This post is a hands-on guide to completing Cardamom HybX annotation tasks correctly, based on real examples and frequent QA feedback.
It does not replace the official guidelines, but helps you understand what to annotate, where, and why, avoiding common rejection reasons.
🎯 Task Objective
Each task requires two complementary actions:
- Compare Reference vs Annotation audio
- Voice Characteristics
- Speaking Style
- Add inline tags for local events
- Details of Speech Delivery
- Annotation audio only
✅ Audio Validation: when audio is VALID or INVALID
VALID audio (most cases)
Audio is VALID if:
- Only one main speaker is present
- The speaker reads, narrates, or acts characters
- The speaker changes voice to impersonate someone
- There are background noises or brief interjections
- The transcript has small mismatches (1–2 words or a sentence at start/end)
⚠️ Invalid tasks are exceptions, not the rule.
INVALID audio (rare cases)
Audio is INVALID only if:
- There is a fluid conversation between two or more people
- The transcript is a 100% mismatch with the audio
If in doubt → do NOT invalidate.
🎙️ Voice Characteristics (Voice Variation)
What this field is about
Voice Characteristics describe how the voice sounds physically, compared to the reference.
Ask yourself:
Does the voice itself sound different?
Examples of valid dimensions:
- Timbre (metallic, rough, soft, nasal, warm)
- Pitch (higher / lower)
- Stability (trembling, uneven)
- Articulation (more precise / more blurred)
- Emission or resonance
When to select “There is variation”
If the sound of the voice changes, even slightly:
- More metallic → more natural
- More compressed → more open
- More rough → smoother
When to select “No difference”
If the voice is the same and only style or interpretation changes.
⚠️ Do not describe:
- Acting style
- Emotion
- Rhythm
- Expressiveness
Those go elsewhere.
🎤 Speaking Style
What this field is about
Speaking Style describes how the message is delivered, not how the voice sounds.
Ask yourself:
How is the speaker performing or delivering the speech?
Valid aspects:
- Theatrical vs natural
- Formal vs casual
- Confident vs insecure
- Controlled vs expressive
- Narrative, dramatic, conversational
Key rules
- Always write comparatively
- Use complete sentences
- Avoid the word “tone” (very common rejection reason)
- 20–50 words is the safe range
✔ Correct:
The delivery feels more theatrical and expressive, with a less spontaneous and more constructed performance that increases dramatic emphasis.
❌ Incorrect:
The tone is more dramatic. (→ rejected)
🏷️ Details of Speech Delivery (Inline Tags)
What tags are for
Tags describe local, noticeable events in the Annotation audio only.
Examples:
- Emphasis on a word
- Deliberate pause
- Hesitation
- Sighs
- Syllable-by-syllable pronunciation
- Chanting / sing-song delivery
How to place tags
- Insert tags only in the space between words
- Place the tag immediately before the event
- Never tag words or punctuation
- Never quote the transcript text
Common tag examples (safe)
- enfasi marcata su una parola
- pausa deliberata
- esitazione marcata
- sospiro udibile durante l’emissione
- frase pronunciata con sospiro continuo
- scansione sillabica per enfasi
- intonazione cantilenante su una parola
✔ Example:
… ma se ride anche 🏷️ enfasi marcata sul soggetto lei!
🚫 Common Mistakes That Cause Rejection
- Mixing Voice Characteristics and Speaking Style
- Using the word “tone” in Speaking Style
- Writing very short descriptions
- Using bullet points instead of sentences
- Mentioning the reference or annotation audio explicitly
- Describing audio quality or recording issues
- Guessing age, gender, identity, or accent
- Forgetting to add at least one tag
🧠 Mental Checklist Before Submitting
- Did I describe voice sound only in Voice Characteristics?
- Did I describe delivery and performance only in Speaking Style?
- Did I add at least one inline tag?
- Are my descriptions comparative, clear, and 20–50 words long?
- Did I avoid forbidden words?
If yes → you’re good to submit ✅
TL;DR
- Voice Characteristics = how the voice sounds
- Speaking Style = how the speech is delivered
- Tags = local events in the annotation audio
- Invalid tasks are rare
- When unsure → annotate, don’t invalidate
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