Air-pressure, Vocal Folds Vibration and Acoustic Characteristics of Phonation during Vocal Exercising. Part 2: Measurement on a Physical Model

The contribution aims to provide material that can be used in development of more realistic physical as well as theoretical models of voice production. The experimental set-up, methodology and the results of measurement of airflow rate, subglottal, oral and generated acoustic air pressures are presented together with the simultaneously measured flow-induced vibrations of a vocal folds replica, made of soft silicon rubber, and recorded by a high speed camera. The data were measured during ‘soft’ phonation just above the phonation onset, given by the phonation threshold airflow rate, and during ‘normal’ phonation for the airflow rate of about three times higher. A model of the human vocal tract in the position for production of vowel [u:] was used, and the flow resistance was raised by phonating into a glass resonance tube either in the air or having the other end of the tube submerged under water, and by phonating into a narrow straw. The results for the pressures presented in time and frequency domain are comparable with the physiological ranges and limits measured in humans for ordinary phonation and for production of vocal exercises used in voice therapy.