Fundamental frequency, the primary acoustic correlate of speech melody, is generally analysed and displayed using a linear scale (Hertz) or a logarithmic one, generally in semitones and usually offset to an arbitrary reference level such as 100 Hz. In this paper we argue that a more natural scale for analysing speech is the OME (Octave-MEdian) scale, using the octave (o) as the basic unit, offset to the median value of the speaker’s range. We present results showing that a reasonable estimate of a speaker’s pitch range can be obtained directly from the median.
Cite as: Looze, C.D., Hirst, D. (2014) The OMe (Octave-Median) scale: a natural scale for speech melody.. Proc. Speech Prosody 2014, 910-914, doi: 10.21437/SpeechProsody.2014-171
@inproceedings{looze14_speechprosody,
author={Céline De Looze and Daniel Hirst},
title={{The OMe (Octave-Median) scale: a natural scale for speech melody.}},
year=2014,
booktitle={Proc. Speech Prosody 2014},
pages={910--914},
doi={10.21437/SpeechProsody.2014-171}
}