Voice Samples
Ten professional actors recorded nine voice samples in Latvian:
- Four words:
up [ˈauɡʃaː], down [ˈlejjaː], left [ˈkreisaː], right [ˈlabaː]. - Four phrases:
“Now press up” [ˈtaɡat ˈjaːspieʒ ˈauɡʃaː],
“Now press down” [ˈtaɡat ˈjaːspieʒ ˈlejjaː],
“Now press left” [ˈtaɡat ˈjaːspieʒ ˈkreisaː],
“Now press right” [ˈtaɡat ˈjaːspieʒ ˈlabaː]. - One paragraph:
Four sentences from Aesop’s fable The North Wind and the Sun (Latvian version). The total length of the paragraph is 64 syllables:
[ˈziɛ.mɛ.lis un ˈsaʊ.lɛ ˈreɪs ˈstriː.dɛː.jɑs kuɾʃ ˈsti.prɑks ˈviɲi ˈnɔs.priɛ.dɑ kɑ ˈuz.vɑ.ɾɛ.taɪs ˈbuːs ˈtas kuɾʃ ˈtsɛ.ʎi.niɛ.kɑm ˈliks ˈiz.ɟɛːɾb.tiɛs ˈvis.pirms ˈspa.ɾi.ɟi ˈuz.puː.tɑ ˈziɛ.mɛ.lis ˈtsil.vɛks ˈiɛ.ti.nɑs ˈsa.vɑs ˈdɾɛː.bɛs un ˈziɛ.mɛ.lis ˈpuː.tɑ ˈvɛːl ˈduː.ʃi.ɟɑk].
Descriptions of Emotions
Each linguistic unit was pronounced in neutral, happy, and angry intonations. Before recording, the actors prepared for the specific emotions by reading detailed descriptions of emotional states:
- Neutral Emotion:
Imagine that you are not experiencing strong emotions or specific interests and needs. Your task is to repeat the words, phrases, or text in a clear, neutral, and non-emotional voice. - Happy Emotion:
Imagine feeling very happy and content—everything is going well, your wishes and goals are fulfilled, and circumstances are favorable. Your task is to repeat the words, phrases, or text in a clear and joyful voice. - Angry Emotion:
Imagine experiencing intense anger due to obstacles or contradictions to your plans and needs. You feel frustration, resentment, and dissatisfaction. Your task is to repeat the words, phrases, or text in a clear and angry voice.
Evaluation of Voice Samples
Each voice sample was recorded three times. An expert panel of six members evaluated each sample using the following criteria:
- Emotional Component: The extent to which the emotion is maximally expressed (anger or joy) or the voice is maximally neutral (in the case of neutral voice).
- Voice Quality: The clarity and “purity” of the voice, including good pronunciation, diction, and articulation.
The total 810 recorded samples (10 actors × 9 linguistic units × 3 emotions × 3 repetitions) were reduced to 270 validated samples after evaluation.
Recording Conditions
The recordings were conducted in a soundproof room using the following setup:
- Microphone: AKG C520 calibrated head-worn condenser microphone with balanced XLR audio output (AKG Acoustics, Vienna, Austria).
- Positioning: Microphone placed laterally at a mouth-to-microphone angle of ±45° and a distance of ±5 cm.
- Audio Interface: Scarlett Solo (Focusrite Plc., High Wycombe, United Kingdom), connected to a MacBook Air.
- Software: PRAAT version 6.1.31 (Paul Boersma and David Weenink, Institute for Phonetic Sciences, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands).
- Recording Specifications: 44.1 kHz sampling rate, 16-bit resolution, and saved in .wav format.
- Normalization: All voice samples were normalized to an intensity of 70 dB
Characteristics of Actors
The actors participating in the recordings included 5 male and 5 female speakers, aged between 23 and 35 years. Their AVQI (Acoustic Voice Quality Index) scores ranged as follows:
| Actor | Age (years) | AVQI |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | 25 | 1.82 |
| F2 | 23 | 2.37 |
| F3 | 26 | 2.06 |
| F4 | 23 | 2.45 |
| F5 | 26 | 2.55 |
| M1 | 27 | 2.02 |
| M2 | 23 | 1.99 |
| M3 | 24 | 1.72 |
| M4 | 35 | 2.37 |
| M5 | 24 | 2.19 |
Coding of Voice Recordings
The voice samples were coded using the following format:
- M = Male, F = Female
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 = Actor ID number
- N, H, A = Emotion type (Neutral, Happy, Angry)
- UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT = Words in Latvian
- PRESSUP, PRESSDOWN, PRESSRIGHT, PRESSLEFT = Phrases in Latvian
- PARA = Paragraph
Example: M1_N_UP = Male actor 1, Neutral emotion, Word “Up.”
Acknowledgment
You are free to use the voice samples included in the Emotional Voice Database. Please cite the database as follows:
Trinite, B., Zdanovica, A., Kurme, D., Lavrane, E., & Magazeina, I. (2024). Emotional voice database in Latvian. Voice.liepu.lv. https://voice.liepu.lv/emotional-voice-database/
For inquiries, please contact:
- Prof. Baiba Trinite: baiba.trinite@rtu.lv
- Alternative Email: baibatr@apollo.lv