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Ternström, S. (2024). Update 3.1 to FonaDyn: A system for real-time analysis of the electroglottogram, over the voice range. SoftwareX, 26
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Update 3.1 to FonaDyn: A system for real-time analysis of the electroglottogram, over the voice range
2024 (English)In: SoftwareX, E-ISSN 2352-7110, Vol. 26Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

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.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier BV, 2024
Keywords
Voice mapping Electroglottography, Real-time analysis, Voice range profile, Phonation types, Supercollider
National Category
Otorhinolaryngology Biomedical Laboratory Science/Technology Medical Laboratory and Measurements Technologies
Research subject
Speech and Music Communication
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-343437 (URN)10.1016/j.softx.2024.101653 (DOI)
Funder
Swedish Research Council, 2010-4565
Note

QC 20240214

Available from: 2024-02-14 Created: 2024-02-14 Last updated: 2024-02-14Bibliographically approved
D'Amario, S., Ternström, S., Goebl, W. & Bishop, L. (2023). Body motion of choral singers. Frontiers in Psychology, 14
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Body motion of choral singers
2023 (English)In: Frontiers in Psychology, E-ISSN 1664-1078, Vol. 14Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Recent investigations on music performances have shown the relevance of singers’ body motion for pedagogical as well as performance purposes. However, little is known about how the perception of voice-matching or task complexity affects choristers’ body motion during ensemble singing. This study focussed on the body motion of choral singers who perform in duo along with a pre-recorded tune presented over a loudspeaker. Specifically, we examined the effects of the perception of voice-matching, operationalized in terms of sound spectral envelope, and task complexity on choristers’ body motion. Fifteen singers with advanced choral experience first manipulated the spectral components of a pre-recorded short tune composed for the study, by choosing the settings they felt most and least together with. Then, they performed the tune in unison (i.e., singing the same melody simultaneously) and in canon (i.e., singing the same melody but at a temporal delay) with the chosen filter settings. Motion data of the choristers’ upper body and audio of the repeated performances were collected and analyzed. Results show that the settings perceived as least together relate to extreme differences between the spectral components of the sound. The singers’ wrists and torso motion was more periodic, their upper body posture was more open, and their bodies were more distant from the music stand when singing in unison than in canon. These findings suggest that unison singing promotes an expressive-periodic motion of the upper body.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Frontiers Media SA, 2023
Keywords
togetherness, ensemble singing, motion capture, joint-actions, music perception, flow, voice matching
National Category
Musicology
Research subject
Speech and Music Communication
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-341573 (URN)10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1220904 (DOI)001136436500001 ()2-s2.0-85181732914 (Scopus ID)
Funder
EU, Horizon 2020, 101108755
Note

QC 20231228

Available from: 2023-12-22 Created: 2023-12-22 Last updated: 2024-03-18Bibliographically approved
D'Amario, S., Ternström, S., Goebl, W. & Bishop, L. (2023). Impact of singing togetherness and task complexity on choristers' body motion. In: D'Amario, S., Ternström, S., Friberg, A. (Ed.), SMAC 2023: Proceedings of the Stockholm Music Acoustics Conference 2023. Paper presented at Stockholm Music Acoustics Conference, 14-15 June, 2023, Stockholm Sweden. (pp. 146-150). Stockholm: KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Impact of singing togetherness and task complexity on choristers' body motion
2023 (English)In: SMAC 2023: Proceedings of the Stockholm Music Acoustics Conference 2023 / [ed] D'Amario, S., Ternström, S., Friberg, A., Stockholm: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2023, p. 146-150Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

We examined the impact of the perception of singing togetherness,as indexed by the spectral envelope of the sound, and task complexity on choristers’ body motion, as they performed in duo with a pre-recorded tune presented over a loudspeaker. Fifteen experienced choral singers first manipulated the spectral filter settings of the tune in order to identify the recordings they felt most and not at all together with. Then, they sang the tune in unison and canon along with the recordings featuring the chosen filter settings. Audio and motion capture data of the musicians' upper bodies during repeated performances of the same tune were collected. Results demonstrate that wrist motion was more periodic, singer posture more open, and the overall quantity of body motion higher when singing in unison than in canon; singing togetherness did not impact body motion. The current findings suggest that some body movements may support choral performance, depending on the complexity of the task condition.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2023
Series
TRITA-EECS-RP ; 4
National Category
Performing Arts
Research subject
Speech and Music Communication
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-343978 (URN)
Conference
Stockholm Music Acoustics Conference, 14-15 June, 2023, Stockholm Sweden.
Note

Proceedings DOI: 10.30746/978-91-8040-865-3

Proceedings ISBN: 978-91-8040-865-3

Available from: 2024-02-28 Created: 2024-02-28 Last updated: 2024-02-28Bibliographically approved
Kittimathaveenan, K. & Ternström, S. (2023). Localisation in virtual choirs: outcomes of simplified binaural rendering. In: : . Paper presented at Audio Engineering Society Conference: AES 2023 International Conference on Spatial and Immersive Audio, Huddersfield, UK, 23-25 Aug 2023.. , Article ID 41.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Localisation in virtual choirs: outcomes of simplified binaural rendering
2023 (English)Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

A virtual choir would find several uses in choral pedagogy and research, but it would need a relatively small computational footprint for wide uptake. On the premise that very accurate localisation might not be needed for virtual rendering of the character of the sound inside an ensemble of singers, a localisation test was conducted using binaural stimuli created using a simplified approach, with parametrically controlled delays and variable low-pass filters (historically known as a ‘shuffler’ circuit) instead of head-related impulse responses. The direct sound from a monophonic anechoic recording of a soprano was processed (1) by sending it to a reverb algorithm for making a room-acoustic diffuse field with unchanging properties, (2) with a second-order low-pass filter with a cut-off frequency descending to 3 kHz for sources from behind, (3) with second-order low-pass head-shading filters with an angle-dependent cut-off frequency for the left/right lateral shadings of the head, and (4) with the gain of the direct sound being inversely proportional to virtual distance. The recorded singer was modelled as always facing the listener; no frequency-dependent directivity was implemented. Binaural stimuli corresponding to 24 different singer positions (8 angles and 3 distances) were synthesized. 30 participants heard the stimuli in randomized order, and indicated the perceived location of the singer on polar plot response sheets, with categories to indicate the possible responses. The listeners’ discrimination of the distance categories 0.5, 1 and 2 meters (1 correct out of 3 possible) was good, at about 80% correct. Discrimination of the angle of incidence, in 45-degreecategories (1 correct out of 8 possible) was fair, at 47% correct. Angle errors were mostly on the ‘cone of confusion’ (back-front symmetry), suggesting that the back-front cue was not very salient. The correct back-front responses (about 50%) dominated only somewhat over the incorrect ones (about 38%). In an ongoing follow-up study, multi-singer scenarios will be tested, and a more detailed yet still parametric filtering scheme will be explored.

Keywords
singing, choir, localisation, binaural
National Category
Media and Communication Technology
Research subject
Speech and Music Communication
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-335329 (URN)
Conference
Audio Engineering Society Conference: AES 2023 International Conference on Spatial and Immersive Audio, Huddersfield, UK, 23-25 Aug 2023.
Note

QC 20230919

Available from: 2023-09-19 Created: 2023-09-19 Last updated: 2023-09-19Bibliographically approved
D'Amario, S., Ternström, S. & Friberg, A. (Eds.). (2023). SMAC 2023: Proceedings of the Stockholm Music Acoustics Conference 2023. Paper presented at Stockholm Music Acoustics Conference SMAC 2023, June 14-15, 2023, Stockholm, Sweden. Stockholm: KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Open this publication in new window or tab >>SMAC 2023: Proceedings of the Stockholm Music Acoustics Conference 2023
2023 (English)Conference proceedings (editor) (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This volume presents the proceedings of the fifth Stockholm Music Acoustics Conference 2023 (SMAC), which took place on 14–15 June 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden. SMAC was premiered at KTH in 1983, and has been organized every tenth year since then. This conference is intended for academics, music performers and instructors interested in the field of Music Acoustics. It brings together experts from different disciplines, to exchange and share their recent works on many aspects of Music Acoustics, including instrument acoustics, singing voice acoustics, acoustics-based synthesis models, music performance, and music acoustics in teaching and pedagogy.

This time, our multidisciplinary conference was organized on a smaller scale than earlier, as a track within the 2023 Sound and Music Computing Conference, at KMH Royal College of Music and KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Our warm thanks are due to the SMC Network for hosting SMAC in the framework of SMC, as are many thanks to all presenters and co-authors for participating. We hope that you will enjoy learning of the new science presented here.

Sara D’Amario, Sten Ternström and Anders Friberg

Track chairs, Editors

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2023. p. vi, 194
Series
TRITA-EECS-RP ; 2024:4
Keywords
music acoustics, instrument acoustics, music performance, singing
National Category
Fluid Mechanics and Acoustics Musicology Signal Processing
Research subject
Speech and Music Communication
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-343835 (URN)10.30746/978-91-8040-865-3 (DOI)978-91-8040-865-3 (ISBN)
Conference
Stockholm Music Acoustics Conference SMAC 2023, June 14-15, 2023, Stockholm, Sweden
Note

QC 20240226

Available from: 2024-02-24 Created: 2024-02-24 Last updated: 2024-02-27Bibliographically approved
Ternström, S. (2023). Special Issue on Current Trends and Future Directions in Voice Acoustics Measurement. Applied Sciences, 13(6)
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Special Issue on Current Trends and Future Directions in Voice Acoustics Measurement
2023 (English)In: Applied Sciences, E-ISSN 2076-3417, E-ISSN 2076-3417, Vol. 13, no 6Article in journal, Editorial material (Other academic) Published
Abstract [en]

The human voice production mechanism implements a superbly rich communication channel that at once tells us what, who, how, and much more [...]

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
MDPI AG, 2023
Keywords
voice acoustics, voice measurement, variability, phonation, voice production, measurement sampling, voice maps, clinical relevance, machine learning
National Category
Medical Laboratory and Measurements Technologies
Research subject
Speech and Music Communication
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-324841 (URN)10.3390/app13063514 (DOI)000959900100001 ()2-s2.0-85151518683 (Scopus ID)
Note

QC 20230426

Available from: 2023-03-17 Created: 2023-03-17 Last updated: 2023-04-26Bibliographically approved
Cai, H. & Ternström, S. (2022). Mapping Phonation Types by Clustering of Multiple Metrics. Applied Sciences, 12(23), 12092
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Mapping Phonation Types by Clustering of Multiple Metrics
2022 (English)In: Applied Sciences, ISSN 2076-3417, Vol. 12, no 23, p. 12092-Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

For voice analysis, much work has been undertaken with a multitude of acoustic and electroglottographic metrics. However, few of these have proven to be robustly correlated with physical and physiological phenomena. In particular, all metrics are affected by the fundamental frequency and sound level, making voice assessment sensitive to the recording protocol. It was investigated whether combinations of metrics, acquired over voice maps rather than with individual sustained vowels, can offer a more functional and comprehensive interpretation. For this descriptive, retrospective study, 13 men, 13 women, and 22 children were instructed to phonate on /a/ over their full voice range. Six acoustic and EGG signal features were obtained for every phonatory cycle. An unsupervised voice classification model created feature clusters, which were then displayed on voice maps. It was found that the feature clusters may be readily interpreted in terms of phonation types. For example, the typical intense voice has a high peak EGG derivative, a relatively high contact quotient, low EGG cycle-rate entropy, and a high cepstral peak prominence in the voice signal, all represented by one cluster centroid that is mapped to a given color. In a transition region between the non-contacting and contacting of the vocal folds, the combination of metrics shows a low contact quotient and relatively high entropy, which can be mapped to a different color. Based on this data set, male phonation types could be clustered into up to six categories and female and child types into four. Combining acoustic and EGG metrics resolved more categories than either kind on their own. The inter- and intra-participant distributional features are discussed.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
MDPI AG, 2022
Keywords
voice analysis, voice range profile, clustering, phonation, phonation type
National Category
Medical Laboratory and Measurements Technologies Otorhinolaryngology
Research subject
Speech and Music Communication
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-322053 (URN)10.3390/app122312092 (DOI)000910824700001 ()2-s2.0-85142534999 (Scopus ID)
Funder
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, CSC-2020-2009
Note

QC 20230214

Available from: 2022-11-29 Created: 2022-11-29 Last updated: 2023-02-14Bibliographically approved
Jers, H. & Ternström, S. (2022). Vocal Ensembles: Chapter 20 (1ed.). In: Gary E. McPherson (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Music Performance, Volume 2: (pp. 398-417). Oxford University Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Vocal Ensembles: Chapter 20
2022 (English)In: The Oxford Handbook of Music Performance, Volume 2 / [ed] Gary E. McPherson, Oxford University Press , 2022, 1, p. 398-417Chapter in book (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

A typical performance situation of a vocal ensemble or choir consists of a group of singers in a room with listeners. The choir singers on stage interact while they sing, since they also hear the sound of the neighboring singer and react accordingly. From a physical point of view, the choir singers can be regarded as sound sources. The properties of the room influence the sound and the listeners perceive the sound event as a sound receiver. Furthermore, the processes in the choir can also be described acoustically, which affects the overall performance. The room influences the timbre of the sound on their way to the audience, the receiver. Reflection, absorption, diffraction, or refraction influence the timbre in the room. The sound in a performance space can be distinguished between a near field very close to the singer and a far field. The distance at which the far field can be assumed is strongly dependent on the acoustics of the room. Especially for singers within a choir, the differentiation between those sound fields is important for hearing oneself and the other singers. The position of the singers, their directivity, and the seating position of the listener in the audience will have an influence on listener perception. Furthermore, this chapter gives background information on intonation and synchronization aspects, which are most relevant for any vocal ensemble situation. Using this knowledge, intuitive behavior and performance practice can be explained and new adaptations can be suggested for singing in vocal ensembles.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Oxford University Press, 2022 Edition: 1
Series
Oxford Handbooks
Keywords
choir, acoustic, singer, room, singing, ensemble, vocal
National Category
Music
Research subject
Speech and Music Communication
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-310289 (URN)10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190058869.013.20 (DOI)
Note

Part of book: ISBN 978-0-19-005886-9

QC 20220329

Available from: 2022-03-26 Created: 2022-03-26 Last updated: 2023-01-16Bibliographically approved
Ternström, S. & Pabon, P. (2022). Voice Maps as a Tool for Understanding and Dealing with Variability in the Voice. Applied Sciences, 12(22), 11353-11353
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Voice Maps as a Tool for Understanding and Dealing with Variability in the Voice
2022 (English)In: Applied Sciences, E-ISSN 2076-3417, Vol. 12, no 22, p. 11353-11353Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Individual acoustic and other physical metrics of vocal status have long struggled to prove their worth as clinical evidence. While combinations of metrics or “features” are now being intensely explored using data analytics methods, there is a risk that explainability and insight will suffer. The voice mapping paradigm discards the temporal dimension of vocal productions and uses fundamental frequency (fo) and sound pressure level (SPL) as independent control variables to implement a dense grid of measurement points over a relevant voice range. Such mapping visualizes how most physical voice metrics are greatly affected by fo and SPL, and more so individually than has been generally recognized. It is demonstrated that if fo and SPL are not controlled for during task elicitation, repeated measurements will generate “elicitation noise”, which can easily be large enough to obscure the effect of an intervention. It is observed that, although a given metric’s dependencies on fo and SPL often are complex and/or non-linear, they tend to be systematic and reproducible in any given individual. Once such personal trends are accounted for, ordinary voice metrics can be used to assess vocal status. The momentary value of any given metric needs to be interpreted in the context of the individual’s voice range, and voice mapping makes this possible. Examples are given of how voice mapping can be used to quantify voice variability, to eliminate elicitation noise, to improve the reproducibility and representativeness of already established metrics of the voice, and to assess reliably even subtle effects of interventions. Understanding variability at this level of detail will shed more light on the interdependent mechanisms of voice production, and facilitate progress toward more reliable objective assessments of voices across therapy or training.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
MDPI AG, 2022
Keywords
voice analysis, voice range profile, voice mapping, variability, reproducibility, representativeness, electroglottography, elicitation, real-time voice analysis
National Category
Otorhinolaryngology Medical Laboratory and Measurements Technologies Other Physics Topics
Research subject
Speech and Music Communication
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-321251 (URN)10.3390/app122211353 (DOI)000887145200001 ()2-s2.0-85142506913 (Scopus ID)
Note

QC 20221215

Available from: 2022-11-10 Created: 2022-11-10 Last updated: 2024-03-15Bibliographically approved
Nylén, H., Chatterjee, S. & Ternström, S. (2021). Detecting Signal Corruptions in Voice Recordings For Speech Therapy. In: ICASSP 2021 - 2021 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP): . Paper presented at ICASSP 2021 - 2021 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP) (pp. 386-390). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Detecting Signal Corruptions in Voice Recordings For Speech Therapy
2021 (English)In: ICASSP 2021 - 2021 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) , 2021, p. 386-390Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2021
National Category
Otorhinolaryngology Computer Sciences
Research subject
Speech and Music Communication
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-295343 (URN)10.1109/ICASSP39728.2021.9414383 (DOI)000704288400078 ()2-s2.0-85115053568 (Scopus ID)
Conference
ICASSP 2021 - 2021 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP)
Note

QC 20210622

Available from: 2021-05-19 Created: 2021-05-19 Last updated: 2022-06-25Bibliographically approved
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0002-3362-7518

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