17.401, Qs: Simple and Affordable Voice Analyzer?

LINGUIST List linguist at LINGUISTLIST.ORG
Tue Feb 7 02:29:39 UTC 2006


LINGUIST List: Vol-17-401. Mon Feb 06 2006. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 17.401, Qs: Simple and Affordable Voice Analyzer?

Moderators: Anthony Aristar, Wayne State U <aristar at linguistlist.org>
            Helen Aristar-Dry, Eastern Michigan U <hdry at linguistlist.org>
 
Reviews (reviews at linguistlist.org) 
        Sheila Dooley, U of Arizona  
        Terry Langendoen, U of Arizona  

Homepage: http://linguistlist.org/

The LINGUIST List is funded by Eastern Michigan University, Wayne
State University, and donations from subscribers and publishers.

Editor for this issue: James Rider <rider at linguistlist.org>
================================================================  

We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually
best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is
then strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list. This policy was
instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we
would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate.

In addition to posting a summary, we'd like to remind people that it
is usually a good idea to personally thank those individuals who have
taken the trouble to respond to the query.

To post to LINGUIST, use our convenient web form at
http://linguistlist.org/LL/posttolinguist.html.


===========================Directory==============================  

1)
Date: 06-Feb-2006
From: Joe Yatae < ubkiri at hotmail.com >
Subject: Simple and Affordable Voice Analyzer? 

	
-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Mon, 06 Feb 2006 21:20:52
From: Joe Yatae < ubkiri at hotmail.com >
Subject: Simple and Affordable Voice Analyzer? 
 

Hello,

I'm an English language instructor looking to develop a web-based
application that helps learners to efficiently master vocabulary & phrase
lists.

This system will incorporate speech recognition/TTS engines, but I'm having
trouble finding affordable vendors who can create the ''voice analyzer''
function.

Since I'm not an engineer by trade, I'm feeling overwhelmed with my search
for this function. Everything out there seems to be too sophisticated for
my students' needs and too expensive for me.

The voice analyzer function should be able to compare (the user's voice
with the SR engine's),  analyze and rate/score the following:

* basic phonemes
* intonation
* voice strength (audibility?)

In effect, it would be slightly more effective (and reliable) than the scoring
system in a karaoke machine.

As far as the type of visual display I'd like for the learners, I've seen some
really fancy ones, though they may be too much for the needs of my learners.

My goal is primarily to activate the students vocal cords (a big goal in
Japan!) and to make them realize that they can in fact speak.

My secondary, lesser goal is just to give them an awareness of where their
pronunciation/articulation stands compared with their peers. I will leave the
teaching of pronunciation to another class.

Thus, the visual display could be a simple wave comparison (b/wn learner &
model SR voice) or even some kind of Windows Media Player
Visualization-like effect. I don't know - What do you suppose would be most
practical for my learners?

What I've been finding so far (it's early 2006) are products aimed mostly
for speech therapy or corporate telephony. All of them entail per user- or
yearly- licensing.  I'm working independently and can't afford  their high
costs. Perhaps I'm willing to pay no more than US$1000 for such a voice
analyzer program?

Please tell me that what I'm looking for is out there!

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Joe Yatae
ubkiri at hotmail.com 

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics
                     Language Acquisition





-----------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-17-401	

	



More information about the LINGUIST mailing list