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EAQHM-LT

ROBUST FULL-BAND ADAPTIVE SINUSOIDAL ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS OF SPEECH

George P. Kafentzis, Olivier Rosec, Yannis Stylianou

Abstract - Recent advances in speech analysis have shown that voiced speech can be very well represented using quasi-harmonic frequency tracks and local parameter adaptivity to the underlying signal. In this paper, we revisit the quasi-harmonicity approach through the extended adaptive Quasi-Harmonic Model - eaQHM, and we show that the application of a continuous f0 estimation method plus an adaptivity scheme can yield high resolution quasi-harmonic analysis and perceptually indistinguishable resynthesized speech. This method assumes an initial harmonic model which successively converges to quasi-harmonicity. Formal listening tests showed that eaQHM is robust against f0 estimation artefacts and can provide a higher quality in resynthesizing speech, compared to a recently developed model, called the adaptive Harmonic Model (aHM), and the standard Sinusoidal Model (SM).

Thank you for your time !

In this test, the goal is to evaluate the perceptual quality between recordings of speech and their reconstruction by several signal processing algorithms.

You will listen to an original and a few reconstructed speech waveforms. You will rate them according to the perceptual quality compared to the original. Your criteria should include presence of artifacts and quality of the sound.

As a guide for the test, at first you can play the original sound as many times as you want (labeled Original). Then, you can play the other sounds (labeled Resynthesis 1,2,3) one at a time, and then again the original (if you want). Then you can rate the quality of the resynthesis, compared to the original.

Please note that the order of appearance is random, that is, for example, the waveform labeled Resynthesis 1 does not necessarily correspond to a specific model.

The rating is the following:

Perfect: No artifacts and/or identical resynthesis quality.

Very good: Very few artifacts and/or very good resynthesis quality but not identical.

Good: Some artifacts and/or good synthesis quality but not identical.

Bad: Annoying artifacts and/or bad resynthesis quality.

Very bad: Very annoying artifacts and/or very bad resynthesis quality.

Recommendations

• If there is any technical problem with one sound, select Prob.
• Absolutely use headphones. Do not use earphones or speakers!!!
• Verify that the sound is loud enough to hear the details properly.
• Do the test in a quiet place.
• Take the time to listen !
• Please, do not stop the sound before it finishes!
• Please, do not play audio files simultaneously !
• Before answering the test, do not hesitate to ask me any question.

The test

Please, evaluate the quality of the resynthesized waveforms according to the Original.

Please check your answers above and