BROTHERS’
Button to Phoneme Transfer Standard for International Language
BROTHERS’
Button to Phoneme Transfer Standard for International Language
"BROTHERS’ Button to Phoneme Transfer Standard for International Language" (BBPTSI) is an INTERNATIONAL STANDARD and its software implementation which defines a way of manipulating of buttons/keyboard/bellows of MIDI ACCORDION (such as "Roland V-Accordion" series) to control our original vocal synthesis software. BBPTSI consists of three major rules, rule of combinations of lefthand buttons to designate consonant/vowel phonemes, combinations of righthand keyboard to designate a microtonal pitch of voice, and handling of bellows to control loudness and vocal cords tension. It enables us actually to play "voice" --- speech/singing voice --- by human hands in realtime with highly realistic and emotional expressions including non-linguistic or paralinguistic properties.
FORMANT BROTHERS have been investigating a way to perform an artificial voice in realtime by using a conventional MIDI keyboard since 2000, in addition to development of our original vocal synthesis software. And we have released a STANDARD which defined a rational rule of key combinations to designate all phonemes in Japanese language and composed/performed many musical pieces with this STANDARD. It leads us to "notate a voice" accurately only with a traditional Western music score system and also to discuss philosophical/political problems on historically/culturally STANDARDIZED body which can read and play the score.
We know that Accordion, a musical instrument, was invented in a history of investigations of Speech Machine in 19th century ("Concertina" in 1829 by Sir Charles Wheatstone). Therefore It seemed to be the best choice to use Accordion as an interface device to control our vocal synthesis system because the player analogically and intuitively identifies it with a kind of externalized object of human speech mechanism --- bellows as a human lung and buttons or keyboard as a vocal tract.
BBPTSI not only defines a way of manipulating of buttons/keyboard/bellows of MIDI ACCORDION but also consequently derives so many potentials from our vocal synthesis software --- pronouncing a single unvoiced consonant, diphthong, ambiguous mixed/morphed vowels, breathing sound, etc. This means BBPTSI can be expanded in principle to all international languages which have different phonetic structures from Japanese. That is why it is INTERNATIONAL STANDARD.
Moreover, because the voice of machine emerged from this system is too realistic --- it can breath erotically, whisper softly, shout roughly and scream crazily --- , we delusionally begin to regard MIDI Accordion on our knees not as mere object called "Man-Machine interface" but some kind of flesh organ which leads us to manipulate it to realize the voice of "someone" who is absent. Finally we are thrown into philosophically/aesthically profound questions ---- What is this object? Who is the subject of this voice?
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"BROTHERS’ Button to Phoneme Transfer Standard for International Language" (BBPTSI)
2014/03/18