Auditory Perception Flashcards
(18 cards)
What are the two definitions of sound?
Physical definition: sound is pressure changes in the air
Perceptual definition: sound is the experience we have when we hear
What is a pure tone?
When the change in air pressure occurs in a sine wave, we call it a pure tone.
What is amplitude?
The height of the soundwave. A greater amplitude will produce a louder sound.
Explain complex tones
Sounds where the wave changes shape over its duration.
The smallest frequency is known as the fundamental frequency.
How is pitch determined in a pure tone vs a complex tone?
Pure tone: determined by frequency
Complex tone: determined by fundamental frequency
What two attributes make up pitch?
Tone height and chroma
What is chroma?
Notes that are of the same type, just at a different octave sound similar.
What is timbre?
Two instruments have different timbres as they don’t sound the same when you play the same note.
What is the difference between periodic vs aperiodic sounds?
Periodic: repeating wave forms
Aperiodic: non-repeating wave forms
What is auditory localisation and what cues is based on?
Auditory localisation is being able to distinguish where a sound came from.
Based on binaural and monaural cues.
What is interaural time difference?
When a sound reaches one ear before the other. Much more common with high frequency sounds.
What is the cone of confusion?
Different points on this “cone” that are exactly the same distance from both ears will have the same interaural time difference.
What is the monaural cue for elevation (think about ear anatomy)
Sound will bounce off different parts of the outer ear before entering the ear canal.
What is the precedence effect?
If you hear the same sound twice within 5-20ms, the second sound will not be registered, so there’s no echo. Any longer, and you will hear an echo.
What is reverberation time?
The time it takes for sound to decrease by 60 dB.
What is intimacy time?
The time between when the direct sound arrives and the first indirect sound arrives.
What is spaciousness factor?
The ratio of indirect sound to total sound. You want to aim for a high spaciousness factor.
What are the five cues that people use to separate sound sources?
Location
Onset time
Timbre and pitch
Auditory Continuity
Experience
