Bandwidths of vocal tract resonances in physical models compared to transmission-line simulations

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

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Abstract

This study investigated how the bandwidths of resonances simulated by transmission-line models of the vocal tract compare to bandwidths measured from physical three-dimensional printed vowel resonators. Three types of physical resonators were examined: models with realistic vocal tract shapes based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data, straight axisymmetric tubes with varying cross-sectional areas, and two-tube approximations of the vocal tract with notched lips. All physical models had hard walls and closed glottis so the main loss mechanisms contributing to the bandwidths were sound radiation, viscosity, and heat conduction. These losses were accordingly included in the simulations, in two variants: A coarse approximation of the losses with frequency-independent lumped elements, and a detailed, theoretically more precise loss model. Across the examined frequency range from 0 to 5 kHz, the resonance bandwidths increased systematically from the simulations with the coarse loss model to the simulations with the detailed loss model, to the tube-shaped physical resonators, and to the MRI-based resonators. This indicates that the simulated losses, especially the commonly used approximations, underestimate the real losses in physical resonators. Hence, more realistic acoustic simulations of the vocal tract require improved models for viscous and radiation losses.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number3281
Pages (from-to)3281-3291
Number of pages11
JournalThe Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
Volume153
Issue number6
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2023
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85162117108
Mendeley a5fefa1e-a8e1-346a-b5ad-ac48d3aae26c
ORCID /0000-0003-0167-8123/work/167214868

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