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Sing along to fame
PURDUE UNIVERSITY researchers are aiming to develop a computer system that will transform a poor singing voice into a great singing voice. This will make average singers sound like professionals. They are trying to create computer models for voice analysis and synthesis.
These models, or programmes called algorithms, break the human singing voice into components that can then be modified to produce a more professional-sounding rendition of the original voice. Far more work is needed before the system is finished, Smith said. He said the specialised programmes are, however, able to alter certain important characteristics of a person's voice, such as pitch, duration, and "vibrato," or the modulation in frequency produced by professional singers.
The system uses a special technique to break down the original voice. They are able to work with ease with female voices than male voices as higher pitched voices are more manoeuvrable.
Other challenges include finding ways to improve a person's singing without dramatically altering the original voice -- identifying the parameters that need to be modified for specific types of quality improvements, and then operating the system in real time on available hardware.
According to a Purdue university press release, the new model could have broader applications, such as synthesising musical instruments and improving the quality of text-to-speech programmes in which words typed on a computer are automatically converted into spoken language. Some have already used the model to create a system that changes text into speech and typed lyrics into singing. Other possible applications include programs for the hearing-impaired that make it easier to hear speech, and systems that change the playback speed of digital recordings.
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