acoustics Flashcards

1
Q

True/False: sound propagates though air or another medium and can propose through a vacuum?

A

False: it cannot propagate through a vacuum (pg.48)

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2
Q

areas of higher density and pressure are called ares of _______ and areas of lower density and pressure are called areas of ______

A

condensation and rarefaction (pg.48)

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3
Q

a sound’s ______ is a count of the number of repetitions of a cyclic patter in 1 second

A

frequency (f) (pg.48)

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4
Q

what are the most common measurement units of sound?

A

Hertz (Hz) and kilohertz (kHz) (pg.48)

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5
Q

True/False: periodic sounds have a frequency but aperiodic sounds do not

A

true (pg.48)

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6
Q

frequency is perceives as what?

A

pitch (pg.48)

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7
Q

what are intervals between sounds?

A

semi tones (pg.48)

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8
Q

how many semitones are in an octave?

A

12 (pg.48)

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9
Q

what is an octave?

A

a doubling of frequency (pg.48)

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10
Q

what is the duration of one cycle referred to?

A

period (T) (pg.48)

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11
Q

True/False: frequency and time have an inverse relationship?

A

true (pg.48)

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12
Q

what is the physical measure of extent of vibrational change from resting position

A

amplitude (pg.48)

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13
Q

what is the peak amplitude?

A

the maximum pressure reached by the pressure wave

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14
Q

what is the root mean square amplitude?

A

root mean square amplitude (pg.48)

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15
Q

what is the power of a sound over a particular area?

A

intensity (pg.49)

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16
Q

what is intensity measured in?

A

watts (pg.49)

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17
Q

amplitude and intensity are both measured in…

A

decibels (dB) (pg.49)

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18
Q

what is the quietest sound that can be heard?

A

0 dB (pg.49)

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19
Q

amplitude and intensity are both measured in…

A

decibels (dB) (pg.49)

amplitude= dB-SPL 
intensity= dB- IL
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20
Q

what is a pascal?

A

the cute little lizard from tangled… Just kidding it is the measure of units of pressure
(pg.49)

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21
Q

physical measures of amplitude and intensity are perceived as what?

A

loudness (pg.49)

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22
Q

human hearing is most sensitive to sounds between __ and __

A

2 and 4 kHz (pg.49)

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23
Q

what is the length of time a sound continues?

A

duration (pg.49)

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24
Q

what is the distance travelled by a sound during a single cycle?

A

wavelength (pg. 49)

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25
Q

_______ is the location of a particular point in a waveform cycle relative to the zero line.

A

Phase (pg. 50)

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26
Q

what shows variations in amplitude, pressure, or intensity of a sound over time?

A

waveforms (pg. 50)

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27
Q

A waveform can be used to find the exact fundamental frequency, measuring time related cues (VOT), determining whether a sgnal is aperiodic/periodic,, pitch contours & voice quality analysis. T or F?

A

True (pg. 50)

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28
Q

______ show regions of high amplitude energy and changes over time and is the most frequently used tool in speech analysis.

A

Spectograms (pg. 50)

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29
Q

Sinusoids consist of a _______ called simple sounds or _______.

A

single frequency; pure tones (pg. 52)

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30
Q

In the human voice, harmonics are ______.

A

inifinite (pg. 54)

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31
Q

_________ complex periodic sound produced by vocal fold vibration. (AKA as phonation or voicing)

A

glottal source( pg. 55)

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32
Q

Vocal folds vibrate conitnously during voiced obstruents. T or F?

A

False; VFs often DO NOT vibrate continuously during voiced obstruents (pg. 55)

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33
Q

Harmonic amplitude ______ as harmonic freuqency ______.

A

decreases/ increases (pg. 55)

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34
Q

What is determined by rate of vocal fold vibration?

A

Vocal pitch (pg. 56)

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35
Q

what are changes in fundamental frequency perceived as?

A

intonation (pg.56)

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36
Q

in many east asian and African languages, pitch is what?

A

phonemic i.e. it can change word meaning

they are referred to as tonal languages

e. g. mandarin and all other Chinese languages
(pg. 56)

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37
Q

some languages have a restricted tonal system called _____

A
pitch accent (some scandinavian and Japanese) 
pg.56 

pitch accent systems usually have only 2 tones, high and low

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38
Q

true/false: languages use voice quality in different ways

A

true (pg.56)

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39
Q

what is produced when there is a sudden release of air pressure that has built up behind a blockage?

A

stop consonant bursts (pg.56)

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40
Q

True/False: In english, clicks are speech sounds that have meaning?

A

False: Clicks are not speech sounds but can still have meaning (e.g.. click is used to mean “giddy-up” to a horse

(pg.56)

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41
Q

True/False: clicks are not used in any languages to convey meaning?

A

False: clicks are uses as phonemes of speech in some african languages

(pg.56)

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42
Q

what sounds have longer duration than impulse noises where molecules are set into turbulent motion by forcing air through a narrow channel or against an obstruction such as teeth?

A

continuant obstruents (fricatives) (pg.56)

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43
Q

what do fricatives (obsturents) always include?

A

aperiodic noise as a sound source (pg.57)

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44
Q

aperiodic noise is the only sound source?

A

voiceless obstruents (pg.57)

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45
Q

aperiodic noise combined with vocal fold vibration

A

voiced obstruents (pg.57)

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46
Q

what is the acoustic theory of speech production?

A

states that speech is produced by passing a sound source through a sound filter (pg.57)

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47
Q

what is the most common sound source?

A

vocal fold vibration (pg.57)

turbulent and impulse noise also act as sound sources for speech

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48
Q

_______ acts a a filter and modifies sound input

A

supra laryngeal vocal tract (SLVT)

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49
Q

sounds gain about ____ dB per octave in amplitude as they resonate from the lips

A

6 (pg.58)

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50
Q

combining different ________ with different filter functions produces all of the sounds of speech

A

source functions (pg.58)

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51
Q

what are the functions of the filters?

A
  1. oral and pharyngeal cavities change size and shape
  2. sometimes includes airflow through h nasal cavities
  3. frequencies that resonate in the supra laryngeal vocal tract cavities are a function of cavity size

(pg.58)

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52
Q

_____ cavities have deeper resonating frequencies

A

larger (pg.58)

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53
Q

____ cavities have higher resonating frequencies

A

smaller (pg.58)

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54
Q

effect of the supra laryngeal vocal tract

A

changes amplitude of sinusoids that pass through it

55
Q

True/False: sinusoids that exit the SLVT have exactly the same frequencies as sinusoids in the inputs

A

true (pg.58)

56
Q

True/False: SLVT can add, delete or change the frequencies of component sinusoids?

A

false: SLVT CANNOT add, delete or change the frequencies of component sinusoids
(pg. 58)

57
Q

_______- filter envelope shows peaks and valleys

A

resonant sounds
for example, vowels and resonant consonants
(pg.58)

58
Q

what are resonant frequencies called?

A

formants (pg.59)

59
Q

True/False: Location of resonant frequencies is a function of SLVT shape

A

True: (pg.59)

  • sinusoids at or near formant peaks gain amplitude as they pass through the filter
  • sinusoids within valleys of the filter function lose amplitude as they pass through the filter
60
Q

_____- filter envelope may be a high-pass or band-pass filter

A

obstruent sounds (pg.59)

example- frication noise, stop bursts, aspiration noise

61
Q

what position of the SVLT creates the shape for the vowel schwa?

A

neutral position (pg.59)

62
Q

____ is the closed end of the SLVT and _____ is the open end of the SLVT (uniform tube)

A

glottis; lips (pg.59)

63
Q

the SLVT can be changed, therefor its is a ______

A

variable filter (pg.60)

64
Q

soft tissues of the vocal tract _____ some sound energy

A

dampen or absorbe (pg.60)

this means the SLVT is a heavily dampened filter

65
Q

soft tissues allow the SLVT to react to a range of frequencies near peaks of the filter function. this means it is a ______

A

broadly tuned filter (pg.60)

66
Q

what formants are the most important for speech perception?

A

F1, F2, and to a lesser extent F3 (pg.60)

67
Q

____ have the most open vocal tract shape

A

vowels (pg.61)

68
Q

no_____ noise is produced during the articulation of resonant sounds

A

aperiodic (pg.61)

69
Q

what is the default sound source?

A

vocal fold vibration (pg.61)

70
Q

formant frequencies depend on what?

A

size of pharynx, oral cavity, and location of constrictions in the SLVT (pg.62)

71
Q

which formant frequency is most closely associated with pharynx size?

A

F1 (pg.62)

pharynx size carries with tongue height

72
Q

the larger the air pocket, the -____ the resonant frequency?

A

lower (F1 is lower) pg.62

73
Q

what have the highest tongue position and have a low F1 frequency?

A

high vowels and glides (pg.62)

74
Q

the smaller the air pocket, the _____ the resonant frequency is

A

higher (pg.62)

75
Q

what have the lowest tongue position and high F1 frequency?

A

low vowels (pg.62)

76
Q

which formant frequency is most closely associated with oral cavity size

A

F2 (pg.62)

oral cavity size varies with tongue advancement

77
Q

what that the most forward tongue position and have a high F2 frequency

A

front vowels (pg.62)

78
Q

what have the farthest-back tongue position and have a low F2?

A

back vowels (pg.62)

79
Q

what formant frequency is important for distinguishing the retroflexed vowels (vocalic /r/) and the constant /r/ in english?

A

F3 (pg.62)

vocal tract constriction for these sounds results in a low F3

80
Q

as the mouth opens, F2 values tend to move towards the middle of the F2 scale what does this mean for front vowels and back vowels?

A

front= this means that F2 drops

Back=this means that F2 drops

(pg.62)

81
Q

For _________ the vocal tract is more constricted than for vowels but less constricted than for obstruent consonants

A

resonant consonants (pg.63)

82
Q

resonances from side cavities (for resonant consonants) are absorbed by the side cavity and they do not show up in the output speech signal. what do these appear as?

A

zeros or anti-resonances (pg.63)

  • a zero is the opposite of a formant
  • on a spectrogram, a zero will appear as white space
83
Q

_____ have a complete closure at some locations in the oral cavity

A

nasal consonants (pg.63)

84
Q

study the spectrograms in ch. 2

A

pg.63

85
Q

what a nasal consonants characterized by?

A

the presence of zeros in output (pg.64)

86
Q

_____ have a low frequency formant (often called nasal formant)

A

nasal consonants (pg.64)

87
Q

_______ involve a constriction in the vocal tract that does not produce turbulent flow

A

liquid and glides (pg.64)

88
Q

True/False: liquid and glides do not produce aperiodic noise

A

true (pg.64)

89
Q

acoustically, what do liquids and glides resemble?

A

vowels (pg.64)

referred to as semivowels

90
Q

the obstruent sounds of english include…

A

stops, fricatives and affricates (pg. 65)

91
Q

for all obstruent sounds, the vocal tract is relatively…

A

constricted (pg.65)

92
Q

what is produced when there is turbulent airflow?

A

aperiodic noise (pg.65)

93
Q

in ______ airflow through the constriction is continuous

A

fricatives (pg.65)

characterized by continuant noise

94
Q

in _____ airflow is completely blocked for brief period of time

A

stops (pg.66)

characterized by a period of silence during the blockage followed by a burst of engird when the blockage (or closure) is related

95
Q

what is the period of time from the beginning of the burst till the onset of voicing?

A

Voiced onset time (VOT) (pg.66)

96
Q

___ combine the features of stops and fricatives

A

affricated (pg.66)

airflow is briefly blocked, producing a period of silence, the blockage is then released to a narrow constriction

97
Q

in a waveform, aperiodic noise is characterized by what?

A

the lack of a repeating pattern (pg.66)

98
Q

in english, all obstruents have what?

A

voiced and voiceless cognates (pg.66)

99
Q

what serves as a sound source for obstruents?

A

aperiodic noise (pg.66)

this is why vocal fold vibration is not required to produced an output sound

100
Q

True/False: for obstruent sounds, voicing is the default sound source?

A

False: for resonant sounds voicing is the default sound source (pg.66)

101
Q

_____ obstruents are characterized by shorter durations than _______ obstruents

A

voiced; voiceless (pg.66)

102
Q

True/false: as with any sound, air pocket size determines how noise is source is filtered

A

True (pg.66)
for example:
-when constriction is near the front of the vocal tract, high frequency components of the noise source are enhanced

-when constriction is near the back of the vocal tract, lower-frequency components of the noise source are enhanced

103
Q

True/false: as the constriction location moves back in the vocal tract, the air pocket in the front of the constriction gets larger

A

True (pg.66)

104
Q

what are an important cues to place of articulation for all consonants?

A

formant transitions (pg.66)

105
Q

In english, ____ transitions always move downward as you look from vowel toward the consonant

A

F1 (pg.68)

106
Q

_____ transitions provide the most information about consonant place of articulation

A

F2 (pg.68)

107
Q

for _____ consonants, F2 tends to move downward as the constriction is formed and upward as it is released

A

bilabial (pg.68)

108
Q

for ______ consonants, F2 tends to move towards a frequency of about 1800 Hz

A

alveolar (pg.68)

109
Q

for ____ consonants, F2 tends to move towards F3

A

velar (pg.68)

it forms a “velar pitch”

110
Q

what are the sibilant fricatives?

A

/s,z, sh, and edge/ (pg.68)

111
Q

where are the nonsilibant fricatives?

A

/f,v,th, and h/ (pg.68)

112
Q

True/False: Sibilant fricatives have higher amplitude than nonsbilant fricatives?

A

true (pg.68)

113
Q

most of the noise energy for /s/ is at frequencies above or below 4000 Hz?

A

above (pg.69)

since the resonating cavity in front of the alveolar ridge is very small

114
Q

the average frequency of frication noise for /s/ is typically at least 2500Hz higher or lower than for /sh/?

A

higher (pg.69)

115
Q

True/false: center of gravity is the average frequency of the spectrum weighted by the amplitude of the noise at different frequencies?

A

True (pg.69)

116
Q

what is the degrees to which the energy on either side of the center of gravity is distributed symmetrically or asymmetrically?

skewness or kurtosis?

A

skewness (pg.69)

kurtosis= the degree to which the noise spectrum is flat or shows clearly defined peaks

117
Q

in the information provided in spectrum moments, the center of gravity shifts away or towards the center of the spectrum?

A

away from the center of the spectrum towards the resonant peak (pg.71)

as a result, the spectrum is asymmetrical and energy is concentrated in a relatively compact area rather than being evenly distributed across the spectrum

118
Q

in stop consonants what provides cues to place of articulation?

voice onset time duration and frequency
or the lack of periodic noise?

A

VOT (pg.73)

119
Q

which stops tend to have shorter VOTs then other stops with the same voicing?

bilabial
velar
alveolar

A

bilabials (pg.73)

120
Q

which stops tend to have longer VOTs then other stops with the same voicing?

bilabial
velar
alveolar

A

velar (pg.73)

121
Q

which stops tend to have either short or long VOTs then other stops with the same voicing?

bilabial
velar
alveolar

A

alveolar (pg.73)

122
Q

which stops tend to be flat or falling and have no noticeable peaks?

bilabial
velar
alveolar

A

bilabial (pg.73)

123
Q

which stops tend to rise gradually?

bilabial
velar
alveolar

A

alveolar (pg.73)

124
Q

which stops tend to have peaks in regions of F1 and F2?

bilabial
velar
alveolar

A

velar (pg.73)

125
Q

will disorders speech display a pitch contour?

A

no, a pitch contour is also known as a waveform. disorders speech will be aperiodic and therefore it can be difficult or impossible to see in disordered voices
(pg.73)

126
Q

what is cycle-to-cycle variability in frequency?

shimmer or jitter?

A

Jitter (pg.73)

127
Q

what is cycle to cycle variability in amplitude?

shimmer or jitter?

A

shimmer (pg.73)

128
Q

how do you measure shimmer and jitter?

A

use a sustained /a/ (pg.76)

129
Q

_____ is the typical voice quality produced by a healthy speaker and H1 and H2 are approximately equal in amplitude?

modal voice
creaky voice
breathy voice

A

modal (pg.77)

130
Q

in _____, the vocal folds pulse irregular and often at a very low frequency and H1 is lower than H2?

modal voice
creaky voice
breathy voice

A

creaky (pg.77)

131
Q

in ______, the vocal folds never completely close, resulting in airflow even at maximal closure and H1 is higher in amplitude than H2

modal voice
creaky voice
breathy voice

A

breathy (pg.77)

132
Q

True/False: languages do not use voice quality phonemically

A

False (pg.77)

some languages use voice quality phonemically

133
Q

______ is a measurement of the amount of periodic versus aperiodic energy in voice

spectral tilt or harmonics-to-noise-ration

A

harmonics-to-noise-ratio (pg.77)

134
Q

healthy speakers should be able to produce a harmonics-to-noise-ratio of _____ dB?

A

20 (pg.77)

this means that speakers should be able to produce about 99% periodic energy