An Attack on the Problems of Speech Analysis and Synthesis with the Power of an On-Line System

Abstract

How hard a problem can you solve? The answer to this question is no longer fixed by the solver's education and intelligence alone. We are already in an era where very substantial and maneuverable on-line systems can greatly enhance our capabilities. Consequently, the difficulty of a problem must now be measured by its distance from the combined powers of a man-machine problem-solving union. Furthermore, we wish to allow the starting man-machine combination to be used experimentally to develop an extended machine of increasing power in the direction required for the solution of a given hard problem. This is by no means just hand waving, for such an arrangement has already been used in a fundamental attack on the problems of speech analysis and synthesis. The substance of this writing consists of a simple description of the developing system with motivation for its development shown by direct illustrations of the structure of sounds in speech deduced through its use.