JP6741105B2 - Audio processing method and audio processing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for controlling the voice quality of voice.

Techniques for controlling the voice quality of voice have been conventionally proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a voice quality conversion parameter for controlling the voice quality of synthetic speech is changed with time according to an instruction from a user.

JP 2004-038071 A

However, it is actually difficult for the user to appropriately adjust the voice quality conversion parameter so that a voice having a desired voice quality that is audibly natural is reproduced. The problem is exacerbated especially for users who do not have sufficient specialized knowledge about voice and voice quality. In consideration of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to facilitate setting of a variable for controlling the voice quality of voice.

In order to solve the above problems, a voice processing device of the present invention is a feature amount specifying unit that specifies a feature amount of a target voice, and a section setting unit that sets a processing section according to a comparison result of the feature amount and a threshold value. And variable control means for setting a control variable for controlling the voice quality for the processing section, and voice processing means for generating a voice signal of a voice in which the voice quality of the processing section of the target voice is controlled according to the control variable. To do. With the above configuration, the voice quality of the processing section set according to the feature amount of the target voice is controlled. Therefore, even if the user does not have specialized knowledge about voice quality (for example, knowledge of a section of the target voice to be converted into a specific voice quality), it is possible to reproduce a perceptually natural voice quality.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the feature amount specifying means specifies, as a feature amount, an elapsed time from a start point in a specific section of the target voice. For example, the section setting means sets a section for which the elapsed time exceeds the threshold for the first voice quality as a processing section, and sets a section for which the elapsed time is below the threshold for the second voice quality different from the first voice quality as the processing section. To do. In the above aspect, a section in which the elapsed time exceeds the threshold value (for example, the end section of the voiced section) and a section in which the elapsed time falls below the threshold value (for example, the head side section of the voiced section) are processing sections according to the type of voice quality. Is set as. Therefore, there is an advantage that a plurality of types of voice quality that are audibly natural can be reproduced.

In the configuration in which the elapsed time of the specific section of the target voice is specified as the feature amount, the feature amount specifying unit specifies, for example, the pitch or volume of the target voice as the feature amount, and the section setting unit sets the pitch of the target voice. Alternatively, the processing section is set according to the comparison result of the sound volume and the first threshold value and the comparison result of the elapsed time and the second threshold value. In the above aspect, since the pitch or volume of the target voice is applied to the setting of the processing section in addition to the elapsed time, the above-described effect that a voice with a perceptually natural voice quality can be generated is extremely remarkable. Further, according to the configuration in which the feature amount specifying unit divides the specific section with the time point at which the pitch or the volume of the target voice changes as a boundary, for example, the processing section can be set according to the elapsed time of sounding of each note (for example, The section on the end side or the head side of each note can be set as the processing section).

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the section setting means sets the processing section in accordance with the feature amount of the target voice in the automatic setting mode, and sets the processing section in response to an instruction from the user in the manual setting mode. In the above aspect, since the automatic setting mode and the manual setting mode are prepared, for example, a user who has sufficient knowledge about voice quality reproduces his/her desired voice quality in the manual setting mode, and has insufficient knowledge about voice quality. One user has the advantage of being able to reproduce a perceptually natural voice quality in the automatic setting mode.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the section setting means sets a processing section in accordance with a result of comparison between a feature amount according to an instruction from a user and a threshold value among a plurality of types of feature amounts. In the above aspect, since the feature amount corresponding to the instruction from the user is applied to the setting of the processing section among the plurality of feature amounts, there is an advantage that the voice quality suitable for the user's intention and preference can be reproduced.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the section setting means variably sets the threshold according to an instruction from the user. In the above aspect, since the threshold value to be compared with the feature amount for setting the processing section is variably set according to the instruction from the user, the user is compared with the configuration in which the threshold value is fixed to a predetermined value. There is an advantage that it is possible to reproduce a voice in which the voice quality is controlled in the processing section that reflects the intention and taste of the.

The configuration for the feature amount specifying unit to specify the feature amount is arbitrary. For example, a configuration in which the feature amount is specified by analyzing the voice signal of the target voice, or a feature amount is specified from the music data that specifies each note of the music corresponding to the target voice is adopted. The configuration that analyzes the audio signal has an advantage that the feature amount of the target voice can be accurately specified, and the configuration that uses the music data has an advantage that the feature amount of the target voice can be easily specified. In addition, the feature amount specifying means specifies the feature amount by analyzing the voice signal of the target voice in the first analysis mode, and in the second analysis mode, music data that specifies each note of the music corresponding to the target voice. A configuration in which the feature amount is specified from is also suitable.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the feature amount specifying means specifies a feature amount from the synthetic data instructing the synthesis of the target voice, and the voice processing means is a voice synthesizing process to which the synthetic data is applied, and the voice quality of the processing section is The audio signal of the audio controlled according to the control variable is generated. The above aspect has an advantage that a voice signal of a voice whose voice quality is controlled in a processing section can be generated without requiring a voice signal of a target voice.

The voice processing device according to each of the above aspects is realized by hardware (electronic circuit) such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) dedicated to voice processing, and a general-purpose arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). It is also realized by the cooperation of the and the program. The program of the present invention may be provided in a form stored in a computer-readable recording medium and installed in the computer. The recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory recording medium, and an optical recording medium (optical disk) such as a CD-ROM is a good example, but any known recording medium such as a semiconductor recording medium or a magnetic recording medium is used. The recording medium of this type may be included. Further, for example, the program of the present invention may be provided in the form of distribution via a communication network and installed in a computer. Further, the present invention is also specified as an operation method (sound processing method) of the sound processing device according to each aspect described above.

It is a block diagram of the audio|voice processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram of a speech processing unit. 9 is a flowchart of a voice analysis process executed by a feature amount specifying unit. It is explanatory drawing of operation|movement of a speech processing unit. It is a flow chart of operation of a speech processing unit. It is a schematic diagram of a threshold value setting screen. It is a schematic diagram of the operation mode selection screen in the second embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of setting of the process area (vocal fly) in 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the feature amount selection screen in the third embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of a threshold setting screen in the third embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the audio|voice processing apparatus in 4th Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the speech processing unit in 5th Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the operation mode selection screen in the fifth embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the feature-value selection screen in 5th Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of a threshold setting screen in the fifth embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the audio|voice processing apparatus in 6th Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the audio|voice processing apparatus in 7th Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of operation|movement of the audio processing apparatus in 7th Embodiment. It is a flow chart of operation of a 7th embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of operation|movement of the audio processing apparatus in 8th Embodiment. It is a flow chart of operation of an 8th embodiment. It is a flow chart of operation of an 8th embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a voice processing device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a signal supply device 200 is connected to the audio processing device 100. The signal supply device 200 supplies to the audio processing device 100 an audio signal X representing the waveform of the audio to be processed by the audio processing device 100 (hereinafter referred to as “target audio”). The target voice of the first embodiment is a singing voice in which a specific song (hereinafter referred to as “target song”) is sung. A sound collecting device that collects ambient sound to generate a sound signal X, a reproducing device that acquires the sound signal X from a portable or built-in recording medium and supplies it to the sound processing device 100, and a sound from a communication network. A communication device that receives the signal X and supplies it to the audio processing device 100 can be preferably adopted as the signal supply device 200. The signal supply device 200 may be integrated with the audio processing device 100.

The voice processing device 100 is a signal processing device that generates a voice signal Y by adjusting the voice quality of the target voice represented by the voice signal X supplied from the signal supply device 200. The first embodiment exemplifies a case where the target voice of the voice signal X is converted into a breath sound (breathy). Breath sounds are voices that have a lot of breathiness (whispers), and inharmonic components (each harmonic component on the frequency axis) are compared with harmonic components (fundamental component and multiple overtone components) caused by vibration of the vocal cords. The acoustic component existing in the gap between the components) means a sound that is relatively dominant.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the audio processing device 100 is realized by a computer system including an arithmetic processing device 10, a storage device 12, a display device 14, an operating device 16, and a sound emitting device 18. The arithmetic processing unit 10 executes various programs by executing a program stored in the storage unit 12 to execute various control processes and arithmetic processes. The storage device 12 stores a program executed by the arithmetic processing device 10 and various data used by the arithmetic processing device 10. A known recording medium such as a semiconductor recording medium or a magnetic recording medium or a combination of a plurality of types of recording media is arbitrarily adopted as the storage device 12.

The display device 14 (for example, a liquid crystal display panel) displays the image instructed by the arithmetic processing device 10. The operation device 16 is an input device operated by the user for various instructions to the voice processing device 100. In addition to a plurality of operators pressed by the user, a touch panel integrated with the display device 14 can be used as the operation device 16. The sound emitting device 18 (for example, a speaker or headphones) reproduces a sound (that is, a sound obtained by converting the voice quality of the target sound) according to the sound signal Y generated by the arithmetic processing device 10. The D/A converter for converting the audio signal Y from analog to analog and the amplifier for amplifying the audio signal Y are omitted for convenience of illustration.

FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the voice processing device 100 according to the first embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the arithmetic processing device 10 executes a program stored in the storage device 12 to generate a plurality of functions (feature amount specifying unit 22, The section setting unit 24, the variable control unit 26, and the voice processing unit 28) are realized. Note that a configuration in which each function of the arithmetic processing device 10 is distributed to a plurality of devices, or a configuration in which a dedicated electronic circuit (for example, DSP) realizes a part of the functions of the arithmetic processing device 10 may be adopted.

The feature amount specifying unit 22 sequentially specifies the feature amount of the target voice. The feature amount specifying unit 22 of the first embodiment sequentially extracts the pitch (pitch) P and the elapsed time E of the target voice by analyzing the voice signal X supplied from the signal supply device 200. The pitch P is set to any of a plurality of discrete pitches (for example, a plurality of pitches forming a scale). The elapsed time E means an elapsed time from a start point in a section (hereinafter, referred to as “voiced section”) in which voiced sound exists in the target voice. Therefore, as the duration of the voiced section is longer, the elapsed time E increases to a larger value from the start point to the end point of the voiced section. The voiced section is a section in which the harmonic structure of voiced sound in which each harmonic component is arranged at approximately equal intervals on the frequency axis is observed (a unvoiced section in which no clear harmonic structure is observed and a silent section in which no voice exists). Excluded section).

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an operation (hereinafter referred to as “speech analysis processing”) in which the characteristic amount specifying unit 22 of the first embodiment specifies a characteristic amount (pitch P, elapsed time E), and FIG. It is explanatory drawing of operation|movement of an apparatus. The audio analysis process of FIG. 3 is sequentially executed for each unit section (frame) in which the audio signal X is divided on the time axis. In FIG. 4, a schematic waveform of the voice signal X of the target voice pronounced “Saita (bloom)” is illustrated.

When the voice analysis process is started, the feature amount specifying unit 22 extracts the pitch p0 within the unit section of the voice signal X (SA1). The pitch p0 is the fundamental frequency (pitch) of the audio signal X. The time change of the pitch p0 is also shown in the waveform of the audio signal X in FIG. A known technique (pitch extraction technique) is arbitrarily adopted to extract the pitch p0 of the voice signal X.

The feature amount specifying unit 22 determines whether or not the unit section corresponds to the voiced section (SA2). As illustrated in FIG. 4, a significant pitch p0 is extracted in the voiced section v0 in which a clear harmonic structure is observed, whereas it is significant in sections other than the voiced section v0 (unvoiced section or silent section). The pitch p0 tends not to be extracted. In consideration of the above tendency, the feature amount specifying unit 22 of the first embodiment determines whether the unit section is included in the voiced section v0 according to whether the significant pitch p0 is extracted in step SA1. Determine whether.

When the unit section corresponds to the voiced section v0 (SA2: YES), the feature amount specifying unit 22 adds a predetermined value (for example, 1) to the elapsed time e0 (SA3). On the other hand, when the unit section does not correspond to the voiced section v0 (SA2: NO), the feature amount specifying unit 22 initializes the elapsed time e0 to zero (SA4). Therefore, as can be understood from FIG. 4, the elapsed time e0 is set to zero at the start point of the voiced section v0, increases with the passage of time within the voiced section v0, and reaches the end point (SA2: NO) of the voiced section v0. Are initialized to zero.

The feature amount specifying unit 22 determines the pitch P by normalizing the pitch p0 of the audio signal X (SA5). Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 4, of the plurality of discretely set pitches, the pitch closest to the pitch p0 is specified as the normalized pitch P. As can be understood from the above description, the pitch P can be maintained at a constant numerical value within one note of the target music piece and can be discretely changed for each note. Therefore, the time point at which the pitch P fluctuates on the time axis is likely to correspond to the boundary between the consecutive notes in the target music piece.

The feature amount specifying unit 22 normalizes the elapsed time e0 of each voiced section v0 to the elapsed time E of the voiced section V corresponding to each note of the target music (SA6). Specifically, as can be understood from FIG. 4, the feature amount specifying unit 22 sets the voiced section v0 as the target music piece with the time point (that is, the boundary between the notes preceding and following each other) at which the pitch P of the audio signal X changes as the boundary. By dividing (dividing) the voiced section V for each note into voiced sections V and setting (correcting) the elapsed time e0 so as to be zero at the start point of the voiced section V, the elapsed time E from the start point of each voiced section V is calculated. Therefore, the elapsed time E is set to zero at the start point of the voiced section V for each note of the target music, increases over time within the voiced section V, and is initialized to zero when the end point of the voiced section V arrives. .. The elapsed time E can also be referred to as a time length (duration length) in which one note of the target music continues. The feature amount specifying unit 22 of the first embodiment sequentially specifies the feature amount (pitch P, elapsed time E) of the voice signal X by repeating the voice analysis process exemplified above for each unit section.

The section setting unit 24 of FIG. 2 sets the processing section Q according to the feature amount (pitch P, elapsed time E) identified by the feature amount identifying unit 22. The processing section Q is a section of the target voice of the audio signal X in which the voice quality should be changed (a section of the target voice that should be converted to breath sound). The section setting unit 24 of the first embodiment sets the processing section Q according to the comparison result between the feature amount (pitch P, elapsed time E) identified by the feature amount identifying unit 22 and the threshold value. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the section setting unit 24 sets the processing section Q according to the comparison result of the pitch P and the threshold value PTH and the comparison result of the elapsed time E and the threshold value ETH. In actual singing, a general tendency is observed that the higher the pitch of the singing voice and the longer its duration, the easier the breathiness of the singing voice increases. From the viewpoint of reproducing the above tendency, the section setting unit 24 of the first embodiment processes the section in which the pitch P exceeds the threshold PTH and the elapsed time E exceeds the threshold ETH, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Set as section Q. Since the elapsed time E monotonically increases with time within the voiced section V, the end section of the voiced section V whose duration exceeds the threshold value ETH is defined as the processing section Q. The threshold value PTH and the threshold value ETH are variably set according to an instruction from the user to the operating device 16.

The variable control unit 26 in FIG. 2 sets the control variable C for the processing section Q set by the section setting unit 24. The control variable C is a variable for controlling the voice quality. The control variable C of the first embodiment is a variable that indicates the degree of breath sound. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the variable control unit 26 sets the control variable C so as to increase from zero at a predetermined increase rate from the start point to the end point of the processing section Q set by the section setting unit 24. That is, the variable control unit 26 changes the control variable C with time so that the degree of the breath sound increases as the end of the processing section Q is approached (the voice of one note is prolonged).

The voice processing unit 28 in FIG. 2 generates the voice signal Y by executing the voice quality conversion process to which the control variable C set by the variable control unit 26 is applied to the voice signal X. The voice quality conversion process is a voice process that changes the voice quality of the target voice according to the control variable C. The voice processing unit 28 of the first embodiment converts the voice signal X in the processing section Q into an air breath sound having a degree corresponding to the control variable C (giving a breathing degree having a degree corresponding to the control variable C). Process) to generate the audio signal Y. A known technique is arbitrarily adopted for imparting breathability. For example, the voice processing unit 28 separates the voice signal X into a harmonic component and a non-harmonic component (breath component), and determines the intensity of the non-harmonic component with respect to the harmonic component (that is, breathiness) according to the control variable C. By performing the control in accordance with the control variable C, the processing section Q generates the voice signal Y of the voice converted into the breath sound according to the control variable C.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process in which the arithmetic processing device 10 generates the audio signal Y from the audio signal X. For example, the processing of FIG. 5 is started in response to an instruction from the user to the operation device 16, and is repeated for each unit section over the entire section of the audio signal X.

When the audio signal X of one unit section is fetched from the signal supply device 200 (SB1), the section setting unit 24 variably sets the threshold value PTH and the threshold value ETH according to an instruction from the user to the operation device 16. Yes (SB2). Specifically, the arithmetic processing device 10 causes the display device 14 to display the setting screen of FIG. 6 (hereinafter referred to as “threshold setting screen”). The threshold setting screen is an image for the user to instruct the threshold PTH of the pitch P (Pitch) and the threshold ETH of the elapsed time E (Duration). The user can arbitrarily adjust the threshold PTH and the threshold ETH by appropriately operating the operating device 16 while visually checking the threshold setting screen.

The feature amount specifying unit 22 specifies the pitch P and the elapsed time E of the unit section by executing the voice analysis process described with reference to FIG. 3 (SB3). Then, the section setting unit 24 determines whether the pitch P of the unit section exceeds the threshold PTH (SB4), and also determines whether the elapsed time E of the unit section exceeds the threshold ETH (SB5). .. When the results of both step SB4 and step SB5 are affirmative (P>PTH, E>ETH), the variable control unit 26 sets the control variable C for the unit section (SB6), and the voice processing unit 28 uses the variable. The voice signal Y is generated from the voice signal X by the voice quality conversion process to which the control variable C set by the control unit 26 is applied (SB7). On the other hand, when the result of one or both of step SB4 and step SB5 is negative, the setting of the control variable C (SB6) and the voice quality conversion process (SB7) for the audio signal X are not executed. That is, the audio signal X supplied from the signal supply device 200 is output as the audio signal Y. As can be understood from the above description, the determinations in step SB4 and step SB5 in FIG. 5 correspond to the processing in which the section setting unit 24 sets the processing section Q. The processing of FIG. 5 is executed for each unit section of the audio signal X, so that the audio signal Y of the audio obtained by converting the processing section Q of the target audio into the breath sound is generated.

In the first embodiment described above, the voice quality of the processing section Q set according to the feature amount (pitch P, elapsed time E) of the target voice is controlled. Therefore, even if the user does not have specialized knowledge about voice quality (knowledge of the section of the target voice to which breathiness should be given), it is possible to reproduce a perceptually natural voice quality (breath sound). .. That is, there is an advantage that the setting of the control variable C is facilitated (for example, the user does not need to specify the processing section Q or the time change of the control variable C).

<Second Embodiment>
The second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. It should be noted that in each of the following exemplary embodiments, the elements having the same functions and functions as those in the first embodiment are assigned the reference numerals used in the description of the first embodiment, and the detailed description thereof will be appropriately omitted.

The arithmetic processing unit 10 of the second embodiment causes the display unit 14 to display the setting screen of FIG. 7 (hereinafter referred to as “operation mode selection screen”). The operation mode selection screen is an image for the user to select either the manual setting mode (manual) or the automatic setting mode (auto). The automatic setting mode is an operation mode for automatically setting the processing section Q and the control variable C (without requiring the user to instruct the operating device 16). That is, in the automatic setting mode, as in the first embodiment, the processing section Q and the control variable C in the processing section Q are automatically set according to the feature amount (pitch P, elapsed time E) of the target voice. To be done. On the other hand, the manual setting mode is an operation mode in which the processing section Q and the control variable C are set according to an instruction from the user to the operating device 16. That is, in the manual setting mode, the section setting unit 24 sets the section designated by the user through the operation on the operating device 16 as the processing section Q, and the variable control unit 26 performs processing according to the instruction from the user on the operating device 16. The time change of the control variable C within the section Q is set.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the user can select either the manual setting mode or the automatic setting mode for each of a plurality of types of voice qualities (breath sound, vocal fly,... ). That is, the processing section Q and the control variable C are individually set for each of a plurality of types of voice qualities under either operation mode of the manual setting mode and the automatic setting mode. The vocal fly shown in FIG. 7 is a voice (edge voice) that is produced by repeatedly closing and opening the vocal cords when singing in the low range, and is typically produced immediately after the start of vocalization.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the section setting unit 24 when the automatic setting mode is set for the vocal fly. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the voiced section v0 corresponding to the pitch p0 of the target voice is set as the voiced section V, and the process of dividing the voiced section v0 into notes (normalization of elapsed time e0) is omitted. .. That is, for the vocal fly, the elapsed time e0 in the first embodiment corresponds to the elapsed time E.

From the viewpoint of reproducing the above-described tendency that vocal fly is likely to occur immediately after the start of low-pitched vocalization, the section setting unit 24 of the second embodiment sets the pitch P to the threshold PTH as illustrated in FIG. A section below which the elapsed time E(e0) falls below the threshold value ETH is set as a processing section Q in which the target voice is converted into a vocal fly. Since the elapsed time E monotonically increases with time, as can be understood from FIG. 8, the headed section (the section immediately after the start of sounding) of the voiced section V is defined as the processing section Q. The threshold value PTH and the threshold value ETH are individually set for each type of voice quality (for each breath sound and vocal fly) according to an instruction from the user to the operation device 16.

As understood from the above description, the processing section Q differs depending on the type of voice quality. Specifically, for voice qualities such as breath sounds that tend to occur at the end of utterance, a section in which the elapsed time E exceeds the threshold value ETH (that is, a section on the end side of the voiced section V) is set as the processing section Q, and For a voice quality such as vocal fly that is likely to occur immediately after the start, a section in which the elapsed time E is below the threshold value ETH (that is, a section on the head side of the voiced section V) is set as the processing section Q.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the variable control unit 26 sets the control variable C of the vocal fly to a valid value (for example, 1) inside the processing section Q, and sets the control variable C to an invalid value (outside the processing section Q). For example, it is set to 0). The voice processing unit 28 independently executes the voice quality conversion process of the processing section Q to which the control variable C is applied for each of the plurality of types of voice qualities. Although a specific process of converting the target voice into a vocal fly is arbitrary, for example, a method of reducing the sampling frequency by resampling the voice signal X is preferably adopted.

Also in the second embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment is realized. In the second embodiment, a section in which the elapsed time E exceeds the threshold ETH (section on the tail side of the voiced section V) and a section in which the elapsed time E falls below the threshold ETH (section on the head side of the voiced section V) are the target voices. It is set according to the type of voice quality given to. Therefore, there is an advantage that a plurality of types of voice quality that are audibly natural can be reproduced. In addition, in the second embodiment, since the automatic setting mode and the manual setting mode are prepared, a user who has sufficient knowledge about voice quality reproduces his/her desired voice quality in the manual setting mode, and has knowledge about voice quality. There is an advantage that a user who has insufficient sound quality can reproduce a perceptually natural voice quality in the automatic setting mode.

<Third Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, the processing section Q is set according to the pitch P of the target voice and the elapsed time E, but the feature amount applied to the setting of the processing section Q is not limited to the above example. For example, in addition to the pitch P and the elapsed time E, the volume (dynamics) D can be applied to the setting of the processing section Q. For example, in actual singing, there is a tendency that as the volume D is lower, the breathiness of the singing voice tends to increase. From the viewpoint of reproducing the above tendency, the section setting unit 24, in addition to the conditions regarding the pitch P and the elapsed time E (P>PTH, E>ETH), the section in which the volume D falls below the threshold DTH is satisfied. Is set as the processing section Q. In actual singing, vocal fly tends to occur as the volume D decreases. From the viewpoint of reproducing the above tendency, the section setting unit 24, in addition to the conditions regarding the pitch P and the elapsed time E (P<PTH, E<ETH), the section in which the condition that the volume D is below the threshold value DTH is satisfied. Is set as the processing section Q.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a setting screen (hereinafter referred to as “feature amount selection screen”) displayed on the display device 14 in the third embodiment. The feature amount selection screen is an image for the user to select the feature amount applied to the setting of the processing section Q. Specifically, for each of a plurality of types of feature quantities (pitch P, elapsed time E, volume D), a valid state (a state with a check added) and invalid state according to an instruction from the user to the operation device 16. The states and are selected. The section setting unit 24 compares one or more feature amounts designated by the user in the valid state on the feature amount selection screen among the plurality of types of feature amounts with the threshold values (PTH, ETH, DTH) corresponding to the feature amounts. The processing section Q is set according to the result. On the other hand, the feature amount set to the invalid state on the feature amount selection screen is not added to the setting of the processing section Q. In the configuration in which a plurality of types of voice qualities are added to the target voice as in the second embodiment, a separate feature amount selection screen is displayed for each voice quality set in the automatic setting mode and applied to the setting of the processing section Q. A combination of feature quantities is individually selected for each voice quality.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a threshold value setting screen in the third embodiment. The threshold setting screen of FIG. 10 is an image for the user to set thresholds (PTH, ETH, DTH) for each of a plurality of types of feature values. As for the feature amount set to the valid state on the feature amount selection screen of FIG. 9, the threshold value is set according to the instruction from the user to the operation device 16, as in the threshold value setting screen of FIG. On the other hand, for the feature amount set to the invalid state on the feature amount selection screen, changing the threshold value is prohibited on the threshold value setting screen. For example, regarding the feature amount in the invalid state, the display on the threshold value setting screen is displayed in gray out (a mode that represents that the feature amount is excluded from the operation target).

Also in the third embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment is realized. Further, in the third embodiment, since each of the plurality of feature quantities is selectively applied to the setting of the processing section Q, a comparison is made with the configuration in which the type of the feature quantity applied to the setting of the processing section Q is fixed. Therefore, there is an advantage that various voice qualities can be reproduced. In the third embodiment, in particular, since the feature amount according to the instruction from the user among the plurality of feature amounts is applied to the setting of the processing section Q, it is possible to reproduce the voice quality that suits the user's intention and preference. The effect of is realized. The configuration of the second embodiment is similarly applied to the third embodiment.

<Fourth Embodiment>
FIG. 11 is a functional configuration diagram of the arithmetic processing unit 10 of the voice processing device 100 according to the fourth embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 11, in the fourth embodiment, the audio signal X and the music data Z are supplied from the signal supply device 200 to the audio processing device 100 in parallel. The music data Z is time-series data that specifies the pitch (note number), intensity (velocity), and sounding period (start point and end point) of each note constituting the music. For example, time-series data based on the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) standard is preferably used as the music data Z.

The music data Z designates each note of the target music sung by the target voice represented by the audio signal X in time series. Therefore, each note of the target voice of the audio signal X and each note specified by the music data Z correspond to each other. In consideration of the above relationship, the feature amount identifying unit 22 of the fourth embodiment identifies the feature amount (volume P, elapsed time E, volume D) of the target voice from the music data Z. Specifically, the feature amount specifying unit 22 specifies the pitch (note number) of each note specified by the music data Z as the pitch P of the target voice. Further, the feature amount specifying unit 22 specifies the strength (velocity) of each note specified by the music data Z as the volume D, and specifies the elapsed time E from the sounding period of each note. The operation in which the section setting unit 24 sets the processing section Q by applying the characteristic amount specified by the characteristic value specifying unit 22 and the operation in which the variable control unit 26 sets the control variable C of the processing section Q are the same as those in the first embodiment. It is the same. The voice processing unit 28 generates the voice signal Y from the voice signal X by the voice quality conversion process to which the control variable C is applied, as in the first embodiment.

Also in the fourth embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment is realized. Further, in the fourth embodiment, since the characteristic amount of the target voice is specified by referring to the music data Z, the characteristic amount is compared with the configuration of the first embodiment in which the characteristic amount is specified by analyzing the audio signal X. Has the advantage of reducing the processing load required to identify On the other hand, according to the first embodiment in which the characteristic amount is specified by analyzing the audio signal X, the characteristic amount of the target voice can be accurately specified as compared with the fourth embodiment in which the characteristic amount is estimated from the music data Z. There are advantages. The configurations of the second and third embodiments are also applied to the fourth embodiment.

<Fifth Embodiment>
FIG. 12 is a functional configuration diagram of the arithmetic processing device 10 of the voice processing device 100 according to the fifth embodiment. As understood from FIG. 12, in the fifth embodiment, the audio signal X and the music data Z are supplied from the signal supply device 200 to the audio processing device 100 in parallel, as in the fourth embodiment. The feature amount specifying unit 22 of the fifth embodiment uses one or both of the audio signal X and the music data Z to specify the feature amount (volume P, elapsed time E, volume D) of the target voice. Specifically, either the manual setting mode or the automatic setting mode is selected by the user as in the second embodiment, and when the automatic setting mode is selected, the first analysis mode and the second analysis mode are selected. Either of the analysis modes is selected by the user. The first analysis mode is an operation mode in which the feature amount (pitch P, elapsed time E, volume D) of the target voice is specified by analyzing the voice signal X, as in the first embodiment, and the second analysis mode is This is an operation mode in which the feature amount of the target voice is specified from the music data Z as in the fourth embodiment.

The arithmetic processing unit 10 of the fifth embodiment causes the display unit 14 to display the operation mode selection screen of FIG. In the operation mode selection screen of the fifth embodiment, the selection between the manual setting mode (manual) and the automatic setting mode (auto) is accepted from the user as in the second embodiment (FIG. 7), and the automatic setting mode is selected. It is an image which accepts the selection of the 1st analysis mode and the 2nd analysis mode about the performed voice quality from a user. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the user selects an operation mode (manual setting mode/automatic setting mode, first analysis mode/second analysis mode) for each of a plurality of types of voice qualities (breathing, vocal fly). It is possible.

Specifically, for the voice quality that the user has selected the automatic setting mode, the operation image (check box) 42 that accepts the selection of the first analysis mode and the second analysis mode can accept the instruction from the user. Set to valid state. The user can select the second analysis mode (MIDI) by adding a check to the operation image 42, and can select the first analysis mode by removing the check from the operation image 42. On the other hand, the operation image 42 corresponding to the voice quality for which the user has selected the manual setting mode is set to an invalid state (for example, grayed out) in which the operation by the user is not accepted.

Further, for the voice quality set in the automatic setting mode, the arithmetic processing device 10 causes the display device 14 to display the feature amount selection screen of FIG. 14 and the threshold value setting screen of FIG. 14 and 15, "audio" represents the audio signal X used to specify the feature amount in the first analysis mode, and "MIDI" represents the music used to specify the feature amount in the second analysis mode. Represent the data Z. Further, the pitch P (Pitch) specified by the audio signal X in the first analysis mode and the pitch P (Note Number) specified by the music data Z in the second analysis mode reflect the difference in meaning between the two. And the notation is different. The same applies to the volume D (first analysis mode: Dynamics, second analysis mode: Velocity).

The feature amount selection screen of FIG. 14 is configured to include a first area 51 corresponding to the first analysis mode (audio signal X) and a second area 52 corresponding to the second analysis mode (music data Z). .. Each of the first area 51 and the second area 52 is an image for the user to select the feature amount applied to the setting of the processing section Q, as in the example illustrated in FIG. 9. Specifically, the first region 51 is used to select the feature amount (that is, the feature amount specified from the audio signal X) applied to the setting of the processing section Q in the first analysis mode, and the second region 52 is , And is used for selecting the feature amount (that is, the feature amount specified from the music data Z) applied to the setting of the processing section Q in the second analysis mode. In the state where the first analysis mode is selected on the operation mode selection screen of FIG. 13, the first region 51 is set to the valid state (the state in which the instruction from the user is accepted) and the second region 52 is set to the invalid state (use State that does not accept instructions from the person). On the other hand, in the state where the second analysis mode is selected on the operation mode selection screen of FIG. 13, the second area 52 is set to the valid state and the first area 51 is set to the invalid state as illustrated in FIG. To be done.

The threshold setting screen of FIG. 15 is configured to include a first area 61 corresponding to the first analysis mode and a second area 62 corresponding to the second analysis mode. Each of the first area 61 and the second area 62 is an image for the user to set the thresholds (PTH, ETH, DTH) applied to the setting of the processing section Q, as in the example of FIG. Specifically, the first area 61 receives an instruction of a threshold applied in the first analysis mode, and the second area 62 receives an instruction of a threshold applied in the second analysis mode. In the state where the first analysis mode is selected, the first area 61 is set to the valid state, and in the state where the second analysis mode is selected, the second area 62 is set to the valid state as illustrated in FIG. It Regarding the feature amount set to the invalid state on the feature amount selection screen of FIG. 14 (“volume (Velocity)” in the second area 62 of FIG. 15), the display on the threshold setting screen is set to the invalid state (grayed out). This is similar to the example illustrated in FIG.

Also in the fifth embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment is realized. Further, in the fifth embodiment, the first analysis mode for specifying the feature amount of the target sound from the audio signal X and the second analysis mode for specifying the feature amount of the target sound from the music data Z are prepared, There is an advantage that various voice qualities that match the intentions and tastes of the person can be reproduced. The configurations of the second to fourth embodiments are similarly applied to the fifth embodiment.

<Sixth Embodiment>
FIG. 16 is a functional configuration diagram of the arithmetic processing device 10 of the audio processing device 100 according to the sixth embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 16, the arithmetic processing unit 10 of the sixth embodiment generates the audio signal Y by using the synthetic data S instructing the synthesis of the target speech. The synthetic data S is, for example, time-series data (for example, a VSQ format file) that specifies a pitch, a sounding period, and a sounding content (lyric) for each note constituting a music piece. The combined data S is generated according to an instruction from the user to the operation device 16 and stored in the storage device 12. It is also possible to supply the synthetic data S from outside the voice processing device 100.

The feature amount specifying unit 22 of the sixth embodiment specifies the feature amount (volume P and elapsed time E) of the target voice from the synthetic data S. Specifically, the feature amount specifying unit 22 specifies the pitch P of the target voice according to the pitch of each note specified by the synthetic data S, and also specifies the elapsed time E from the sounding period of each note. The section setting unit 24 sets the processing section Q according to the characteristic amount specified by the characteristic amount specifying unit 22, and the variable control unit 26 sets the control variable C for the processing section Q set by the section setting unit 24.

The voice processing unit 28 of the sixth embodiment generates the voice signal Y by the voice synthesis process to which the synthetic data S is applied. A known technique is arbitrarily adopted for the voice synthesis process. For example, it is estimated by a voice synthesis process of a voice segment connection type in which the pitch and the pronunciation period of each voice voice unit according to the pronunciation content designated by the synthetic data S are connected to each other, or by an HMM (Hidden Markov Model). A statistical model type speech synthesis process for executing a filtering process according to a phonetic character (phoneme) for a given pitch is preferably adopted. The voice processing unit 28 applies the control variable C set by the variable control unit 26 to the voice synthesis process, so that the voice signal Y of the voice whose voice quality in the processing section Q is controlled according to the control variable C is generated.

Also in the sixth embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment is realized. Further, in the sixth embodiment, since the feature amount of the target voice is specified by referring to the synthetic data S, there is an advantage that the voice signal X of the target voice is unnecessary. The configurations of the second to fifth embodiments can be similarly applied to the sixth embodiment.

<Seventh Embodiment>
FIG. 17 is a functional configuration diagram of the arithmetic processing device 10 of the voice processing device 100 according to the seventh embodiment, and FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the arithmetic processing device 10 according to the seventh embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 17, the arithmetic processing device 10 of the seventh embodiment implements a feature amount specifying unit 22, a section setting unit 24, a variable control unit 26, a voice processing unit 28, and a reference sound analysis unit 72. The feature amount specifying unit 22 sequentially extracts the pitch p0 of the voice signal X as a feature amount of the target voice for each unit section.

The reference sound analysis unit 72 analyzes a voice signal XREF of an exemplary or standard singing voice (hereinafter referred to as “reference voice”) prerecorded for the target music piece. Specifically, the reference sound analysis unit 72 extracts the pitch pREF of the reference sound for each unit section by analyzing the sound signal XREF, and sets the thresholds RH and RL in accordance with the pitch pREF of the reference sound. It is variably set for each unit section. As can be understood from FIG. 18, the threshold value RH is set to a numerical value above the pitch pREF, and the threshold value RL is set to a numerical value below the pitch pREF. For example, the reference sound analysis unit 72 calculates the threshold value RH by adding a predetermined value (a positive number) to the pitch pREF, and calculates the threshold value RL by subtracting the predetermined value from the pitch pREF. Note that the reference sound analysis unit 72 sequentially specifies the pitch pREF of the reference sound from the music data that specifies the notes of the song part of the target music (song) in time series, and the threshold RH and the threshold corresponding to the pitch pREF. It is also possible to set RL.

As illustrated in FIG. 18, the section setting unit 24 in FIG. 17 sets, as the processing section Q, a section in which the pitch p0 of the target voice exceeds the threshold RH and a section in which the pitch p0 falls below the threshold RL. That is, the processing section Q of the seventh embodiment is a section in which the pitch p0 of the target voice deviates from the pitch pREF of the reference voice. The variable control unit 26 sets the control variable C for each processing section Q set by the section setting unit 24. The control variable C of the seventh embodiment is a correction value for bringing the pitch p0 of the target voice within the processing section Q closer to the pitch pREF of the reference voice. Specifically, the variable control unit 26 calculates the difference value between the pitch p0 of the target voice and the threshold value RH or the threshold value RL as the control variable C for each unit section in the processing section Q.

The voice processing unit 28 generates a voice signal Y by executing a voice quality conversion process (voice process) to which the control variable C set by the variable control unit 26 is applied, on the voice signal X. The voice processing unit 28 of the seventh embodiment generates the voice signal Y by a process (pitch conversion process) of changing the pitch p0 of the voice signal X in the processing section Q by the control variable C. Therefore, as illustrated by a broken line in FIG. 18, the pitch p0 of the speech signal X in the processing section Q is corrected to the threshold value RH, and the pitch p0 of the target speech is maintained outside the processing section Q. The signal Y is generated. That is, the pitch p0 of the audio signal X is maintained in a section (outside the processing section Q) in which the pitch p0 of the speech signal X is close to the pitch pREF of the reference speech, and the pitch p0 is calculated from the pitch pREF of the reference speech. In the diverging section (within the processing section Q), the pitch p0 is brought close to the pitch pREF of the reference voice.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart of a process executed by the arithmetic processing unit 10 of the seventh embodiment for each unit section. When the process of FIG. 19 starts, the feature amount specifying unit 22 specifies the pitch p0 of the target sound by analyzing the sound signal X (SC1). Further, the reference sound analysis unit 72 specifies the pitch pREF of the reference sound by analyzing the sound signal XREF (SC2), and sets the threshold value RH and the threshold value RL according to the pitch pREF (SC3).

The section setting unit 24 determines whether the pitch p0 of the target voice exceeds the threshold RH (SC4) and whether the pitch p0 falls below the threshold RL (SC5). When the pitch p0 exceeds the threshold value RH (SC4: YES), the variable control unit 26 calculates the difference value between the pitch p0 and the threshold value RH as the control variable C (SC6). Similarly, when the pitch p0 is lower than the threshold value RL (SC5: YES), the variable control unit 26 calculates the difference value between the pitch p0 and the threshold value RL as the control variable C (SC7). The voice processing unit 28 changes the pitch p0 of the voice signal X by the control variable C to generate a voice signal Y having a pitch of the threshold value RH or the threshold value RL (SC8). On the other hand, when the pitch p0 is a numerical value between the threshold value RH and the threshold value RL (SC4, SC5: NO), the control variable C is set (SC6, SC7) and the pitch p0 is corrected (SC8). Instead, the audio signal X becomes the audio signal Y while maintaining the pitch p0. Then, the audio processor 28 outputs the audio signal Y to the sound emitting device 18 (SC9). As can be understood from the above description, the determinations in step SC4 and step SC5 in FIG. 19 correspond to the processing in which the section setting unit 24 sets the processing section Q.

In the seventh embodiment, the pitch p0 of the target voice is corrected so as to approach the pitch pREF in the processing section Q in which the pitch p0 of the voice signal X deviates from the pitch pREF of the reference voice, while the pitch p0 is corrected. In the section close to the pitch pREF of the reference voice, the pitch p0 is maintained. Therefore, even if the user does not have specialized knowledge about the section in which the pitch p0 should be corrected (knowledge of the section in which the pitch p0 should be corrected), it is possible to obtain a audibly natural voice quality whose pitch is close to that of the reference voice. It is possible to reproduce the voice. On the other hand, since the pitch p0 of the target voice is maintained in a section where the pitch p0 is close to the pitch pREF of the reference voice, characteristics of the target voice (for example, fluctuation of the pitch p0 peculiar to the singer) are lost. There is also an advantage that such excessive correction can be avoided.

In the above description, the difference value between the pitch p0 of the target voice and the threshold value RH or the threshold value RL is calculated as the control variable C, but the difference value between the pitch p0 of the target voice and the pitch pREF of the reference voice is calculated. A configuration in which the pitch p0 in the processing section Q is corrected to the pitch pREF of the reference voice by calculating as the control variable C can also be adopted.

<Eighth Embodiment>
FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the arithmetic processing device 10 in the eighth embodiment. The arithmetic processing unit 10 of the eighth embodiment functions as elements (feature amount specifying unit 22, section setting unit 24, variable control unit 26, voice processing unit 28, reference sound analysis unit 72) similar to those of the seventh embodiment. ..

As illustrated in FIG. 20, the reference sound analysis unit 72 of the eighth embodiment specifies the pitch pREF of the reference voice as in the seventh embodiment, and also has a threshold RH_A and a threshold RH_B that exceed the pitch pREF. A threshold value RL_A and a threshold value RH_B that are below the pitch pREF are variably set according to the pitch pREF. The threshold value RH_A exceeds the threshold value RH_B, and the threshold value RL_A falls below the threshold value RL_B. As understood from FIG. 20, the section setting unit 24 of the eighth embodiment processes the section from the time T1 when the pitch p0 of the target voice exceeds the threshold RH_A to the time T2 when the pitch p0 falls below the threshold RH_B. Set as. That is, the threshold value RH_A applied when the pitch p0 increases and the threshold value RH_B applied when the pitch p0 decreases (hysteresis characteristic). Similarly, the section setting unit 24 sets, as the processing section Q, a section from the time point when the pitch p0 of the target voice falls below the threshold value RL_A to the time point when the pitch p0 exceeds the threshold value RL_B.

21 and 22 are flowcharts of the processing executed by the arithmetic processing unit 10 of the eighth embodiment for each unit section. The control information F illustrated in the following description indicates whether or not the unit section to be processed is included in the processing section Q (the setting of the control variable C by the variable control unit 26 and the pitch p0 by the voice processing unit 28. This is information (flag) for identifying whether correction is in progress or not, and is initialized to a numerical value 0 which means that the unit section is not included in the processing section Q at the start of the first unit section. To be done.

When the process of FIG. 21 is started, the feature amount specifying unit 22 specifies the pitch p0 of the target voice (SD1) and the reference sound analysis unit 72 specifies the pitch pREF of the reference voice (SD2). In the same manner, the section setting unit 24 determines whether the control information F has a numerical value of 0 (SD3). When the control information F is the numerical value 0 (SD3: YES), the reference sound analysis unit 72 variably sets the threshold value RH_A and the threshold value RL_A according to the pitch pREF of the reference sound (SD4). For example, the reference sound analysis unit 72 calculates the threshold value RH_A by adding a predetermined value to the pitch pREF, and calculates the threshold value RL_A by subtracting the predetermined value from the pitch pREF.

The section setting unit 24 determines whether the pitch p0 of the target voice exceeds the threshold RH_A (SD5) and whether the pitch p0 falls below the threshold RL_A (SD6). When the pitch p0 exceeds the threshold value RH_A (SD5: YES), the variable control unit 26 calculates the difference value between the pitch p0 and the threshold value RH_A as the control variable (correction value) C (SD7). On the other hand, when the pitch p0 is lower than the threshold value RL_A (SD6: YES), the variable control unit 26 calculates the difference value between the pitch p0 and the threshold value RL_A as the control variable C (SD8). The voice processing unit 28 changes the pitch p0 of the target voice by the control variable C to generate the voice signal Y having the threshold RH_A or the threshold RL_A as the pitch (SD9). In addition, the section setting unit 24 changes the control information F from the numerical value 0 to the numerical value 1 (SD10). The numerical value 1 of the control information F means that the pitch p0 of the target voice is being corrected. On the other hand, when the pitch p0 is a numerical value between the threshold value RH_A and the threshold value RL_A (SD5, SD6: NO), the control variable C is set (SD7, SD8) and the pitch p0 is corrected (SD9). Not done. The audio processing unit 28 outputs the processed audio signal Y illustrated above to the sound emitting device 18 (SD11).

When the control information F is set to the numerical value 1 (SD10), the determination result of step SD3 becomes negative in the subsequent processing of the unit section. When the control information F is the numerical value 1 (SD3: NO), as illustrated in FIG. 22, the reference sound analysis unit 72 causes the threshold RH_A and the threshold RH_B that exceed the pitch pREF of the reference voice and the thresholds that fall below the pitch pREF. RL_A and threshold value RL_B are set (SD20).

The section setting unit 24 determines whether the pitch p0 of the target voice exceeds the threshold RH_B (SD21) and whether the pitch p0 falls below the threshold RL_B (SD22). When the pitch p0 is higher than the threshold value RH_B (SD21: YES) and when the pitch p0 is lower than the threshold value RL_B (SD22: YES), the correction of the pitch p0 is continued as in the immediately preceding unit section. Specifically, when the pitch p0 exceeds the threshold RH_B, the variable control unit 26 calculates the difference value between the pitch p0 and the threshold RH_A as the control variable C (SD23), and the pitch p0 sets the threshold RL_B. If it is below the threshold, the difference value between the pitch p0 and the threshold value RL_A is calculated as the control variable C (SD24). Then, the voice processing unit 28 generates the voice signal Y by changing the pitch p0 of the target voice by the control variable C (SD25).

On the other hand, when the pitch p0 is below the threshold value RH_B (SD21:NO) and when the pitch p0 is above the threshold value RL_B (SD22:N0), the processing section Q ends. That is, the setting of the control variable C (SD23, SD24) and the correction of the pitch p0 (SD25) are not executed, and the section setting unit 24 changes the control information F from the numerical value 1 to the numerical value 0 (SD26).

As can be understood from the above description, in the eighth embodiment, the section from the time point when the pitch p0 of the target voice exceeds the threshold value RH_A to the time point when it falls below the threshold value RH_B, and the time point when the pitch point p0 falls below the threshold value RL_A and the threshold value RL_B. The section up to the time point above is set as the processing section Q for correcting the pitch p0. Therefore, even if the pitch p0 changes in the vicinity of each threshold value (RH_A, RH_B, RL_A, RL_B), the presence or absence of correction for the pitch p0 does not change. That is, according to the eighth embodiment, the same effect as that of the seventh embodiment is realized, and it is possible to reduce the possibility that the correction of the pitch p0 of the target voice is frequently switched in a short time. is there.

In the above description, the pitch p0 of the target voice is corrected to the threshold value RH_A or the threshold value RL_A in the processing section Q, but the pitch p0 is corrected to the threshold value RH_B or the threshold value RL_B in the processing section Q, or the processing is performed. A configuration in which the pitch p0 is corrected to the pitch pREF of the reference voice within the section Q can also be adopted. It is also possible to set the processing interval Q and the control variable C after suppressing minute variations in the pitch p0 of the target voice or the pitch pREF of the reference voice. A low-pass filter, for example, is preferably used to suppress minute fluctuations in the pitch p0 or the pitch pREF.

<Modification>
Each of the above-mentioned forms can be variously modified. Specific modes of modification will be exemplified below. It is also possible to appropriately combine two or more aspects arbitrarily selected from the following examples.

(1) The manner in which the control variable C changes within the processing section Q is arbitrary. For example, in each of the above-described embodiments, the configuration in which the control variable C increases linearly in the processing section Q is illustrated, but the control variable C can be changed in a curve (for example, non-linear) in the processing section Q. is there.

(2) The type of the feature amount specified by the feature amount specifying unit 22 is not limited to the above examples (pitch P, elapsed time E, volume D). For example, it is also possible to calculate the differential value (time change rate) or the second-order differential value of the feature amount exemplified in each of the above-described embodiments as the feature amount. Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, any one of a plurality of discrete pitches is specified as the pitch P, but it is also possible to specify the pitch P (pitch curve) so that it changes continuously in time. ..

(3) In each of the above-described embodiments, the threshold values (PTH, ETH, DTH) applied to the setting of the processing section Q are variably set according to the instruction from the user, but the method of setting the threshold value is arbitrary. .. For example, a configuration in which a threshold value of the feature amount is set according to the past numerical value of the feature amount specified by the feature amount specifying unit 22 or a numerical value calculated by statistical processing for the feature amount specified by the feature amount specifying unit 22 is used. A configuration in which the threshold value is set according to the above, or a configuration in which the threshold value for the feature amount is set according to other numerical values of the feature amount may be adopted. However, the configuration in which the threshold value is a variable value is not essential, and the threshold value can be fixed to a predetermined value. Further, the configuration is such that the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the range of the feature amount that is determined to correspond to the processing section Q are set (the upper limit threshold value and the lower limit threshold value are set separately), and the processing section Q corresponds. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the range of the characteristic amount is divided into a plurality and set.

(4) In the configuration in which a plurality of types of feature amounts are applied to the setting of the processing section Q, it is possible to weight each feature amount individually (set superiority or inferiority). For example, with respect to a unit section in which a feature value having a large weight value exceeds a threshold value, it is determined that the unit section corresponds to the processing section Q even when other feature values fall below the threshold value.

(5) In each of the above-described embodiments, the elapsed time E is calculated from the start point of the voiced section V, but the target for calculating the elapsed time E is not limited to the voiced section V. For example, it is possible to calculate the elapsed time E from the start point of a section where voice exists (hereinafter referred to as “voice section”) without distinguishing voiced/unvoiced. The voice section is a section of the target voice other than the silent section. Further, for example, the elapsed time E can be calculated from the start point of a section (hereinafter, referred to as “continuous sound section”) in which a phoneme that can be continuously produced exists. A typical example of a sustainable phoneme existing in a continuous sound segment is a voiced sound (for example, a vowel), but it also includes a consonant (for example, a fricative sound) whose pronunciation can be continued in time. As can be understood from the above description, the elapsed time E is comprehensively expressed as the elapsed time from the start point of the specific section of the target voice, and the voiced section V, the voice section, and the continuous sound section have the elapsed time E. It is an example of a specific section to be calculated.

(6) In each of the above-described embodiments, the voiced section v0 is divided into the voiced section V at the time point when the pitch P of the voice signal X changes, but the voiced section starts at the time point when the volume D of the voice signal X changes. It is also possible to divide v0 into the voiced section V for each note of the target music.

(7) The type of voice quality given to the audio signal X is not limited to the above-described examples (breath sound, vocal fly). For example, a configuration for converting the processing section Q of the audio signal X into a hoarse voice (voiceless voice), a soothing voice, or a growl (Growl), or a processing section Q of the audio signal X with or without tension (tense). A configuration to convert to voice (lux) is also adopted. For adding a hoarse voice or a choking voice, for example, the techniques disclosed in JP 2010-191042 A and JP 2006-145867 A are preferably used. In addition, by emphasizing the section of the audio signal X immediately after the start of sounding, the target sound is converted into a sound with tension, and by suppressing the section immediately after the start of sounding, the target sound is converted into a sound without sound. It is possible.

(8) The voice processing device 100 can be realized by a server device that communicates with a terminal device such as a mobile phone. For example, the audio processing device 100 generates the audio signal Y by executing the processing illustrated in each of the above-described embodiments on the audio signal X (the music data Z and the synthetic data S) received from the terminal device via the communication network. , The audio signal Y is transmitted to the communication network with the terminal device as the destination.

100... Voice processing device, 200... Signal supply device, 10... Arithmetic processing device, 12... Storage device, 14... Display device, 16... Operating device, 18... Sound emitting device, 22... Features Quantity specifying unit, 24... Section setting unit, 26... Variable control unit, 28... Voice processing unit.

Claims (2)

A synthetic data specifying a pitch for each note and pronunciation time and sound contents which constitute music, from synthetic data to direct synthesis of the target speech, the pitch of each note of the target speech, the object sound The feature amount including the elapsed time from the start point of the voiced section in
Set the processing section according to the comparison result of the feature amount and the threshold value,
A control variable for controlling the voice quality is set for the processing section,
Wherein the speech synthesis processing for generating audio signal of the target speech by applying the control variable, a computer voice quality of the processing section generates the audio signal controlled in response to the control variable the synthetic data instructs Voice processing method realized by. A synthetic data specifying a pitch for each note and pronunciation time and sound contents which constitute music, from synthetic data to direct synthesis of the target speech, the pitch of each note of the target speech, the object sound A feature amount specifying means for specifying a feature amount including an elapsed time from the start point of the voiced section in
Section setting means for setting a processing section according to a comparison result of the feature amount and a threshold value,
Variable setting means for setting a control variable for controlling the voice quality for the processing section,
By applying the control variable to a voice synthesis process for generating a voice signal of the target voice indicated by the synthesized data, a voice signal of a voice whose voice quality in the processing section is controlled according to the control variable is generated. A voice processing device comprising a voice processing means.