Evaluation of complex stimuli and resulting distortion product spectrum in auditory distortion product synthesis

Abstract

Auditory distortion products are frequency components produced within the listener’s ears upon the presentation of simultaneously sounding stimulus tones. Under certain conditions the listener can perceive distortion products as additional frequencies not present in the acoustic space, and the tones appear to be localized within the head. Musicians have been aware of this phenomenon of “combination tones” since the 18th century, but advancements in technology allow for new possibilities in music synthesis. On the Sensations of Tone is a series of compositions featuring a separate stream of musical material generated as auditory distortion products. The pieces are built using The Ear Tone Toolbox, a collection of open-source instruments for producing combination tones. While a single pair of stimulus frequencies typically elicits a small number of perceivable distortion products, the author puts forth a technique for evoking a spectrum of distortion products using a greater number of frequencies. The technique is informed by a mathematical model and is the basis of the next version of The Ear Tone Toolbox. This talk will provide an overview of the updated software, model, and compositions in the series.