Time domain speech synthesis-by-rules using a flexible and fast signal management system

The SARA-JUNIOR text-to-speech synthesis uses new developments in the techniques pioneered in the previous SARA software. Acoustic parameters (i.e. pitch period duration, formant frequencies and formant amplitudes) are calculated by rules for each pitch period, according to prosodic features and given phonetic string. The signal is calculated as a summation of formant time-domain functions derived from the previously determined acoustic parameters. These methods are implemented with a general-purpose software system dedicated to fast generation, editing and merging of streams of samples to produce complex audio signals. This system facilitates user control of critical events in time such as the onset of sound components, beginning of envelopes etc. Synthesis commands can be stated as LL(1) rewriting rules.