Fundamental frequency contour reshaping in HMM-based speech synthesis and realization of prosodic focus using generation process model
Keikichi Hirose, Hiroya Hashimoto, Jun Ikeshima, Nobuaki Minematsu · 2012
Frame-by-frame representation is not appropriate for prosodic features, which are tightly related to speech units spreading a wide time span, such as words, phrases and so on.This causes an inherit problem in fundamental frequency (F 0 ) contour generation by HMM-based speech synthesis.Our formerlydeveloped method, which modify generated F 0 contours in the framework of the generation process model, is improved to allow plural phrase components in a breath group.Since the model can clearly relate its commands with linguistic (and para-/non-linguistic) information, the method further enables flexible controls of prosody through manipulating model commands.Prosodic focus is realized in HMM-based speech synthesis as a supplemental process; viewing the differences of command magnitudes/amplitudes between utterances without and with focus.Validity of the method was confirmed by listening experiments of synthetic speech.