SAP 4011 Laboratory 3

Vowel Production and Analysis

In this laboratory you will record and analyze a series of vowels. The analysis will
involve determining the center frequencies and bandwidths of the first three formants of four
vowels, /a/, /i/, /u/, and //. All members of the group will be recorded prolonging the four
vowels. ou will determine the three lowest formants and report the group means for their center
frequencies and the standard deviations for them. ou will gather the formant data from two
different acoustic measurements.
Recording To record the vowels you will use the microphone ne!t to the computer. ou will
need to report the brand and model number of the microphone in your method section. The
signal from the microphone passes through the Audio "uddy preamplifier# you will need to
report the brand and model of the preamplifier also.
To prepare to record the vowels open the $ulti%peech software. &e!t, practice the utterance
/i''a'u'/, sustaining each of the vowels appro!imately two seconds. (o not pause between the
vowels. )nce the first person can do this easily, record that person. )pen the *)ptions+ menu at
the top of $ulti%peech. %elect *,apture+ and set the sampling rate at --./0. Then have the
person repeat the vowels while other group members record the signal in $ulti%peech. To record
you clic1 on the red button. To stop recording, clic1 on the stop button that appears below the
*A+ window after the recording begins. ,reate a folder on the des1top for your group and save
the recording as the person+s initials within your group+s folder. Then record the ne!t person.
,ontinue until all people in the group are recorded.
Analysis To analyze the vowels you will use the blue cursors to highlight the /i/ segment of the
vowel. %elect appro!imately one second of the vowel from the center of its production. 2isten to
the vowel to be certain that you have the correct vowel. 3ighlight the *"+ window and open the
*Analysis+ menu. %elect the *%pectrogram+ analysis and *%elected (ata+. &e!t determine the
frequencies of the formants by placing the red cursor over the vowel at a place where you can
clearly see dar1 horizontal lines. ou may need to switch the width of the analysis window
by opening the *Ad4ust %pectrogram Analysis+ menu 5Analysis, %pectrogram, Ad4ust
spectrogram analysis6. Increasing the size will ma1e the formants clearer 5should be between -/0
and /07 points6. $ove your mouse up and down the line so that the small horizontal cross line
on the red line is in the middle of the dar1 band representing the formant that you are measuring.
ou will find the frequency of that formant as the 8a!is measurement. 9emember that the first
formant should be between /:08-... 3z, the second formant should be between --..8;... 3z,
and the third formant should be between /-..8 ;<.. 3z. 9epeat this process to analyze all of the
vowels.
&e!t, you are to select all four of the vowels in window A. $a1e a spectrogram of all four
vowels and save it as a picture in a =ord file as you did for the images in 2aboratory >/.
&e!t, you are to stri1e ?/ to clear the *"+ window. @ut the red cursor in the middle of the /i/
vowel production. Then, you will go to the *Analysis+ menu and select 2@, frequency response
and ad4ust 2@, frequency response. ,hange the *?ilter )rder+ to /A. Then select 2@, frequency
response at cursor. 9ecord the frequencies of the first three pea1s. &e!t you will stri1e the ?/
1ey to clear the *"+ window again. Then you will go to the *Analysis+ menu and select ??T
power spectrum at cursor. ?ind the harmonic pea1s that best match the three formant pea1s you
selected in the 2@, analysis.
9epeat for the other three vowels so that you have three sets of formant frequency measurements
for each of the four vowels.
9epeat the process for all group members. ou will report the means and standard deviations for
the three formants of the four vowels.
our report will include an introductory section that indicates the rationale for ma1ing the
required measurements and relates the need for ma1ing the measurements to information in the
readings for the course. Then you will have a methodology section that includes a description of
the sub4ects, the equipment used and what was done in the completion of the laboratory e!ercise.
In the 9esults section you will include a narrative description of your results as well as center
frequency from the spectrogram and 2@, measurements for each of the vowels. Bse tables and
figures to clearly display this information. Bse the images of the vowels to discuss what
articulators are changing what resonance areas in the transitions between the vowels. ?inally,
you will include a (iscussion section in which you indicate what you learned from this
laboratory e!ercise and how it relates to the readings and lectures for this course. Also indicate
factors in ma1ing the measurements that might have caused data variability, including
differences between the spectrogram and 2@, measurements.
This laboratory e!ercise assisted in teaching us and clarifying where these four corner vowels
are made within our vocal tract as well as the precise articulators used. The screenshots that
were ta1en are indicators of how we learned where the formants are created. )ur data also
follows what Cohnson 5/.--6 discusses in reference to high vowels having a lower first formant
versus low vowels having a higher first formant# this is visually shown when loo1ing at the
screenshots 5p. -AA6. =e had discussed 2@, and ??T in class, as well as readings in the boo1,
but have never been able to do them before this lab e!ercise. Therefore, this e!ercise gave us
firsthand e!perience on how they both wor1 and loo1. As Cohnson discussed, the 2@, was good
for this activity because we were focusing on vowels rather than say nasals where the results
would have been s1ewed due to not showing spectral valley+s 5p. ::6. Also, after reading
Cohnson we learned that we used a Dlong analysis windowE for our ??T analysis which gave us a
more detailed spectrum and made it easier to gather the harmonics for each vowel and formant
5p. 7A6. )ur numbers within our data charts may be s1ewed due to the confusion of our lab
instructors and the instructions given to us all. Another reason for our numbers distorted could
be due to the fact that we found the standard deviations and means from the two females and one
male+s results 4ointly, rather than leaving the male+s results separate.