Modulation spectrum-constrained trajectory training algorithm for GMM-based Voice Conversion

Abstract

This paper presents a novel training algorithm for Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM)-based Voice Conversion (VC). One of the advantages of GMM-based VC is computationally efficient conversion processing enabling to achieve real-time VC applications. On the other hand, the quality of the converted speech is still significantly worse than that of natural speech. In order to address this problem while preserving the computationally efficient conversion processing, the proposed training method enables 1) to use a consistent optimization criterion between training and conversion and 2) to compensate a Modulation Spectrum (MS) of the converted parameter trajectory as a feature sensitively correlated with over-smoothing effects causing quality degradation of the converted speech. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm yields significant improvements in term of both the converted speech quality and the conversion accuracy for speaker individuality compared to the basic training algorithm.