New Across Acoustics Episode: Why don’t speech recognition systems understand African American English?

Most people have encountered speech recognition software in their day-to-day lives, whether through personal digital assistants, auto transcription, or other such modern marvels. As the technology advances, though, it still fails to understand speakers of African American English (AAE). In this episode, we talk to Michelle Cohn (Google Research and University of California Davis) and Zion Mengesha (Google Research and Stanford University) about their research into why these problems with speech recognition software seem to persist and what can be done to make sure more voices are understood by the technology.

Like the episode? Check out the related article!

Celebrating Pride Month with Across Acoustics: Speech Research and Gender-Diverse Speakers

Happy Pride Month, everyone! This is a time to celebrate and uplift the voices of the LGBTQ+ community, and what better way to do so than by diving into some fascinating research that explores the intersections of speech, perception, and gender diversity? In the Across Acoustics episode, “Speech Research Methods and Gender-Diverse Speakers,” Brandon Merritt discusses the article, “Auditory Free Classification of Gender-Diverse Speakers,” published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (JASA) with co-authors Tessa Bent, Rowan Kilgore, and Cameron Eads. Their research sheds light on how listeners perceive and classify the gender of speakers, moving beyond the traditional binary notions of gender.

Understanding how we perceive gender in speech has profound implications for communication and inclusivity. By exploring the acoustic and perceptual characteristics that influence gender attribution, Merritt’s research helps to create a more nuanced understanding of gender diversity. This is particularly important for supporting the representation and recognition of transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming individuals in both academic research and everyday interactions.

Brandon Merritt’s contributions to the field of speech and gender perception extend beyond this podcast episode. Here are a couple more publications that you should check out:

“Speech Beyond the Binary: Some Acoustic-Phonetic and Auditory-Perceptual Characteristics of Non-Binary Speakers” (JASA Express Letters, March 2023): This paper explores the acoustic and perceptual features of non-binary speakers, providing insights into how non-binary identities are expressed and perceived through speech.

“Revisiting the Acoustics of Speaker Gender Perception: A Gender Expansive Perspective” (JASA, January 2022): This work revisits traditional models of gender perception in speech, incorporating a broader range of gender identities and offering a more inclusive perspective.

As we celebrate Pride Month, it’s crucial to recognize and support research that honors and explores the diversity of human experience. Brandon Merritt’s work exemplifies this commitment by pushing the boundaries of how we understand and categorize gender through speech. So, take a moment to listen to the podcast, read Merritt’s publications, and reflect on the importance of inclusivity in research and beyond.

Happy Pride Month, and here’s to celebrating the vibrant diversity that makes our world a richer, more understanding place!

New Across Acoustics Episode: Deep Faking Room Impulse Responses

It’s not always feasible to measure the sound field generated by an acoustic source; instead, scientists have to model to come up with a best guess for the missing pieces of the sound field. In this episode, we talk to Efren Fernandez-Grande and Xenofon Karakonstantis (Technical University of Denmark) about their new machine learning method to reconstruct sound fields.

Like the episode? Check out the related article!

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Take acoustics out to the ball game!

Happy MLB Opening Day, baseball fans! To kick off the latest season, we’d like to highlight some literature about the acoustics of the humble baseball bat. The sounds a baseball bat makes connecting with a ball can vary so much in frequency that a person with enough bats on hand can create a makeshift musical instrument! In fact, Daniel Russell from The Pennsylvania State University did just that. Check out this video of him playing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” on a piano made of baseball bats:

This video comes from Russell’s article in the Winter 2017 issue of Acoustics Today, “Acoustics and Vibration of Baseball and Softball Bats.” It turns out sound and vibration feedback are incredibly helpful to players and can influence their perception of their performance. The article talks all about the physics of baseball bats and how the sounds they make when hit by a ball. You can also hear Russell talk about the acoustics of baseball bats in detail on an episode of Across Acoustics.

Russell realized that sports are a useful tool for teaching acoustics concepts. In the JASA article, “Acoustic testing and modeling: An advanced undergraduate laboratory,” he and coauthor Daniel O. Ludwigsen wrote about an instructional module in which students study the vibrational characteristics of baseball bats and other sports equipment.

The crack of the bat that heralds a home run seems even more exciting now, doesn’t it?