A Loudness Enhancement Technique For Speech
Abstract
We propose a novel application of the vocoder postfilter to increase perceived loudness of clean speech without increasing signal energy or degrading intelligibility. The critical band concept in auditory theory states that perceived loudness of a narrow-band signal will increase when the bandwidth of that signal increases beyond a critical band, even though the energy remains constant. Our post-filter technique applies formant bandwidth expansion to the vowel regions of speech without changing the vowel power to elevate perceived loudness. Vowels are known to contain the highest energy, have a smooth spectral envelope, long temporal sustenance, and for this reason are suitable candidates to target for a loudness enhancement technique. ISO-532B loudness analysis patterns and listening tests are provided to demonstrate a perceptual loudness improvement corresponding to a 2dB power gain.
Recommended Citation
M. A. Boillot and J. G. Harris, "A Loudness Enhancement Technique For Speech," Proceedings IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems, vol. 5, pp. V - 616, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Sep 2004.
Department(s)
Electrical and Computer Engineering
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
0271-4310
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2025 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
06 Sep 2004
