Paper Design Prototypes and Methodology

The various research materials, accumulated into design concepts;

The project will entail of the development of a sound design process to transform human vocalisations into that of animals, using theories that bring together biological knowledge, along with sound synthesis. 

The project will work with a media studies element and practice-based component working concurrently. This will then be concluded by a quantitative element in the form of a scientific experiment consisting of a simple listening test.

Literature Review - Source-Filter Theory

A nice find for my literature review and for my methodology, Fant's Source-Filter theory details sound production from an angle that draws strong parallels with that of Subtractive synthesis. As Subtractive synthesis deals with the principle of an excitation source and resonator, the Source-Filter theory deals with the larynx and the vocal tract - Essentially viewed upon as a "Source" and a "Filter" respectively.

This approach would help underline the project design, splitting up the ways to attempt processing the human vocal sound to become a big cat.

Relevant texts;

1. Fant, G. (1960). Acoustic theory of speech production. The Hague: Mouton.
2. Taylor, A. and Reby, D. 2010. The contribution of source–filter theory to mammal vocal communication research. Journal of Zoology. 280(3) pp.221-236.
3. Titze, I. 1994. Principles of vocal production. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.

Additional research

Quote amazed I haven't found this till now 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01b9jny/Nature_Series_5_In_search_of_the_Tiger_s_Roar/

Although I have found a lot of interesting sound design examples.
This brief breakdown courtesy of World of Warcraft shows the sound of a creature in its final form, but also isolates the sounds building blocks.
For this example it includes a voice actor, a bear and a tiger.
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/9135372/

Dehumaniser

Developed by Orfeas Boteas, Dehumaniser is a sound design tool that can manipulate a live input in real time, with the intention of being applied to sounds created by the human voice. It can function as a standalone application or be re-wired for use with digital audio workstations, such as Cubase and Reaper.

Designed entirely in Cycling '74's Max.

http://cycling74.com/project/dehumaniser/

Interview

http://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/news-events/graduate-interview-orfeas-boteas

Review

http://www.askaudiomag.com/articles/review-dehumanizer

http://dehumaniser.com/

Prototype Screenshots Max

Critical Feedback

Had another session with my mentor outlining my current research and development, during this I; 

• Explained the possibility of submitting my research brief to the Royal Zoological Society in order to get recording access; http://www.rzss.org.uk/research/your-research The main set-back for this would be the delay and loss of time, in which I could be a month or indeed a couple before I got through all the hoops for getting a research pass. The recordings that as a result of this could also be potentially lack luster, when compared with professional authentic recordings.   

The motivation behinds sourcing my own recordings, would of been to obtain sounds that were unmodified by production techniques to get a "real" representation of the natural sound.

The aim for the project still stands as a reasonable research outline. However the lack of a definitive methodology was a strong area of concern (for which the core of the project would need to be developed and modified according to). 
My lecturer gave me with a great resource in Curtis Roads Computer Music Tutorial which provides a really comprehensive guide for the likes of sound synthesis and it derivatives such as Subtractive synthesis, Wavetable synthesis, Formant synthesis, etc. 
An understanding with these synthesis principals will inform my projects conduct and from which I can select a method(s) to conduct it with. I.e; Subtractive Synthesis.

Zoo

Investigated the possibility of conducting research with the Zoological Society in order to obtain animal recordings for analysis. 
Lecturer feedback highlighted an observation that conducting my own recordings might not be the best allocation of my time and resources, given the waiting time to receive a research pass, and also the fact given the nature of my topic, the animals recordings would turn out pretty poorly.

Descended and Mobile Larynx's

Back to Russ

The research process has been quite frustrating, given the more specific the investigation, the more irrelevant the research (and past research) becomes. The Sound Synthesis and Sampling book by Martin Russ has been a consistent source throughout the weeks of narrowing sources, and given the potentially more sound-synthesis based approach of my investigation, has gained more relevance.

                                                                                                           - (Russ, M. 2009.) Page 12. 

Pitch Session 1.0

The pitch session on Friday gave us a chance to tell our lecturer and peers about our projects, and what research we had conducted thus far. During my project research presentation it became apparent that my biologically focused findings might not be immediately relevant to the production requirements of the project as I had mainly discussed my findings on the descended and mobile larynx found in mammals along with the concepts of vocal learning (which would bear no relation to production requirements.) 

A suggestion included investigating subtractive synthesis and if possible as an outcome for my project; the creation of a soft/hardware sound effects chain for a tiger emulation system for a human voice. Upon reflecting on this point, I created a very simplified IO diagram;

HUMAN VOICE >>> PROCESS >>> MODIFIED VOICE (Tiger, Etc.)

This "Process" will be what the project will manifest itself with the experimental production/synthesis techniques, along with the informative biology sources. 

Preceding this, I also found the full video of the Big Cats episode of Inside Natures Giants that showed the lions mobile and sizable larynx;
http://www.dailymotion.com/gb/relevance/search/inside+natures+giants+big+cats/1#video=xpk1nj
This documentary features an interesting experiment in which Tecumseh Fitch attached a tube to the lions larynx and blew compressed air through it. He then repeated this and pulled the larynx back which change the pitch of the roar, essentially a biological pitch shifter.

Research and Lit Predictions

Given the nature of this project, one of my lecturers was happy with the idea of having a hybrid research approach splitting the technical sound elements along with the biological area of the subject. The reading materials at the moment have been mainly biological, looking at the production of Vocalizations in Mammals and some more specific articles involving the Panthera family.

• Production of Vocalisations in Mammals; http://homepage.univie.ac.at/tecumseh.fitch/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Fitch2006MammalVocalProd.pdf
• Adapted to Roar: Functional Morphology of Tiger and Lion Vocal Folds; http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0027029

• The larynx of roaring and non-roaring cats; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1256521/

An interesting article detailing the possible use of tiger and leopard recordings to save both human and animal life. http://www.scidev.net/global/innovation/news/tiger-growl-recordings-deter-crop-raiding-elephants.html

An interesting clip from "Inside Natures Giants", unfortunately due to copyright issues the full episode is unavailable. This clip details the lions larynx and its movement to produce growls and roars. Interestingly it is still unknown how the roars volume can be so great in amplitude.

DBB

One of my favorite voice actors in the industry, with over twenty years experience in video games and animation, Dee Baker has taking his talents in a different direction; mainly in the production of sounds for animals and creatures.

One of the most crucial points with his approach is that he rarely alters his recordings post production, as shown in his online portfolio - http://www.deebaker.com/

Research Aim Revised

The area of recording/ recreating original animal/creature sounds for media can be problematic dealing with real animals. Investigate the industry practices and techniques that deal with these problems, looking at human vocalizations and production techniques.
(Very rough ballpark aim)

The Honours project itself (main reason for this blog in the first place) would primarily consist of making a sound library (potentially commercial), and conducting some extensions of the techniques explored in the dissertation to create sonic atmospheres and soundscapes, possibly resulting in some sort of game or simulation. 

Possible Research Aim - (Primarily Animation Based) SCRAPPED

Comparing and contrasting the creative process and applications of audio content in animation before and after the integration/wider use of digital technology.

• Animation audio; 
• Voice Acting
• New creative possibilities, greater pipeline
• Music
• Foley
• From studio recorded mechanical contraptions, to real sampled audio
• Period could range from the 1930's to the present day.
• Account for significant changes in animation 

Ghazanfar & Rendall - Evolution of Human Vocal Production

An interesting study into the nature of human vocal production using the comparative model with primates.

(Page 1 of 4)

Sound Synthesis and Sampling by Martin Russ (2006) also offers an interesting introduction detailing human synthesis;

"Human beings also have a sophisticated means of producing sound: the vocal tract. The combination of vocal cords, throat, tongue, teeth, mouth cavity and lips provide a versatile way of making a wide variety of sounds: a biological sound synthesizer. The development of this particular instrument is long and still ongoing – it is probably the oldest and most important musical instrument."

Research and Subject Area

I'm glad that I have a subject area for the year ahead, but the challenge facing me over the next short period of time will be narrowing my area of study into an interesting, worthwhile and testable research aim. Given the diverse nature of the human vocal element, I could analyse and study it in a range of approaches such as;

• The ever present dominance and creative applications of voice in music and culture as an instrument;
• Musically the most recognized vocal instrument is that of a singer, usually combining notes/words with melodic phrases, drones, etc.
• Other applications such as beatboxing, whistling and established instrument mimicry;

Naturally 7 - An A Capella music group that uses extensive beatboxing, harmonies and mimicry in their studio and live performances/productions. (YouTube)

• The use of voice as a sound effects generator in creative mediums;
• “The best unique sound effects are those made from scratch. Humans have far more range than almost every other creature in the animal kingdom, so try to produce the sound yourself.” - Ric Viers 2008.
• Compare vocal applications in creative mediums before and after the rise of digital technology (Animation/Video Games).

            
A short video detailing the many voices of Mel Blanc, most famous for his work with Warner Brothers animation. (YouTube) 

The Wabi Sabi Sound guys displaying the combination of voice acting with digital technology to create more abstract monster noises. (YouTube)

Welcome!

During my 3rd year at Abertay, I got the opportunity to take part in a range of different activities and projects that involved the integration of audio content. They manifested themselves in the form of short films, animations and video game prototypes. 

One recurring sound source I relied on and experimented with most frequently, was with the human voice. Applications included; 

• The mimicry and design of animals 
• Fantasy creatures
• Interface sounds
• Explosions and impacts
• Soundscapes and ambience   

From these experiences and considering the next step facing me in my studies, an investigation/project based around human vocal sound design gained personal prominence.