A binary erasure channel (or BEC) is a common communications channel model used in coding theory and information theory.

In this model, a transmitter sends a bit (a zero or a one), and the receiver either receives the bit or it receives a message that the bit was not received ("erased"). This channel is used frequently in information theory because it is one of the simplest channels to analyze. The BEC was introduced by Peter Elias of MIT in 1954 as a toy example.

A prefix code is a type of code system (typically a variable-length code) distinguished by its possession of the "prefix property"; which states that there is no valid code word in the system that is a prefix (start) of any other valid code word in the set. For example, a code with code words {9, 59, 55} has the prefix property; a code consisting of {9, 5, 59, 55} does not, because "5" is a prefix of both "59" and "55". With a prefix code, a receiver can identify each word without requiring a special marker between words. Prefix codes are also known as prefix-free codes, prefix condition codes and instantaneous codes. Although Huffman coding is just one of many algorithms for deriving prefix codes, prefix codes are also widely referred to as "Huffman codes", even when the code was not produced by a Huffman algorithm. The term comma-free code is sometimes also applied as a synonym for prefix-free codes[1][2] but in most mathematical books and articles (e. g. [3][4]) it is used to mean self-synchronizing codes, a subclass of prefix codes. Using prefix codes, a message can be transmitted as a sequence of concatenated code words, without any out-of-band markers to frame the words in the message. The recipient can decode the message unambiguously, by repeatedly finding and removing prefixes that form valid code words. This is not possible with codes that lack the prefix property, for example {0, 1, 10, 11}: a receiver reading a "1" at the start of a code word would not know whether that was the complete code word "1", or merely the prefix of the code word "10" or "11". The variable-length Huffman codes, country calling codes, the country and publisher parts of ISBNs, and the Secondary Synchronization Codes used in the UMTS W-CDMA 3G Wireless Standard are prefix codes. Prefix codes are not error-correcting codes. In practice, a message might first be compressed with a prefix code, and then encoded again with channel coding (including error correction) before transmission. Kraft's inequality characterizes the sets of code word lengths that are possible in a prefix code.

Parity-check matrix
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In coding theory, a parity-check matrix of a linear block code C is a generator matrix of the dual code. As such, a codeword c is in C if and only if the matrix-vector product Hc=0.

The rows of a parity check matrix are parity checks on the codewords of a code. That is, they show how linear combinations of certain digits of each codeword equal zero. For example, the parity check matrix

specifies that for each codeword, digits 1 and 2 should sum to zero (according to the second row) and digits 3 and 4 should sum to zero (according to the first row).

[eCreating a parity check matrix

The parity check matrix for a given code can be derived from its generator matrix (and viceversa). If the generator matrix for an [n,k]-code is in standard form , then the parity check matrix is given by , because GHT = P P = 0. Negation is performed in the finite field mod q. Note that if the characteristic of the underlying field is 2 (i.e., 1 + 1 = 0 in that field), as in binary codes, then P = P, so the negation is unnecessary. For example, if a binary code has the generator matrix

The parity check matrix becomes

For any valid codeword x, Hx = 0. For any invalid codeword .

, the syndrome S satisfies

A vocoder ( /vokodr/, short for voice encoder) is an analysis/synthesis system, mostly used for speech. In the encoder, the input is passed through a multiband filter, each band is passed through an envelope follower, and the control signals from the envelope followers are communicated to the decoder. The decoder applies these (amplitude) control signals to corresponding filters in the (re)synthesizer.

It was originally developed as a speech coder for telecommunications applications in the 1930s, the idea being to code speech for transmission. Its primary use in this fashion is for secure radio communication, where voice has to be encrypted and then transmitted. The advantage of this method of "encryption" is that no 'signal' is sent, but rather envelopes of the bandpass filters. The receiving unit needs to be set up in the same channel configuration to resynthesize a version of the original signal spectrum. The vocoder as both hardware and software has also been used extensively as an electronic musical instrument. Whereas the vocoder analyzes speech, transforms it into electronically transmitted information, and recreates it, The Voder (from Voice Operating Demonstrator) generates synthesized speech by means of a console with fifteen touch-sensitive keys and a pedal, basically consisting of the "second half" of the vocoder, but with manual filter controls, needing a highly trained operator.[1][

Linear predictive coding (LPC) is a tool used mostly in audio signal processing and speech processing for representing the spectral envelope of a digital signal of speech in compressed form, using the information of a linear predictive model.[1] It is one of the most powerful speech analysis techniques, and one of the most useful methods for encoding good quality speech at a low bit rate and provides extremely accurate estimates of speech parameters.

General
A vocoder is a sound effect that can make a human voice sound synthetic. It is often used to speak like a robot, with a metallic and monotonous voice. Perhaps you remember the german group Kraftwerk which used a lot of vocoder effects in their songs ("We are the robots" for example). Vocoders become popular again right now. Here is a sample taken from the song "Right type of mood" by Herbie which was processed by the vocoder available in the download section:

output.wav (48.6 KB) processed sample formant.wav (48.6 KB) original sample carrier.wav (33.9 KB) carrier sample (see below)

Background
To put it simple: whenever you speak, your voice consists of two components. The first component is your basic voice type, produced by your vocal chords. It varies in pitch but remains nearly constant in type and is quite unique. That's why you can distinguish between persons when you hear their voices. The second component is how you modulate the basic voice. Modulation means that you dynamically amplify and attenuate frequencies. This is done by the mouth and tongue when you speak. Example: Say a long "ohh". To accomplish this task, you nearly close your mouth. Next, say a long "ahh". This time, you opened your mouth. Your vocal chords produced the same sound for both, ohh and ahh but the modulation made it sound different. The modulation signal is called formant, because it forms and shapes the basic voice, which is called carrier due to the fact that it carries the formant signal. The formant signal carries the information and has a much lower frequency than the carrier, a circumstance that can be used to reduce bandwidth consuption for telephone services. This was also the original intention of a vocder.

What does a vocoder do?

A vocoder aims to replace the carrier of your voice with another carrier from another source. Thus, it changes the sound of the voice but not the message when you speak. It takes formant and carrier from external sources and splits them up in bands (a band is a region of frequencies, same thing an equalizer does). Then, the envelope (the modulation) is extraced from each formant band. This part is done by an envelope follower, an extreme low pass filter. Next, formant bands are modulated onto the carrier bands and the resulting bands are mixed together to the output signal.

The benefit of doing this is, you can make the carrier speak or sing. As a side effect, the formant's voice type is absolutely irrelevant to the output so everybody (even those with an ugly voice) can create cool and futuristic samples :-)

You usually use a human voice as the formant and an instrument as the carrier. It makes the instrument speak. Good results can be achived with strings, brasses, flutes or any other sound with nearly constant dynamic. Even chords may be used to give the result more depth. Input sources each may be file or soundcard (if supported) as for the output. If you use a soundcard as a source, please note: input is sampled in stereo but internally processed as two mono channels. One channel is considered to be the formant, the other the carrier. If your soundcard is duplex aware, you may even use it as source and destination at the same time. You can talk into the microphone and hear yourself. Unfortunally, soundcards have a high latency and thus, the result has a noticeable delay :-( Each band can be modified in various ways. Volume and panning are two of them that are already implemented.

A vocoder is an audio processor that captures the characteristic elements of an an audio signal and then uses this characteristic signal to affect other audio signals. The technology behind the vocoder effect was initially used in attempts to synthesize speech. The effect called vocoding can be recognized on records as a "talking synthesizer", made popular by artists such as Stevie Wonder. The basic component extracted during the vocoder analysis is called the formant. The formant describes the fundamental frequency of a sound and its associated noise components. The vocoder works like this: The input signal (your voice saying "Hello, my name is Fred") is fed into the vocoder's input. This audio signal is sent through a series of parallel signal filters that create a signature of the input signal, based on the frequency content and level of the frequency components. The signal to be processed (a synthesized string sound, for example) is fed into another input on the vocoder. The filter signature created above during the analysis of your voice is used to filter the synthesized sound. The audio output of the vocoder contains the synthesized sound modulated by the filter created by your voice. You hear a synthesized sound that pulses to the tempo of your voice input with the tonal characteristics of your voice added to it.