Automatic speaker recognition: getting started for research

Participants will be introduced to the basics of state-of-the-art automatic speaker recognition systems and how a system can be used to conduct research. On the first day, we will cover pre-processing, feature extraction, speaker modelling, scoring and calibration. On the second day, we will focus on developing research questions and running tests that are relevant to your own research. The course will offer a mixture of mini-lectures and practical sessions, where you will get to use the VOCALISE automatic speaker recognition system, produced by Oxford Wave Research.

You must be a current research student to be eligible to attend the course. You’ll need to bring along your own laptop and will be provided with a version of VOCALISE to use during the course.

Vincent Hughes

Vincent's research interests lie in forensic speech science, phonetics, phonology, sociophonetics and sociolinguistics. His current research focuses on understanding the bases and limitations of individual speaker characterisation and the relative contribution of acoustic, auditory and biological information. He is also interested in the application of the numerical likelihood ratio framework to the evaluation of speech evidence in forensic voice comparison cases.

Jessica Wormald

Jessica is a lecturer in the Department of Language and Linguistic Science at the University of York. Her primary research interests are in forensic speech science and sociophonetics. Jessica is interested in research which leads directly to improvements in forensic practice, particularly methodological developments and the combination of auditory, acoustic and automatic techniques. She previously worked as a forensic consultant at J P French Associates where she carried out speaker comparison and transcription casework.

Amelia Gully

Amelia is a Lecturer in Speech Science in the Department of Language and Linguistic Science. She is interested in what makes voices unique, in particular the physiology of the vocal anatomy, captured using medical imaging techniques. Her background is in acoustics and signal processing.

Finnian Kelly

Finnian is Principal Research Scientist at Oxford Wave Research (OWR). Finnian leads the Research & Development (R&D) team at OWR, who explore and refine new solutions to real-world problems in automatic speaker recognition, speech and speaker analysis, and audio processing. As well as informing the development of new and improved software tools at OWR, Finnian and the R&D team regularly publish and present their research at scientific conferences. Finnian also delivers bespoke technical training courses and consultations on forensic automatic speaker recognition to law enforcement, government, and academic institutions internationally. 

Linda Gerlach

Linda is the Research Translation and Commercialisation Manager at Oxford Wave Research. She bridges the gap between research and practical applications, ensuring that product standards are met to provide our customers with the best possible experience.

Linda is currently pursuing a PhD of the University of Cambridge, in the area of speaker characteristics and forensic phonetics, using both traditional phonetic and automatic (machine-based) techniques. 

The cost for this one and a half day course is £200 per person.

Prices are exempt of VAT

The rate includes course materials. 

This course is only open to research students - i.e. those doing either Masters or PhD - who would like to know more about automatic speaker recognition systems and how to utilise them in research. For us to know a bit more about you and your research, please complete the following form.

Registration Form

Registration is done online by Credit/Debit Card for instant payment and a guaranteed secured place on the course (please note the University of York does not accept American Express cards).

Delegates are responsible for booking their own accommodation and arranging payment directly with the hotel of their choice.

A list of some hotel options in the city will be circulated to all delegates.

For further information about York, please visit the 'Visit York' website.

1. Payment

1. Online payment via credit or debit card is preferred. Payment by invoice incurs an additional charge of £30. Please note that the University of York cannot accept American Express cards
2. Registration fees are payable in advance of the programme start date.
3. We regret that we cannot reserve or hold programme places in advance of booking or payment.
4. Participants may cancel their place in the programme by emailing the cpd@york.ac.uk

1.1. Registration fees are payable in advance of the course and are fully inclusive of tuition, course materials, lunch / refreshments at the course venue, but do not include accommodation.

1.2. Standard fees - apply to organisations worldwide and are UK VAT exempt (i.e. VAT is not payable).

2. Cancellations

The following cancellation terms apply:

Standard conditions:
-  Cancellations made 30 days or more before the programme start date: programme registration fees refunded less a 10% administrative charge.
-  Cancellations made less than 30 days before the programme start date: no refund will be given

For bookings of between 1 and 5 people from the same organisation:
-  Cancellations made 30 days or more before the programme start date: programme registration fees refunded less a 10% administrative charge.
-  Cancellations made less than 30 days before the programme start date: no refund will be given. 

For larger bookings of 6 or more people from the same organisation:
-  Cancellations made 60 days or more before the programme start date: programme registration fees refunded less a 10% administrative charge.
-  Cancellations made less than 60 days before the programme start date: no refund will be given.
-  Should one person from a group booking from the same organisation cancel, substitutes can be made, or the standard conditions apply.

The University of York will not accept responsibility for any additional costs incurred by the participant (for example travel or accommodation arrangements).

3. Attendance

1. Substitutions may be made prior to the programme start date, provided you inform the CPD team cpd@york.ac.uk in writing and complete any registration documentation for the new participant.
2. No substitutions are permissible once the programme has started.
3. Transfers between programmes are not possible.
4. In the unlikely event that, due to unforeseen circumstances, the programme has to be cancelled by the University of York, our liability is limited to a refund of paid programme registration fees only. 

These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and the parties agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Through registering for a course applicants are deemed to have accepted the above Terms and Conditions.