Singing Voice Database
Authors: Liliya Tsirulnik,
Visiting researcher at University of California in San Diego, Computer Audition Lab
Director at Center for Research In Entertainment and Learning, University of California in San Diego
For research of singing voice expressions
and developing of a Singing Voice Synthesis System
Database description and structure
The SVDB consists of two major parts:
1. The singing musical scale recordings (“Ah-ah-ah” and “La-la-la” versions).
2. The full song singing recordings with different expressions.
Every recording includes two waveform files, which contain the recording of voice of the singer (“vocal recordings”) and the recording of sound near singer glottis (“glottal recordings”). Both parts (the scale and the song) contain the studio recordings of female and male professional singers. The first part includes recordings of Bonnie Lander and Philip Larson. The second part includes recordings of Susan Narucki and Philip Larson.
We assume that the first part will be useful for developing a Singing Voice Synthesis system, while the second part will be used mostly for research.
Both parts contains plain recordings and recordings with special singing expressions described in the Table 1 below.
Expression # Expression Name Description
1 Bounce Increased articulation on consonants (slight increase of weight on initial consonants), followed by decrease
of weight on adjacent vowels. More rhythmic vitality of a regular sort
2 Hollow Less articulation of consonants. Modification of vowels to minimize their differences with the addition of "air"
in the tone (as opposed to focused tone)
3 Light Minimal initial articulation and weight. Modification of vowels to emphasize "brightness" upper partials
4 Soft Modification of vowels; some air added, low volume. Consonants are present, but not sharply defined
5 Sweet Extreme legato. Pure vowels. Consonants present, but without extra articulated weight
6 Flat Affectless. Consonants and vowels with same weight. Minimizing melodic contour
7 Mature Emphasis on heavier vibrato in sound, (irregular) emphasis on lower partials of vowels
(dark rather than bright)
8 Sharp Emphasis on forward placement of vowel, cutting off lower partials. Aggressive articulation of consonants.
9 Husky Irregular rhythmic inflection in phrasing. Irregular pronunciation of consonants and vowels, additional throat
grab noises and air to vowel mix.
10 Clear Purity of vowels and consonants. Emphasis on regularity of pronunciation. Sincere affect.
