Proposal and evaluation of models for the glottal source waveform

Speech analysis for high quality speech synthesis or high accuracy speech recognition requires realistic models not only for the vocal tract but also for the voice source. In the present paper, we investigate models for the glottal volume velocity waveform. Previously proposed models are reviewed and classified according to their level of elaboration in expressing the glottal characteristics. A new model is then proposed which possesses all the important features of previously proposed models. A method is also described for simultaneously estimating the glottal source and vocal: tract parameters. Using this method, evaluation of glottal model parameters is carried out on real speech by varying the number of parameters in the proposed model. The results indicate the importance of detailed modeling of the period of glottal closure for accurate analysis.