroglottographic (EGG) examination. The first step to achieve this goal involved the creation of a dedicated database, Voice Pathology Analysis Database (VPADB), containing voice recordings from patients, the EGG signal, medical diagnosis, and the classification of voice quality on the above-mentioned scale. The database also contains data concerning the patients' age and sex. The next step involved performing statistical analyses to test the relationship between the values of objective parameters, such as peak slope and normalized amplitude quotient, and the classification of voice quality. The study made use of voice recordings of 57 patients with vocal nodules and 37 healthy individuals. The RBH classification was carried out by two independent voice specialists. It was found that speech signal parameters can be used to predict expert evaluation with regard to roughness and hoarseness.

Abstract Background Late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) is a metabolic myopathy disorder characterized by progressive muscle damage and among others dysfunction of the voice apparatus, which affects speech and – above all – voice quality. Symptoms include dysphonia, instability, glottic insufficiency, and tense voice. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare voice quality disorder in a group of 15 LOPD patients who were first examined in 2014 and then re-examined in 2017. Methods In both 2014 and 2017, the same 15 LOPD patients, ranging in age from 15 to 57, from 10 different families, underwent the following examinations: perceptual assessment of voice quality on the RBH scale, electroglottographic recordings, and acoustic recordings. All the patients were on enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). Results Three years after the 2014 study, the LOPD patients demonstrated a deterioration in voice quality. A statistically significant increase in glottic insufficiency (p = 0.0399) and a shift towards tense voice (p = 0.0417) were observed. Two patients – out of three who had received presymptomatic treatment – demonstrated stable voice quality compared with 2014. Conclusions The results suggest increased muscle weakness and progression of LOPD. The parameters Closed Quotient (calculated on the basis of an electroglottographic signal) and Peak Slope (calculated on the basis of an acoustic signal) proved to be the most sensitive.

Singing voice is a human quality that requires the precise coordination of numerous kinetic functions and results in a perceptually variable auditory outcome. The use of multi-sensor systems can facilitate the study of correlations between the vocal mechanism kinetic functions and the voice output. This is directly relevant to vocal education, rehabilitation, and prevention of vocal health issues in educators; professionals; and students of singing, music, and acting. In this work, we present the initial design of a modular multi-sensor system for singing voice analysis, and describe its first assessment experiment on the ‘vocal breathiness’ qualitative characteristic. A system case study with two professional singers was conducted, utilizing signals from four sensors. Participants sung a protocol of vocal trials in various degrees of intended vocal breathiness. Their (i) vocal output, (ii) phonatory function, and (iii) respiratory behavior-per-condition were recorded through a condenser microphone (CM), an Electroglottograph (EGG), and thoracic and abdominal respiratory effort transducers (RET), respectively. Participants’ individual respiratory management strategies were studied through qualitative analysis of RET data. Microphone audio samples breathiness degree was rated perceptually, and correlation analysis was performed between sample ratings and parameters extracted from CM and EGG data. Smoothed Cepstral Peak Prominence (CPPS) and vocal folds’ Open Quotient (OQ), as computed with the Howard method (HOQ), demonstrated the higher correlation coefficients, when analyzed individually. DECOM method-computed OQ (DOQ) was also examined. Interestingly, the correlation coefficient of pitch difference between estimates from CM and EGG signals appeared to be (based on the Pearson correlation coefficient) statistically insignificant (a result that warrants investigation in larger populations). The study of multi-variate models revealed even higher correlation coefficients. Models studied were the Acoustic Breathiness Index (ABI) and the proposed multiple regression model CDH (CPPS, DOQ, and HOQ), which was attempted in order to combine analysis results from microphone and EGG signals. The model combination of ABI and the proposed CDH appeared to yield the highest correlation with perceptual breathiness ratings. Study results suggest potential for the use of a completed system version in vocal pedagogy and research, as the case study indicated system practicality, a number of pertinent correlations, and introduced topics with further research possibilities.

The phonation types used in the young male role in Kunqu Opera were investigated. Two national young male role singers volunteered as the subjects. Each singer performed three voice conditions: singing, stage speech, and reading lyrics. Three electroglottogram parameters, the fundamental frequency, contact quotient, and speed quotient, were analyzed. Electroglottogram parameters were different between voice conditions. Five phonation types were found by clustering analysis in singing and stage speech: (1) breathy voice, (2) high adduction modal voice, (3) modal voice, (4) untrained falsetto, and (5) high adduction falsetto. The proportion of each phonation type was not identical in singing and stage speech. The relationship between phonation type and pitch was multiple to one in the low pitch range, and one to one in the high pitch range. The sound pressure levels were related to the phonation types. Five phonation types, instead of only the two phonation types (modal voice and falsetto) that are identified in traditional Kunqu Opera singing theory, were concomitantly used in the young male role’s artistic voices. These phonation types were more similar to those of the young female roles than to those of the other male roles in the Kunqu Opera.