Preliminary Studies of Speech Produced by a Pattern Playback

Results obtained with a sound spectrograph and pattern playback are presented in this paper. The playback synthesizes speech sounds, using modulated light transmitted through a photographic copy of an original spectrogram, or reflected from a hand‐drawn version. Tests of connected speech so produced indicate that a rather high order of intelligibility is achieved. The hand‐drawn spectrograms can be simplified and schematized to a considerable degree without appreciable loss. In general, either type of spectrogram can be modified in a variety of ways, and the effects of these modifications can then be evaluated by listening tests.