Speech emotion modification using a cepstral vocoder

Abstract

This paper deals with speech modification using a cepstral vocoder with the intent to change the emotional content of speech. The cepstral vocoder contains the analysis and synthesis stages. The analysis stage performs the estimation of speech parameters - vocal tract properties, fundamental frequency, intensity, etc. In this parametric domain the segmental and suprasegmental speech modifications may be performed and than the speech can be reconstructed using the parametric source-filter cepstral model. We use the described cepstral vocoder and speech parameter modifications as a tool for research in emotional speech modeling and synthesis. The paper is focused rather on the description of this system and its possibilities than to precise settings of parameter modifications for speech generation with given emotions. The system is still under development. Plans for future research are shortly summarized. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.