---
license: cc-by-4.0
pretty_name: Designed Vocalizations Dataset
language:
- en
task_categories:
- audio-to-audio
tags:
- voice-conversion
- sound-design
- vocalization
- speech
size_categories:
- 100K<n<1M
configs:
- config_name: raw
  data_files:
  - split: train
    path: data/raw/train-*.parquet
  - split: test
    path: data/raw/test-*.parquet
- config_name: designed
  data_files:
  - split: train
    path: data/designed/train-*.parquet
  - split: test
    path: data/designed/test-*.parquet
---

# Designed Vocalizations Dataset

**[Demo & audio samples](https://ncai-official.github.io/speech/publications/designed-vocalizations-dataset/index.html)**

The **Designed Vocalizations Dataset** supports voice conversion for *designed* vocalizations
— monster growls, robotic voices, and other sound-designed timbres — an area left
underexplored by benchmarks that focus on natural human speech. It curates diverse raw vocal
sources (speech and animal / non-linguistic sounds) and applies professional vocal-effects
processing to produce corresponding effect-modified variants. A standardized test set with
explicit seen/unseen splits over source-timbre groups and preset styles enables generalization
evaluation under controlled conditions.

## Dataset structure

Two configs — `raw` (source recordings) and `designed` (effect-processed clips) — each with a
`train` and `test` split. One row per clip; the `audio` column holds the clip (44.1 kHz ·
16-bit mono WAV, embedded).

- **`raw`** — source recordings
  - `train` — 5,654 training sources (linguistic 3,270 · non-linguistic 2,384)
  - `test` — 120 evaluation sources (seen-source 60 · unseen-source 60)
- **`designed`** — effect-processed clips
  - `train` — 226,160 clips (40 training presets)
  - `test` — 5,640 references, one per test source × preset (47 presets: seen 40 · unseen 7)

Train is **non-parallel**. `seen-source` = timbre groups present in training; `seen-preset` =
presets also used in training. Overall: 237,574 clips.

Repo layout:

```
data/
    raw/        train-*.parquet, test-*.parquet
    designed/   train-*.parquet, test-*.parquet
metadata/
    preset_info.csv       # per preset: type, module chain
    preset_chains.json    # full DSP chain + parameters for in-house presets
    test_pairs.csv        # evaluation pairs + seen/unseen condition
assets/
README.md   LICENSE.md   NOTICE
```

## Usage

```python
from datasets import load_dataset

REPO = "NCSOFT/Designed-Vocalizations-Dataset"

# config = raw | designed, split = train | test
ds = load_dataset(REPO, "designed", split="test")   # 5,640 references

example = ds[0]
audio = example["audio"]            # {"array": np.ndarray, "sampling_rate": 44100, "path": str}
wav, sr = audio["array"], audio["sampling_rate"]
print(example["file_path"], example["preset"], example["source"])
```

Each example is one clip: `audio` decodes to a mono waveform (`array`) at 44.1 kHz, plus that
config's metadata columns (see [Columns](#columns)). The four combinations:

```python
load_dataset(REPO, "raw",      split="train")   # 5,654 training sources
load_dataset(REPO, "raw",      split="test")    # 120 evaluation inputs
load_dataset(REPO, "designed", split="train")   # 226,160 processed clips
load_dataset(REPO, "designed", split="test")    # 5,640 references
```

For a `designed` clip, `source` is the `file_path` of its originating/paired `raw` clip. See
[`example.py`](example.py) for the full workflows — **train** (non-parallel: raw + designed
pools) and **test** (parallel: source→reference pairs from `metadata/test_pairs.csv`).

## Columns

Columns are the same across a config's `train` and `test` splits. Every row has `audio` (the
clip) and `file_path` (original relative path, a stable identifier), plus:

### raw

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `origin` | `vctk`, `hifitts`, or `freesound` |
| `source_type` | Source category (e.g. `speech`, `animal`, `interjection`, `monster_mimic`) |
| `duration` | Clip length in seconds |
| `license` | `CC0 1.0`, `CC BY 3.0`, or `CC BY 4.0` (URLs in `NOTICE`) |
| `attribution_required` | `yes` if crediting the creator is required; `no` for CC0 |
| `freesound_title` / `freesound_uploader` / `freesound_url` / `freesound_tags` | Freesound provenance (empty for speech) |
| `seen_in_train` | `yes` if the timbre was seen in training (all `yes` in `train`; mixed in `test`) |

### designed

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `preset` | Preset applied (details in `preset_info.csv`) |
| `source` | The originating/paired source's `file_path` (in the `raw` config) |

Evaluation conditions are in `metadata/test_pairs.csv`: `seen_split` is `seen_to_seen`,
`seen_to_unseen`, `unseen_to_seen`, or `unseen_to_unseen` — first term = whether the source was
seen in training, second = whether the preset was.

## Preset metadata

Two lookup files under `metadata/`, keyed by `preset`.

### preset_info.csv
Preset characteristics, one row per preset.

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `preset` | Preset identifier (matches the `preset` column in the `designed` config) |
| `preset_type` | `in-house` (self-built) or `dehumaniser_builtin` (built on a Dehumaniser stock preset) |
| `seen_in_train` | `yes` if used in the train split, `no` if test-only (the 7 unseen presets: `preset_26`–`preset_30`, `preset_46`–`preset_47`) |
| `num_dsp_modules` | Total number of DSP module instances in the chain (an `xN` module counts as N) |
| `dsp_modules` | Readable module chain; `xN` denotes N instances of a module |

### preset_chains.json
Full, reproducible DSP chain and parameters for the **in-house** presets (17 of them).
Built-in Dehumaniser presets are not detailed here (only their effect list, in
`preset_info.dsp_modules`). Nested JSON keyed by preset name:

```
{
  "<preset>": {
    "summary": "[ Pitch Shifting 1 ∥ Ring Modulator ∥ (Granular → Pitch Shifting 2) ] → Reverb → EQ",
    "chain": [
      { "plugin": "Dehumaniser", "branches": [
          [ { "effect": "Pitch Shifting 1", "params": {...} } ],
          [ { "effect": "Ring Modulator", "params": {...} } ],
          [ { "effect": "Granular", "params": {...} },
            { "effect": "Pitch Shifting 2", "params": {...} } ]
      ] },
      { "effect": "Reverb", "params": {...} },
      { "effect": "EQ", "params": { "bands": [ {"freq": "1598Hz", "gain": "+8.3dB"} ] } }
    ]
  }
}
```

`chain` runs **in series** in list order. Each stage, and the `summary` field:

- `plugin` — a Dehumaniser stage: a container whose `branches` run **in parallel**, with the
  effects inside a branch running **in series**.
- `effect` — a single-effect stage: mostly Dehumaniser's internal modules (Pitch Shifting,
  Granular, Ring Modulator, …); in-house presets may also add Cubase stock effects (Compressor,
  EQ, Reverb, Limiter, Distortion).
- `params` — an effect's settings, usually name/value pairs; for EQ, a `bands` list of
  freq/gain pairs.
- `summary` — the chain on one line: `→` series, `∥` parallel, `[ … ]` a summed parallel block,
  `( … )` a serial sub-chain.

![Example effect chain](assets/preset_chain_example.svg)

*Visualization of the example preset shown above.*

## Licensing

The dataset is made available under **CC BY 4.0** (see `LICENSE.md`) for the dataset compilation
and the authors' original contributions, including metadata and original annotations. Designed
audio clips may incorporate or be adaptations of third-party source sounds and therefore remain
subject to the applicable source licenses identified per clip.

Those sources keep their original licenses — VCTK (CC BY 4.0), HiFi-TTS (CC BY 4.0), and
Freesound (CC0 / CC BY 3.0 / CC BY 4.0). Their attribution/notice requirements are in
**`NOTICE`**, with per-clip license, Freesound title, uploader, and source link carried as
columns in the `raw` config. These must be kept when redistributing.

## Citation

If you use this dataset, please cite:

> S. Lee, M. Kang, Y. Lee, W. Min, C. Lee, and N. Cho, "Designed Vocalizations Dataset:
> Sound-Designed Human and Animal Voices for Non-human Voice Conversion," in Proc. Interspeech
> 2026.

```bibtex
@inproceedings{lee2026designed,
  title     = {Designed Vocalizations Dataset: Sound-Designed Human and Animal Voices
               for Non-human Voice Conversion},
  author    = {Lee, Seolhee and Kang, Minsu and Lee, Yangsun and Min, Woosun and
               Lee, Choonghyeon and Cho, Namhyun},
  booktitle = {Proc. Interspeech 2026},
  year      = {2026}
}
```