iPhone App to Objectively Measure Vocal Quality (f0, shimmer, jitter, etc)

For the inner geek in all singers and other professional voice users, you can now download onto your iPhone an advanced voice analysis program that provides objective measures of vocal quality similar to what is obtained in a professional voice laboratory.

Called OperaVox, preliminary studies have shown good reliability compared to KayPentax Multidimensional Voice Program (f0, shimmer, jitter). Noise to harmonic ratio showed less reliability. Retest reliability was also fairly consistent in all parameters.

Developed by a team of British researchers including an ENT and an audio specialist, there are 3 version of this app including a free "lite" version, a full-featured version meant for one person, and a much more expensive multi-user version meant for professionals.

The free "lite" version provides a recording of pitch f0, jitter, and shimmer as well as a history of your last 3 tests on a graph over time.

The paid full-featured version additionally also records MPT (maximum phonation time), reading measures (pitch range, mean pitch), and singing pitch range. Historical data is presented without any limits.

The multi-user version is really applicable to professionals in order to track more than one patient/student.


For the serious voice user, this app is a worthwhile investment to objectively measure your vocal quality progress (i.e., singers) as well as to provide helpful information to a speech/voice pathologist and physician when things suddenly change or get worse.

Watch video below on how this program works.

References:
Presentation by Dr Marina Mat-Baki et al from University college London and the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital, London at Cutting Edge Laryngology 2013; “Reliability of OperaVOX as acoustic analysis software: preliminary results”

Presentation by Dr Emily Lin and Jeremy Hornibrook from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand on the suitability of the iPhone microphones for performing acoustic analyses.