Voice Characteristics

Individual voices derive their uniqueness from a number of physical factors.  In addition, an individual's voice can take on different qualities at different times, depending on such things as mood and circumstance.  You can modify these attributes with a set of voice characteristics tags. 
See also the following tags:

Gender and Age
Style
Speakers (the \Vce=Speaker=name\ tag)

Voice Characteristics Tags

Tag 	Annotation	Attribute	Effect
\xVct=male\	`vg0	Vocal tract(male)	Set vocal tract configuration to male.
\xVct=female\	`vg1	Vocal tract(female)	Set vocal tract configuration to female.
\Pit=N\	`vbN	Pitch baseline	Set pitch baseline to N.Tag range is 40-422 Hz.Annotation range is 0-100.
\xHsz=N\	`vhN	Head size	Set head size to N.Range is 0 (very small head) to 100 (very large head).
\xRgh=N\	`vrN	Roughness	Set roughness to N.Range is 0 (smooth) to 100 (rough).
\xBth=N\	`vyN	Breathiness	Set breathiness to N.Range is 0 (not breathy) to 99 (very breathy).Note: Setting breathiness to 100 yields a whisper.
\xPfl=N\	`vfN	Pitch fluctuation	Set pitch fluctuation to N.Range is 0 (narrow=monotonic) to 100 (wide).
\Spd=N\	`vsN	Speed 	Set speed of the utterance to N.Tag range is 70-1297 words per minute.Annotation range is 0-250.
\Vol=N\	`vvN	Volume	Set speech volume to N.Tag range is 1 to 65535 (linear).Annotation range is 0-100.
\Rst\	(no annotation)		Reset the voice to the original characteristics for the selected speaker.

Voice characteristics tags affect the currently selected voice and remain in effect until a new voice or speaker is specified with the \Vce\ tag, or until the same tag is used again with a different value.  Restarting the program also resets all of the characteristics to their default values.  

Vocal tract

Male and female vocal tracts have physical differences which affect the voice, some of which are reflected in the vocal tract setting.  Other differences between male and female voices, namely pitch and head size, are controlled independently.

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\

This is Shelley.  Today I feel fine.  

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \xVct=male\

This is Shelley.  Today I'm feeling a bit androgynous.  

Pitch Baseline

Changing the pitch baseline will affect the overall pitch of the voice, where the highest pitch is associated with children, a high pitch with women, and a low pitch with men.

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\

This is Shelley.  Today I feel fine.  

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \Pit=53\

This is Shelley.  Today I'm feeling a bit low.  

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \Pit=422\

This is Shelley.  Today I'm feeling a bit silly.  

Head Size

This attribute controls one aspect of the deepness of the voice.

\Vce=Speaker=Reed\

This is Reed with his default voice.  

\Vce=Speaker=Reed\ \xHsz=10\

This is Reed as a Munchkin.  

\Vce=Speaker=Reed\ \xHsz=100\

This is Reed as a giant. 

Since the perceived deepness of a voice is dependent on both pitch baseline and head size, ETI-Eloquence allows you to control the two characteristics independently.  The three examples above vary in head size but use the same pitch baselines. 

Roughness

This attribute controls the roughness or "creakiness" of the voice.

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\

This is Shelley.  Today I feel fine.  

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \xRgh=30\

This is Shelley.  Today I'm feeling a bit hoarse.  

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \xRgh=90\

This is Shelley.  Today I'm feeling really hoarse.  

Breathiness

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\

This is Shelley.  Today I feel fine.  

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \xBth=10\

This is Shelley.  Today I'm feeling a bit artificial.  

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \xBth=90\

This is Shelley.  Today I'm feeling a bit paranoid.  

The maximum breathiness value produces a whisper.

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \xBth=100\

This is Shelley.  Im practicing my stage whisper.  



Pitch Fluctuation

This attribute controls the degree of fluctuation in the speaker's voice.  A large pitch fluctuation is characteristic of an excited speaker, and a small pitch fluctuation creates a monotone.

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\

This is Shelley.  Today I feel fine.  

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \xPfl=10\

This is Shelley.  Today I'm feeling a bit bored.  

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \xPfl=80\

This is Shelley.  Today I'm feeling a bit animated.  

Speed

Speed controls the number of words spoken per minute. 

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\

This is Shelley.  Today I feel fine.  

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \Spd=104\

This is Shelley.  Today I'm feeling a bit slow.  

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \Spd=237\

This is Shelley.  Today I'm feeling a bit rushed.  


Volume

The volume for built-in voices is set as loud as possible without causing distortion.  (Louder settings may cause distortion when combined with other attribute changes.)  For example, the default volume for Adult Female 1 (which is Shelley's voice) is 37640.

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\

This is Shelley.  Today I feel fine.

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \Vol=255\

This is Shelley.  Today I'm feeling a bit quiet.  

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \Vol=65535\

This is Shelley.  Today I'm feeling just fine.  

