Pitch Detection Based On Prototype Waveforms

Abstract

This paper describes a pitch detection algorithm which builds on the ‘Composite Autocorrelation’ method [ 11. By explicitly considering ‘prototype‘ waveforms within the constituent autocorrelation computations, and detecting the pitch at frequent (5ms) intervals, the algorithm produces a robust and continuous pitch track. This leads to a reduced-delay algorithm that overcomes many of the difficulties encountered when using autocorrelation-based techniques in Prototype Waveform (PW) I Waveform Interpolation (WI) coders [2], [3]. In particular, the technique is able to rapidly track the onsets of voiced and unvoiced speech sections. The algorithm is also able to maintain track for both high and low pitch speakers with promising results at this reduced delay.