Estimation of the Voicing Cut-Off Frequency Contour Based on a Cumulative Harmonicity Score

We present a new algorithm for the estimation of the voicing cut-off frequency (VCO), i.e., the frequency that separates the harmonic low-frequency part from the aperiodic high-frequency part in voiced speech. The VCO is estimated as the frequency for which the sum of the harmonicity scores of all pitch harmonics below that frequency is maximized. The algorithm is combined with a powerful dynamic programming approach to track the VCO estimates over time. Remarkably accurate and smooth VCO contours are obtained, despite the simplicity of the algorithm. Applications include a.o. (sinusoidal) speech modeling, coding, and synthesis, as well as harmonic speech analysis for, e.g., automatic speech recognition.