The paper presents a method of measuring the vocal penetrating capacity under conditions of masking voice. The noise consists of a frequency mixture of vowels in combination with voiced and unvoiced consonants. The comprehensibility of the test matrix is measured with respect to the capacity of the voice to penetrate background noise. The results of the measurement, which are based on more than 1,000 patients, show a significant correlation between the vocal inset phase of the voice status and the patient's subjective assessment of his ability to increase loudness of the duration of vocal use and vocal well-being. This method is therefore suitable for vocal diagnostic purposes, for evaluating the success of therapy, and testing the aptitude for voice-related professions.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Technique for measuring the vocal penetrating capacity of the spoken voice.

Language comprehension in vocal professions will depend greatly on the capacity of the voice to penetrate background noise at the place of work. For therapeutic as well as for measuring purposes we therefore use a maximal masking noise representing a frequency mixture of all vowels in combination with the voiced consonants m, n, and ng produced by 80 male and female voices. The method includes one tape recording of the actual patient's voice and two listening procedures. On the basis of extensive measurements, the conclusion can be drawn that the penetrating capacity of the voice must be considered as poor if it is below 22 dB, to be good if it is between 22 and 28 dB, and to be very good if it is above 28 dB. 450 patients and healthy test persons underwent this measurement.

Adolescent↗