A master thesis from Aalborg University
Model-based Analysis and Synthesis of Aging Effects on Human Voice Production
Author(s)
Term
4. Term
Education
Publication year
2020
Submitted on
2020-08-12
Abstract
This document deals with voice synthesis techniques based on a combination of physical modelling and analytical elements, and serving as support for the design of an ageing voice model. The side contribution of this project is an adapted and complementary multiple-fold analysis tool that was developed in parallel. The aim of the whole project is to create a parametric ageing voice model where age becomes a tunable parameter, and this paper is meant to be its theoretical ground. Stated as above, this project digs into a barely explored branch of the voice synthesis field, even though voice synthesis is currently on-trend: numerous applications indeed exist nowadays, but very few consider age as a tunable parameter [Story et al., 2018, Schotz, 2006]. In a closely related branch, several have been trying to manipulate an existing voice to mak eit sound older or younger [Skoog Waller and Eriksson, 2016, Rupal and Seth, 2017]. For both examples, a certain knowledge about voice ageing is necessary; unfortunately, this is a complex phenomenon not yet fully understood at the current time. This document therefore gathers knowledge, theories and applications about the voice: it presents its production process and its characterisation, including its evolution over a lifetime; it addresses the physics and the physiology necessary to explain the previous elements and the different computing techniques employed to model it before introducing the ageing model that was developed. The fixed-age voice model (FAM) and the ageing voice model are finally evaluated in terms of credibility and quality.
Keywords
Documents
Colophon: This page is part of the AAU Student Projects portal, which is run by Aalborg University. Here, you can find and download publicly available bachelor's theses and master's projects from across the university dating from 2008 onwards. Student projects from before 2008 are available in printed form at Aalborg University Library.
If you have any questions about AAU Student Projects or the research registration, dissemination and analysis at Aalborg University, please feel free to contact the VBN team. You can also find more information in the AAU Student Projects FAQs.