Summary
Wearing a face mask has been accepted as one of the most effective ways for slowing
the spread of COVID-19. Yet information regarding the degree to which masks affect
acoustics and perception associated with voice performers is scarce. This study examines
these effects with common face masks, namely a neck gaiter, disposable surgical mask,
and N95 mask, as well as a novel material that could be used as a mask (acoustic foam).
A recorded excerpt from the “Star-Spangled Banner” was played through a miniature
speaker placed inside the mouth of a masked manikin. Experienced listeners were asked
to rate perceptual qualities of these singing stimuli by blindly comparing them with
the same recording captured without a mask. Acoustic analysis showed that face masks
affected the sound by enhancing or suppressing different frequency bands compared
to no mask. Acoustic energy around the singer's formant was reduced when using surgical
and N95 masks, which matches observations that these masks are more detrimental to
the perceptions of singing voice compared with neck gaiter or acoustic foam. It suggests
that singers can benefit from masks designed for minimal impact on auditory perception
of the singing voice while maintaining reasonable efficacy of filtering efficiency.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 26, 2021
Accepted:
February 22,
2021
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofFootnotes
The authors have no financial or personal interests that could inappropriately influence (bias) the work in this manuscript.
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
