Use of Cepstra in Acoustical Signal Analysis

Cepstral Analysis is an example of nonlinear filtering that has been applied to extracting the properties of transmission path and source characteristics in acoustics. To see why this is so, we review some of the properties of linear windowing in the time and frequency domains with a view to revealing the limitations that these methods have. We then describe the cepstrum and the conditions under which it can be helpful in separating source and path characteristics. The method is illustrated by describing some applications. Finally, research directions that may help to extend the applicability of cepstral analysis to structural vibration transmission are discussed.