The Biophysics of Vocal Onset

Dear Colleagues,

The onset of vocal fold vibration is a complex transient event, in which the forces at play progressively adjust until a stationary state is reached. The acting elements are lung pressure, intraglottal pressure, myoelastic tension of the vocal folds, glottal impedance, vocal tract inertance, intraglottal turbulence and vocal tract inertance.

Advanced experimental biomechanics and fluid dynamics—in mechanical models and in vivo—as well as computational simulations are currently the key components for a comprehensive understanding of the diverse physiological and pathological conditions of voice onset. In pathology, the accurate synchronization of glottal adduction and the building up of subglottal pressure is failing. Moreover, each of these normal or irregular conditions is characterized by specific acoustic features.

Recent progress in high-speed imaging techniques, image segmentation, acoustic analysis and predictive computer simulations has shed new light on the specific patterns of the different types of onset, which is suited  for differentiation via machine learning. This can result in practical applications in the pedagogy of artistic voice (singing/acting), in the early detection of voice diseases, in voice synthesis, in automated speech recognition and in substitution voicing.

Therefore, this Special Issue on “The Biophysics of Vocal Onset” will focus on original research papers and comprehensive reviews, dealing with cutting-edge experimental and computational approaches and models, and also on an evolutionary perspective of the methodology.

Dr. Philippe Dejonckere
Prof. Dr. Claudia Manfredi
Guest Editors

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