The Effects of Masked and Delayed Auditory Feedback on Fundamental Frequency Modulation in Vocal Vibrato.
Rosemary A Lester-Smith, Allison Hilger, Kylie E Dunne-Platero and 3 others
PMID 35351330WHAT IT FOUND
When classically trained singers could not hear their own voice through pink noise, their vibrato became wider.
Babble made the rate less steady. Delaying what they heard did not clearly change it.
Key findings
01Pink-noise masking increased the average extent of pitch modulation from 2.1% to 2.4% compared with normal feedback.
02Babble masking increased average cycle-to-cycle variability of pitch modulation rate from 2.8% to 3.5% compared with normal feedback.
03Delays of about 200 ms and about 300 ms did not show compelling evidence of changing the measured vibrato outcomes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was small and limited to healthy classically trained singers, so it may not apply to patients, untrained singers, or people with voice disorders. The acoustic changes were measured in a laboratory during short vowel productions, not in real singing or clinical outcomes. The delay conditions were not individually matched to each singer's vibrato rate, and the control condition also included equipment delays. Some comparisons, such as babble versus noise, were not compelling.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that masking or delaying auditory feedback is a treatment for voice problems. The study was done in healthy singers, and the only compelling changes were small lab acoustic effects; delayed feedback did not show compelling effects.