Voice Transformation: A survey

Voice transformation refers to the various modifications one may apply to the sound produced by a person, speaking or singing. Voice Transformation is usually seen as an add-on or an external system in speech synthesis systems since it may create virtual voices in a simple and flexible way. In this paper we review the state-of-the-art Voice Transformation methodology showing its limitations in producing good speech quality and its current challenges. Addressing quality issues of current voice transformation algorithms in conjunction with properties of the speech production and speech perception systems we try to pave the way for more natural Voice Transformation algorithms in the future. Facing the challenges, will allow Voice Transformation systems to be applied in important and versatile areas of speech technology; applications that are far beyond speech synthesis.

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