Exploiting improved parameter smoothing within a hybrid concatenative/LPC speech synthesizer

We depict the interpolation strategies for the concatenation of inventory demisyllables in our hybrid concatenative/LPC speech synthesizer. Inventory elements for vowels and nasals are cut in the steady state of the phoneme. Concatenating elements in the synthesis stage requires smoothing of spectral content and energy to avoid annoying discontinuities in these parameters, which is of vital importance for the quality of synthesized speech. The hybrid synthesizer concept allows the application of smoothing algorithms uncommon to pure time domain synthesis. Using the smoothing algorithm also the occurrence of musical tones due to the LPC filter resonances at the begin of pauses can be suppressed.