ISCA Archive Eurospeech 1999
ISCA Archive Eurospeech 1999

Modal synthesis and modeling of vowels

Unto K. Laine

A new simple model for vocal tract (VT) acoustics is presented. The model is based on a systems approach applied to the modes of the VT and the subglottal cavities. Glottal interaction with the ability to produce pitch-synchronous modulation effects is included as well as the lip radiation impedance. The synthesized vowels have spectral and temporal features close to natural ones. They are almost free of the nasal quality present in many vowels synthesized by conventional methods.