Spectral Energy Distribution in Human Beatbox Sounds: A Preliminary Study
摘要
This research investigates the spectral energy distribution of three basic beatbox sounds—traditional kick, snare, and cymbal—generated by a professional beatboxer. Spectral analysis was used to investigate formant frequencies and spectral characteristics, such as center of gravity (CoG), standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis, in Praat software. Results showed each sound had distinct frequency characteristics: the kick showed balanced mid-frequency, the snare highlighted high-frequency energy, and the cymbal had high levels of high-frequency content. Formant frequency analysis showed that the kick and cymbal were similar, implying similar vocal tract configurations, while the snare had higher formant values, indicating a shorter vocal tract. The large standard deviation of all sounds emphasized their timbral richness and broad frequency coverage, demonstrating the beatboxer’s versatility in approximating percussive sounds with authenticity. This research is the first to fully investigate the spectral energy of beatbox sounds, providing understanding of the acoustic and phonetic properties of human vocal percussion.