Sulter A. M., Miller D. G., Wolf R. F., Schutte H. K., Wit H. P., and
Mooyaart E. L.
Title
On the relation between the dimensions and resonance characteristics of
the vocal tract: a study with MRI.
Source
Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 10(3):365-73, 1992.
Abstract
The relation between the spatial configuration of the vocal tract as
determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the acoustical signal
produced was investigated. A male subject carried out a set of phonatory
tasks, comprising the utterance of the sustained vowels /i/ and /a/, each
in a single articulation, and the vowel /epsilon/ with his larynx
positioned variously on a vertical axis. Two- and three-dimensional
measurements of the vocal tract were performed. The results of these
measurements were used to calculate resonance frequencies, according to
predictions from acoustical theory. Finally, calculated frequencies were
compared with actually measured resonance frequencies in the audio signal.
We found a strong relation between the acoustical signal produced and the
spatial configuration for the first resonance frequencies of the
articulations of the vowel /epsilon/, and first two resonance frequencies
of the vowels /a/ and /i/. The capability to determine accurately vocal
tract dimensions is a major advantage of this imaging technique.
