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Comparison of the produced and perceived voice range profiles in untrained and trained classical singers - PubMed

Comparative Study

Comparison of the produced and perceived voice range profiles in untrained and trained classical singers

Eric J Hunter et al. J Voice. 2006 Dec.

Abstract

Frequency and intensity ranges (in true decibel sound pressure level, 20 microPa at 1 m) of voice production in trained and untrained vocalists were compared with the perceived dynamic range (phons) and units of loudness (sones) of the ear. Results were reported in terms of standard voice range profiles (VRPs), perceived VRPs (as predicted by accepted measures of auditory sensitivities), and a new metric labeled as an overall perceptual level construct. Trained classical singers made use of the most sensitive part of the hearing range (around 3-4 kHz) through the use of the singer's formant. When mapped onto the contours of equal loudness (depicting nonuniform spectral and dynamic sensitivities of the auditory system), the formant is perceived at an even higher sound level, as measured in phons, than a flat or A-weighted spectrum would indicate. The contributions of effects like the singer's formant and the sensitivities of the auditory system helped the trained singers produce 20% to 40% more units of loudness, as measured in sones, than the untrained singers. Trained male vocalists had a maximum overall perceptual level construct that was 40% higher than the untrained male vocalists. Although the A-weighted spectrum (commonly used in VRP measurement) is a reasonable first-order approximation of auditory sensitivities, it misrepresents the most salient part of the sensitivities (where the singer's formant is found) by nearly 10 dB.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1

Phon and Sone as given by ISO standards. (a) Equal loudness curves of pure tones showing the frequency and level relationship between dB SPL and phon. (b) The relation between equal loudness (phon) and loudness level (sone).

Figure 2
Figure 2

Spectral information of the untrained and trained bass-baritone rendering the /a/ vowel for (F3) used to illustrate PVRP creation. (a) Third-octave levels, the pressure spectrum level, and then phon and A-weighted versions of the pressure spectrum level were shown. (b) Loud and soft renditions of the vowel were shown in terms of sone, based on the phon pressure spectrum level.

Figure 3
Figure 3

VRP (in dB SPL) is shown for each subject (Left: untrained voice users. Right: trained singers. Voice types: (a) soprano, (b) mezzo-soprano, (c) tenor, (d) bass-baritone. In (a)–(d) the solid line represents a VRP created with the /a/ vowel (loud and soft) and the dotted line represents the maximum and minimum loud and soft across /a/, /i/, and /u/ vowels. (e) Averages of the untrained and trained extreme VRP where the solid line was the statistical average of the subjects and the dotted line was the maximum and minimum across subjects.

Figure 4
Figure 4

Voice Range Profiles (solid lines) across the three vowels are shown along with predicted Perceived Voice Range Profile (PVRP, dotted lines) based on equal loudness contours, and the PVRP-A (dashed lines) as based on A-weighting. The PVRP level in phon can be compared to the dB SPL of a 1 kHz tone.

Figure 5
Figure 5

For comparison purposes, the VRP-A is plotted along with the VRP, PVRP and PVRP-A. Only the base-baritone subjects are shown.

Figure 6
Figure 6

Obtaining the Overall Perceptual Level Construct for the untrained and trained singers. (a) All subject maximum loud (upper dotted), average loud (upper solid), average soft (lower solid) and minimum soft third octave spectrum level are shown. (b) Levels are converted first to phon (not shown in the figure) then to loudness (sone) using the same legend as in figure (a).

Figure 6
Figure 6

Obtaining the Overall Perceptual Level Construct for the untrained and trained singers. (a) All subject maximum loud (upper dotted), average loud (upper solid), average soft (lower solid) and minimum soft third octave spectrum level are shown. (b) Levels are converted first to phon (not shown in the figure) then to loudness (sone) using the same legend as in figure (a).

Figure 7
Figure 7

(a) The total sone levels of the extreme spectra are plotted with ratios between trained and untrained values (squares). (b) From the loudness values, equivalent phons are calculated as the Overall Perceptual Level Construct.

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