Modeling Temporal Effects of Spectral Loudness Summation

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that spectral loudness summation depends on duration. Modifications of a current loudness model were investigated with respect to their ability to predict this effect. The original version of the model could not simulate the duration dependence of spectral loudness summation. To reconcile the model with the loudness data, three different mechanisms accentuating temporal onsets of sounds were tested: (i) adaptive compression, (ii) adaptive auditory filters and (iii) bandwidth-dependent integration. A comparison between simulations and experimental data indicated that, in principle, all mechanisms lead to increased spectral loudness summation for short noise bursts, but bandwidth-dependent integration may be the most realistic approach. Such a modified model also predicts the spectral loudness summation of repeated noise bursts as a function of repetition rate.