Dear All,
Richard has been valiantly performing the actions agreed at last week's
meeting before I had even written up my notes... Ah well. Thank you, Richard!
I'm sorry they are as late as this. They're also rather fuller than I
expected them to be, but it was quite helpful to me to do it this way, if
only to show me what I hadn't remembered/understood properly. Please
supplement with sensible comments where mine are clearly inadequate, and
amend anything I may have misrepresented. Fullish notes may be useful to
Sarah, too, since she wasn't there.
Have a good weekend one and all.
Jill
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\b\fs28 PROSYNTH
\par
\par Notes on meeting: Friday 13 February, 1998
\par }
\par Present: Richard, John, Paul (York); Alex, Jill, Mark (p.m.) (UCL)
\par Apologies: Sarah (Cambridge)
\par
\par \pard \widctlpar Notes follow the order of items on the agenda, rather than the order in which things were discussed!
\par \pard \widctlpar
\par {\b TECHNICAL ISSUES
\par }
\par {\pntext\pard\plain 1. \tab}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlbody\pndec\pnb0\pni0\pnf4\pnfs24\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxta . }}{\b Prosynth database: recordings
\par }\pard \widctlpar
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}\pard \fi-284\li284\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}A first batch of recordings have been made at UCL, using Mark as speaker. Items from groups 2-4 are included so far.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}Mark has provided web access to the recordings on http:/
/synth.phon.ucl.ac.uk/prosynth/. They are arranged by structure for easy reference.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}{\i\highlight7 ACTION:} {\highlight7 Sarah} to vet them for lab quality and report back.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}{\i\highlight7 ACTION:} {\highlight7 Mark} and {\highlight7 Jill} to organise recordings of group 1 items.
\par \pard \widctlpar
\par {\pntext\pard\plain 2. \tab}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlbody\pndec\pnb0\pni0\pnf4\pnfs24\pnstart2\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxta . }}{\b Databases: other issues
\par }\pard \widctlpar
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}Mark and Alex presented a document draft: \ldblquote Phase 1 database: recording and annotation reference\rdblquote
, describing links between audio files and XML index, lexicon entry, transcription and annotations. Representations approved; some details of interpretation of York syllable grammar will need adjusting.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}classification of structures: items involving inflectional suffixes need to be separately distinguished.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}\pard \fi-284\li284\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}further structure groups are still to be devised for expansion of Prosynth database.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}Alex (Progress Report III)
has made complete grammatical and syntactic analyses of current Prosynth database, and of three MARSEC texts.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}Searching for structures in MARSEC will require parsing in a \ldblquote head-first\rdblquote direction (sorry, my notes are a bit cryptic here\'85)
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}Using his modification of Mitton\rquote s version of OALD, Alex has also automatically generated a Prosynth-specific lexicon, which will expand as the database expands.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}{\i\highlight7 ACTION:} {\highlight7 Jill} to revise structures appropriately on Prosynth database documentation.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}{\i\highlight7 ACTION}{\highlight7 :} {\highlight7 Jill} to devise material for expanded groups 3-4 and further structures required. Further recording sessions to be organised in due course.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}{\i\highlight7 ACTION:}{\i }{\highlight7 Sarah} to investigate neighbourhood and frequency information for words in database (action carried forward from last meeting).
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}{\i\highlight7 ACTION:}{\i }{\highlight7 Richard} to extract classes of syllable types used to predict syllable squish (to assist in searching MARSEC database?)
\par \pard \widctlpar
\par \pard \widctlpar
\par {\pntext\pard\plain 3. \tab}\pard \fi-283\li283\sb240\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlbody\pndec\pnb0\pni0\pnf4\pnfs24\pnstart3\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxta . }}{\b Lexicon(s): form and function
\par }\pard \widctlpar {\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}Prosynth-specific lexicon: Mark and Alex presented various options for representation of structures; all agreed on
option 2, incorporating full syllabic parse.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}\pard \fi-284\li284\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}Alternative pronunciations, including weak forms, need to be stored in lexicon.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}\pard \fi-284\li284\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}Ambisyllabicity: within-word information to be stored in lexicon; between-word ambisyllabicity to be added post-le
xically at utterance generation, when details of foot and AG structure also added.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}\pard \fi-284\li284\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}\ldblquote Germanic\rdblquote affixes to be represented in lexicon to ensure correct behaviour at syllable joins.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}For Prosynth database speech files, hand-edited transcriptions of actual pronunciations may be necessary.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}{\i\highlight7 ACTION:}{\i } {\highlight7 Mark} and {\highlight7 Alex} to hack out basic parse for lexicon on basis of syllable grammar supplied; {\highlight7 Richard} to check.{\b
\par }\pard \sb240\widctlpar {\b 4. and 5. Prosodic parser and syllable grammar
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-284\li284\sb240\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}After detailed discussion of syllable grammar some small amendments were agreed. p.8: incomplete, needs revision; p. 1:
attribute \ldblquote strength\rdblquote is not explicitly defined in grammar, but will need to be related to vowel quality rather than stress, which will be defined at foot level.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}\pard \fi-284\li284\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}{\i\highlight7 ACTION}{\highlight7 :} {\highlight7 Richard} to send replacement p. 8.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}{\i\highlight7 ACTION:}{\i }{\highlight7 Jill} to expand grammar to feet and AGs.
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b 6. \tab}\pard \fi-283\li283\sb240\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlbody\pndec\pnb1\pni0\pnf4\pnfs24\pnstart6\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxta . }}{\b Speech file analysis and annotation
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li283\sb240\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}{\i\highlight7 ACTION}{\highlight7 :} (?? -- my notes don\rquote t make sense here!) {\highlight7 Mark}
to create ftp account for sending data files; convert for readability using ESPS Waves. (Sorry \endash please can someone make this bit make sense. Thank you!)
\par \pard \sb240\widctlpar {\b PROJECT MANAGEMENT ISSUES
\par {\pntext\pard\plain 7. \tab}}\pard \fi-284\li284\sb240\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlbody\pndec\pnb0\pni0\pnf4\pnfs24\pnstart7\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxta . }}{\b Staffing
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-284\li284\sb240\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}Cambridge: Sebastian Heid had been offered the RA job that morning. If he accepts, start date to be negotiated.{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-284\li284\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}UCL: Alex switching to new project in April; job description for hi
s replacement to be drafted next week for inclusion in March fonetiks.{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-284\li284\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}{\i\highlight7 ACTION:}{\i }{\highlight7 Jill} and {\highlight7 Mark} to draft job advert.{\b
\par }\pard \widctlpar
\par {\pntext\pard\plain 8. \tab}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlbody\pndec\pnb0\pni0\pnf4\pnfs24\pnstart8\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxta . }}{\b Budget issues}
\par \pard \widctlpar
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}Travel budgets are tight, but there may be some flexibility. Everyone would like (!!) in principle
to go to Australia for ICSLP and Synth w/shop in Nov/Dec\'85 In practice it may be hard to get teaching cover, and only Sarah has this explicitly in travel budget. {\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}UCL has saved some equipment money through getting a good Waves deal.{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}{\i\highlight7 ACTION}{\highlight7 :} {\highlight7 Jill} and {\highlight7 Mark} (an
d anyone else) to sound out EPSRC on virement flexibility (i.e. how far can we adjust our budget headings within overall total?).{\b
\par }\pard \widctlpar
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b 9. \tab}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlbody\pndec\pnb1\pni0\pnf4\pnfs24\pnstart9\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxta . }}{\b Dissemination strategy
\par }\pard \widctlpar {\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}
We need to ensure a good crop of articles in refereed journals from this project. Journals to target include Language & Speech, Computer Sp & Lang, JASA, JPhon, Sp Communication.{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}All project conference papers should be subsequently worked up into journal articles.{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}We should all aim to publish in our own working papers (again, prior to working up for journals) to ensure work is in public domain as early as possible.{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}We should aim to get a project-wide paper into the public domain at an early stage; this base article can then be referred to in later papers.{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}We will not have papers as such ready for this year\rquote s BAAP or LabPhon, but we need to begin to raise the project\rquote
s profile. The idea of a handout on the project for distribution at these meetings was approved. {\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}ICSLP would be a good first place to publish our base article, which should explain the project\rquote
s motivation and report on the architecture. {\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}ICPhS will be an important forum to report on specific project outcomes (site-specific or project-wide). Emphasis on \ldblquote linguistic knowledge and naturalness\rdblquote .{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}EPSRC\rquote s next call for proposals will be Dec 1999.{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}
EPSRC 6-monthly Progress Report. This will be due in April, presumably. Rather than waiting to be asked, we should be pre-emptive, and ask EPSRC whether they have any particular requirements for this report. From our own point of view it would be a goo
d plan to have (i) an executive summary; and (ii) a compendium of documents and progress reports from us all which they can keep on file.{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}{\i\highlight7 ACTION:}{\i }{\highlight7 Richard} to circulate copies of York\rquote s \ldblquote Phoneo\rdblquote
as model for project newsletter.{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}{\i\highlight7 ACTION:}{\i }If format approved, {\highlight7 Richard} to compile Prosynth newsletter. {\highlight7 All} to send Richard suitable paragraphs for inclusion.{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}{\i\highlight7 ACTION:}{\i }{\highlight7 All} to assemble/prepare reports on project activity so far by end Feb for EPSRC Progress Report. Possible topics:{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f15 n\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li1291\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnb0\pni0\pnf15\pnfs24\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb n}}computational representation (XML){\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f15 n\tab}}database{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f15 n\tab}}parser integration{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f15 n\tab}}PSOLA interface (???){\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\f15 n\tab}}preliminary temporal model{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}{\i\highlight7 ACTION:}{\i }{\highlight7 Jill} and {\highlight7 Mark}
to approach Nigel Birch about the requirements for the report (and the other issues already mentioned): he is due to pay us a site visit on 11 March which will be an obvious opportunity.{\b
\par }\pard \widctlpar
\par OTHER
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}What kind of synthesis to focus on? Concatenative would be most straightforward. Sarah may want to include work on HLSyn.{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}We should consider a site visit to CSTR, where there seems to be a lot of synthesis activity.{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}Other things we should look at: IPOX stuff from Oxford (Coleman) \endash downloadable;
paper by Dafydd Gibbon on linking intonation to structure; paper on \ldblquote contonation\rdblquote by Sharp; (??PRAT \endash pitch stylisation for PSOLA???). {\highlight7 John} to provide references?{\b
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\b\f1 \'b7\tab}}\pard \fi-283\li283\widctlpar{\*\pn \pnlvlblt\pnf1\pnstart1\pnindent283\pnhang{\pntxtb \'b7}}{\b Communication:} a document reporting on project meeting outcomes and listing actions was needed. {\highlight7 Jill}
agreed to do one (and here it is!).{\b
\par }}
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