Visual

Representa.ons
 Visual Representa.ons of Sound Waves

Complex sounds can be visually represented

in 3 ways:
Waveform
Power Spectrum
Spectrogram

 Waveform
Simple waves Complex wave
100 Hz

.01 sec

200 Hz
.01 sec.
.005 sec

.003 sec

300 Hz
 Power Spectrum.
A a descrip.on of frequency components that make up a sound.
Represented by a plot of the level of each of the pure-tone components as
a func.on of amplitude over frequency =Power Spectrum
High frequency right
Low frequency leI
Height of line amplitude
 Waveform vs. Spectrum.
Waveform: Power Spectrum:
Advantage: provides Advantage: Provides
good temporal good frequency
resolu.on (dura.on, resolu.on (f0, harmonics
whole uLerance); f0; Disadvantage: Does not
changes in amplitude provide good temporal
over .me resolu.on (shows one
Disadvantage: Does not point in .me); formant
provide good frequency transi.ons
resolu.on; formant
transi.ons
Spectrography
 Ver.cal stria.on = gloLal pulses
Darkness = intensity
dark horizontal bands = formant frequencies

F3

F2

F1

m a:
 Narrow-band spectrogram Wide-band spectrogram

50 Hz band (sees only one

harmonic at a time)
300 Hz band (sees 3
harmonics at a time

Amplitude
Amplitude

500
500
Frequency (Hz) Frequency (Hz)

Power Spectrum

Narrow-band spectrogram Wide-band spectrogram

F3
F3
F2
F2

F1 H2
H1
F1
m a:

Waveform of [ma:]1
 1 = fundamental frequency (f0)
1 period
p
F4
F3

F2

F1
 F1
F3
F2

F4

www.clas.u.edu/users/ratree/Lin_6932/Week%203%20Tape%20recording%20techniques.ppt
 Measurement and Recording
Sampling rate = how oIen measure
amplitude of signal
If sampling rate is too slow, will distort or
miss high frequency signals
Get alias or false paLerns of repea.ng
cycles
Aliasing

Time
 Sampling Rates for Speech
To avoid aliasing, need to sample at 2x highest
frequency you want
Then, lter out extra frequencies
For example, to accurately record frequencies
up to 5000 Hz: Sample at 10 K
Then lter out all frequencies above 5000
 Nyquist or An.-aliasing Filter
Sample at 10 K, lter at 5K
Sample at 8 K, lter at 4 K
Sample at 16 K, lter at 8 K
Sample at 20 K, lter at 10 K
Sampling rate measured in sample points/
second.
We say at 5 K or 5 Khz
 Quan.za.on
Concerns how many levels of amplitude
Divide dynamic range into levels
Need to have enough levels
Few levels = stair step shape--not like orig.
Few levels = quan.za.on noise
Number of bits = 2 Number of bits levels of
quan.za.on
Sampling showing Quan.zing
Steps
 Rules for Digi.zing Speech

4000 Hz (2000 Hz cuto) = barely enough for

intelligibility in male voice
5000 Hz (2500 Hz cuto) = barely enough for
intelligibility in female voice
8000 Hz (4000 Hz cuto) = gets most info, not natural
>10000 Hz = more natural, not more intelligible
 Key Points for Dyamic Range in Recording Process
Microphone specica.ons
Recording device specica.ons (tape recorder, CD recorder)
Cable specica.ons (mike to recording device, recording
device to computer)
Sound card/digi.zer specica.ons
IF ANY OF THESE IS LIMITED RELATIVE TO THE SIGNAL,
CLIPPING CAN RESULT
Display specica.ons (SIGNAL CAN LOOK CLIPPED BUT IT
ISNT)
 Digi.zing Setup

Recording device
microphone Computer

Computer Display

Speakers
 Concepts for Speech/Hearing
Dynamic range = range of amplitudes or
frequencies device can handle
Dynamic range of 50 db good enough for speech
recording
Very quiet room has 30 dB signal/noise ra.o
Eliminate noise and/or improve signal/noise ra.o
= good recordings
 PreEmphasis
Human Voice Shows Spectral Tilt, or Roll-o
12 Db down per octave at gloqs
6 Db up per octave from radia.on at lips
Combina.on = 6 Db per octave spectral .lt when
recorded at lips
Makes it Hard to see Higher Formants in Speech
Analysis
Addi.onal Amplica.on of Higher Formants (=
Pre-Emphasis) is added automa.cally unless you
specify you dont want it
 Whats changeable? ANALYSIS
Dura.on of overall window
for calcula.onmeans how
many cycles?
Step size for calcula.on
move to next by how many
ms?
Dura.on of window for
deciding what cons.tutes a
cycle means how big is a
cycle?
Shape of window
 Making a Spectrum

Window for Analysis/Bandwidth of Spectrogram

Window for
cycle

Step
 What Period of Time is Best for
Window?

ITS YOUR CHOICE!

Select Window Size for analysis you
want (oNen changed)
Select step size for analysis you want (not changed
oNen)
 Windows for Spectral Analysis
Window may be wide or narrow

Wide window smears change over .me
(Series of) narrow windows resolves change
over .me beLer - smears frequency
Wide windows more accurate with frequency
Narrow windows more accurate with .me