COMD 5070 COMPREHENSIVE EXAM 2026 QUESTIONS
AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Pulse register - ✔✔-"vocal fry"
-pulsate quality
-occurs at a very low F0 range
-vocal folds relatively slack
-low driving pressure from lungs
-limited pitch and loudness range
✔✔Loft register - ✔✔-"falsetto"
-vocal folds are stretched tightly
-high end of f0 range
-cover of vocal folds oscillate medially
-little/no involvement of TA in vibration
-oscillation almost sinusoidal
✔✔What is the source-filter theory - ✔✔-larynx serves as source and the vocal tract is
filter
**independent of each other
✔✔What are the different source changes - ✔✔-loudness
-pitch
-voice quality
-phonation vs. whispering
✔✔How do you change the loudness of the source - ✔✔-provide more pressure from
the lungs to the larynx
✔✔How do you change the pitch of the source - ✔✔-stretching the vocal folds which
changes the intensity of how the vibrate
✔✔how do you change the voice quality of the sound source - ✔✔- adjusting the space
between the vocal folds
*specifically between the arytenoids
✔✔Whispering - ✔✔-no vibration but still a sound source from using air from lungs
✔✔what is a harmonic spectral slope - ✔✔Higher harmonics progressively slope
because they are weaker in amplitude then the fundamental
✔✔What does the vocal tract filter do? - ✔✔-weakens what comes out of larynx
- resonates 'echos' sound
-some sine waves add
-constructive interference
, ✔✔What is the vocal tract transfer function - ✔✔-change in sound between entering the
vocal tract and leaving the vocal tract
(new sound- old sound)
✔✔What influences is? - ✔✔resonating cavities in the vocal tract between the larynx
and the lips
***VARIABLE FILTER
✔✔What is a formant - ✔✔a resident peak in the vocal tract transfer function
✔✔How do formants change during speech? - ✔✔some frequencies in a given range
are amplified in their amplitude and are more prominent than any other sounds in the
spectrum
**reflects the way the vocal tract is shaping the sound that the larynx gave to it**
✔✔How do formants differ for men women and children - ✔✔-Men's vocal tracts are
largest which alternates the frequencies
-Children have highest formant frequencies (smallest structures)
✔✔place, manner and voicing of stops - ✔✔place: bilabial
manner: brief closure of the vocal tract
voicing: voiced or voiceless
✔✔transition of stops - ✔✔vocal tract adjusts for next sound.
✔✔transient and friction of stops - ✔✔-air pressure builds behind closure
-transient- first burst of air
-frication-air flows through narrow gap
**often hard to seperate
✔✔VOT for /b/ /d/ /g/ - ✔✔-20 to +20ms
✔✔VOT for voiceless stops - ✔✔20-100ms
✔✔duration of a CV transition - ✔✔about 50ms
✔✔what does F1 relate to - ✔✔mouth opening
✔✔C to V transition - ✔✔F1 will increase
✔✔place of articulation determines - ✔✔spectral shape
✔✔fricatives - ✔✔longer than stops
AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Pulse register - ✔✔-"vocal fry"
-pulsate quality
-occurs at a very low F0 range
-vocal folds relatively slack
-low driving pressure from lungs
-limited pitch and loudness range
✔✔Loft register - ✔✔-"falsetto"
-vocal folds are stretched tightly
-high end of f0 range
-cover of vocal folds oscillate medially
-little/no involvement of TA in vibration
-oscillation almost sinusoidal
✔✔What is the source-filter theory - ✔✔-larynx serves as source and the vocal tract is
filter
**independent of each other
✔✔What are the different source changes - ✔✔-loudness
-pitch
-voice quality
-phonation vs. whispering
✔✔How do you change the loudness of the source - ✔✔-provide more pressure from
the lungs to the larynx
✔✔How do you change the pitch of the source - ✔✔-stretching the vocal folds which
changes the intensity of how the vibrate
✔✔how do you change the voice quality of the sound source - ✔✔- adjusting the space
between the vocal folds
*specifically between the arytenoids
✔✔Whispering - ✔✔-no vibration but still a sound source from using air from lungs
✔✔what is a harmonic spectral slope - ✔✔Higher harmonics progressively slope
because they are weaker in amplitude then the fundamental
✔✔What does the vocal tract filter do? - ✔✔-weakens what comes out of larynx
- resonates 'echos' sound
-some sine waves add
-constructive interference
, ✔✔What is the vocal tract transfer function - ✔✔-change in sound between entering the
vocal tract and leaving the vocal tract
(new sound- old sound)
✔✔What influences is? - ✔✔resonating cavities in the vocal tract between the larynx
and the lips
***VARIABLE FILTER
✔✔What is a formant - ✔✔a resident peak in the vocal tract transfer function
✔✔How do formants change during speech? - ✔✔some frequencies in a given range
are amplified in their amplitude and are more prominent than any other sounds in the
spectrum
**reflects the way the vocal tract is shaping the sound that the larynx gave to it**
✔✔How do formants differ for men women and children - ✔✔-Men's vocal tracts are
largest which alternates the frequencies
-Children have highest formant frequencies (smallest structures)
✔✔place, manner and voicing of stops - ✔✔place: bilabial
manner: brief closure of the vocal tract
voicing: voiced or voiceless
✔✔transition of stops - ✔✔vocal tract adjusts for next sound.
✔✔transient and friction of stops - ✔✔-air pressure builds behind closure
-transient- first burst of air
-frication-air flows through narrow gap
**often hard to seperate
✔✔VOT for /b/ /d/ /g/ - ✔✔-20 to +20ms
✔✔VOT for voiceless stops - ✔✔20-100ms
✔✔duration of a CV transition - ✔✔about 50ms
✔✔what does F1 relate to - ✔✔mouth opening
✔✔C to V transition - ✔✔F1 will increase
✔✔place of articulation determines - ✔✔spectral shape
✔✔fricatives - ✔✔longer than stops
