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The analysis of speech has undergone an enormous number of changes in the last few years. Advances in hardware and software technologies have brought speech analysis to the desktop, while complicated hardware solutions have taken a back seat.

Our phonetics labs provide a variety of up-to-date hardware and software solutions that make the gathering and analysis of speech samples more accurate while remaining accessible to the student.

The laboratory houses a sound-treated recording room for students to make recordings using the latest equipment in Digital Audio recording. In addition, the lab has several state-of-the-art computerized analysis tools available for experimentation in Acoustic, Auditory and Articulatory Phonetics.

Currently, the department has three Macintosh systems and six PCs available for student use. The analysis software available in our labs include:

  • The Computerized Speech Lab (CSL) * - for speech and signal processing and analysis.
  • Multi-Speech * - a multimedia, Windows version of the CSL speech and signal processing processing and analysis package.
  • Video Phonetics Database * - "provides the ability to display a video window in conjunction with acoustic data; the data are linked in time for synchronous real-time display or in-depth analysis via cursor movement along the waveform."
  • Real-Time Spectrogram * - "provides spectrographic analysis in real time during signal acquisition."
  • Real-Time Pitch * - "provides true real-time pitch and energy displays in addition to robust numerical analysis. It is ideal for speech/voice clinics and language training applications."
  • Sona-Match * - "a real-time program for providing biofeedback of speech spectrum, vowel space, and formant values."
  • Palatometer Database * - "The database is used as a teaching tool to show the correlation between acoustics and tongue contact with the upper teeth and palate."
  • Real-Time EGG * - a real-time program using electroglottographic techniques to show laryngeal waveform contours. This program may be used to assess voice quality.
  • IPA Lab - an online application that teaches the sounds of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and develops both ear training and transcription skills.
  • Praat - a freeware application that can be used to record, synthesize, and analyze sound.
  • Audacity - a freeware application that can be used to record, synthesize, and edit sound. Provides some analysis and singnal processing functions also.
  • The University of Victoria Phonetic Database (PDB) - a compilation of 57 world languages including sound files of each language's phonetic inventory as well as extensive supporting documentation.

Many of these programs have been developed by Speech Technology Research Ltd (STR) in conjunction with KayPENTAX.