Comparisons of voice quality parameter values measured with MDVP, Praat, and TF32

Abstract

Measured values may differ between Multi-Dimensional Voice Program (MDVP), Praat, and Time-Frequency Analysis software (TF32), all of which are widely used in voice quality analysis, due to differences in the algorithms used in each analyzer. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the values of parameters of normal voice measured with each analyzer. After tokens of the vowel sound /a/ were collected from 35 normal adult subjects (19 male and 16 female), they were analyzed with MDVP, Praat, and TF32. The mean values obtained from Praat for jitter variables (J local, J abs, J rap, and J ppq), shimmer variables (S local, S dB, and S apq), and noise-to-harmonics ratio (NHR) were significantly lower than those from MDVP in both males and females (p<.01). The mean values of J local, J abs, and S local were significantly lower in the order MDVP, Praat, and TF32 in both genders. In conclusion, the measured values differed across voice analyzers due to the differences in the algorithms each analyzer uses. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to analyze pathologic voice after understanding the normal criteria used by each analyzer when they use a voice analyzer in clinical practice.