Psychoacoustic Research Research Articles

Psychoacoustic model for detecting the sensation of impulsivity in acoustic signals from refrigerators

This study investigates the perception of impulsivity in audio signals specifically caused by thermal expansion (cracking noise) in domestic refrigerators. It employs a multifaceted approach encompassing an analysis of sensitivity to impulsive events, an assessment of the prominence of impulse signals, and a correlation analysis of these data. The investigation revealed different responses to various sound samples, highlighting subjective variations. Using linear regression, correlation analysis demonstrated a robust and positive relationship (Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.851) between perceived impulsivity and the Impulsivity Prediction Model (IPM). This alignment underscores the reliability of the developed IPM in capturing and predicting subjective perceptions of low-amplitude transient signals. Comparisons between groups of participants, conducted using both Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and t-tests, explored potential disparities related to gender, age, and acoustic knowledge. The results indicated no statistically significant differences in the perception of impulsivity concerning gender, age groups, or acoustic knowledge. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the perceptual aspects of impulsivity in audio signals from home refrigerators, specifically addressing thermal expansion noises, and establishes the reliability of the Impulsivity Prediction Model (IPM) as a tool for objective assessment. The congruence between subjective judgments and objective metrics enhances the applicability of IPM in diverse fields, from acoustic engineering to psychoacoustic research.

USING OPEN SOURCE NEURAL NETWORKS FOR NOISE CLASSIFICATION IN PRODUCTION AS NOVICE TO MACHINE LEARNING: SETTING FOOT IN THE WORLD OF MACHINE LEARNING AS COMPANY WITHOUT PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

An overwhelming amount of data processing is being taken over by machine learning. These algorithms are either open source academic works or closed off proprietary products. Especially the field of noise classification for noise monitoring is of great interest to both profit oriented noise management industry and academic psycho-acoustic research. In order to soften up this dichotomy of "open" and "closed", it shall be investigated how well a company without any prior machine learning knowledge can set foot in the world of machine learning using only open access methods to create a usable product. To combine the spirits of corporate interest and open source, this paper aims to provide the findings of audio and acoustics measurement company NTi-Audio AG on the quest for a universal noise classification system for their noise monitoring solutions. The road taken shows how an open source pre-trained convolutional neural network can be combined with post-processing to achieve noise classification all around the world, while also showing the dead-ends developers without any training in machine learning run into.

Sound field synthesis for psychoacoustic research: In situ evaluation of auralized sound pressure levela).

The use of virtual acoustic environments has become a key element in psychoacoustic and audiologic research, as loudspeaker-based reproduction offers many advantages over headphones. However, sound field synthesis methods have mostly been evaluated numerically or perceptually in the center, yielding little insight into the achievable accuracy of the reproduced sound field over a wider reproduction area with loudspeakers in a physical, laboratory-standard reproduction setup. Deviations from the ideal free-field and point-source concepts, such as non-ideal frequency response, non-omnidirectional directivity, acoustic reflections, and diffraction on the necessary hardware, impact the generated sound field. We evaluate reproduction accuracy in a 61-loudspeaker setup, the Simulated Open Field Environment, installed in an anechoic chamber. A first measurement following the ISO 8253-2:2009 standard for free-field audiology shows that the required accuracy is reached with critical-band-wide noise. A second measurement characterizes the sound pressure reproduced with the higher-order Ambisonics basic decoder, with and without max rE weighting, vector base amplitude panning, and nearest loudspeaker mapping on a 187 cm × 187 cm reproduction area. We show that the sweet-spot size observed in measured sound fields follows the rule kr≤N/2 rather than kr≤N but is still large enough to avoid compromising psychoacoustic experiments.

Suitability of standardized single-number ratings of impact sound insulation for wooden floors – Psychoacoustic experiment

Wooden floors usually have worse impact sound insulation (ISI) at low frequencies than concrete floors having the same rating level. Rating level is usually expressed by single-number quantities (SNQs), such as weighted normalized impact sound pressure level Ln,w. Psychoacoustic research among wooden floors is very limited although a controlled laboratory experiment is the strongest method to point out the most adequate SNQs to be declared for the floors. The purpose of our study was to determine how four standardized SNQs of ISO 717-2, Ln,w, Ln,w + CI, Ln,w + CI,50, and LiA,Fmax,V,T, and a recently proposed SNQ, Ln,w + CI,25, are associated with the annoyance of natural impact sounds transmitted through wooden floors. Fifteen floors were built in the laboratory based either on cross-laminated timber (heavy) or open box wood (light) slabs. Different coverings and suspended ceilings were applied on these slabs. The ISI was tested within 25–3150 Hz using both tapping machine and rubber ball. Thereafter, five natural impact sounds were recorded for each floor: rubber ball drops, steel ball drops, walking, jumping, and chair pushing. Fifty-two people rated the annoyance of these 75 recorded natural impact sounds in psychophysics laboratory. Annoyance was best associated with Ln,w for all the five impact sound types. That is, measurement of ISI within 100–3150 Hz is sufficient from subjective point of view. All four SNQs based on tapping machine explained annoyance better than the SNQ based on rubber ball. Our results can significantly guide the future research, development, and regulations of wooden floors.

Web-based psychoacoustics of binaural hearing: Two validation experiments.

Web-based testing is an appealing option for expanding psychoacoustics research outside laboratory environments due to its simple logistics. For example, research participants partake in listening tasks using their own computer and audio hardware and can participate in a comfortable environment of their choice at their own pace. However, it is unknown how deviations from conventional in-lab testing affect data quality, particularly in binaural hearing tasks that traditionally require highly precise audio presentation. Here, we used an online platform to replicate two published in-lab experiments: lateralization to interaural time and level differences (ITD and ILD, experiment I) and dichotic and contralateral unmasking of speech (experiment II) in normal-hearing (NH) young adults. Lateralization data collected online were strikingly similar to in-lab results. Likewise, the amount of unmasking measured online and in-lab differed by less than 1 dB, although online participants demonstrated higher speech reception thresholds overall than those tested in-lab by up to ∼7 dB. Results from online participants who completed a hearing screening versus those who self-reported NH did not differ significantly. We conclude that web-based psychoacoustics testing is a viable option for assessing binaural hearing abilities among young NH adults and discuss important considerations for online study design.

Test-retest Reliability of Various Psychoacoustic Tests in Psycon Application

Background and Aim: Psychoacoustics includes studying the perceived effects of changes in sound intensity, temporal, and frequency aspects that are critical for speech perception. Psycon is one such software used in studies to assess psychoacoustic abilities. Psycon has the potential for wide clinical applications in psychoacoustic research and relies on Auditory syntaX (AUX), a program designed specifically to handle auditory signals. The current study aimed to determine the test-retest reliability of the Psycon application for differential sensitivity measures of frequency, intensity, duration and silence. Methods: The study included 39 participants with normal hearing sensitivity. Psychoacoustic measures, namely, gap detection threshold, duration discrimination threshold, difference limen of intensity, and difference limen of frequency, were used to assess test-retest reliability. The test-retest reliability of all measures was checked in two separate sessions within one day. Results: The reliability of each measure was measured using Cronbach’s alpha. Test-retest reliability of various psychoacoustic tests measured with Psycon ranges from good to excellent. difference limen of frequency had the highest reliability, followed by duration discrimination thresholds, difference limen of intensity, and gap detection thresholds. Conclusion: Psycon appears to be a reliable tool for assessing different psychoacoustic abilities. Keywords: Psycon; psychoacoustics; reliability; difference limen; perception

On the notional impact of background noise on the human response to UAVs

Proponents of UAV-based industries would like to think that their aircraft will be incapable of causing annoyance (among other negative responses) in the communities that they serve due to the noise of their vehicles simply not being heard over the existing soundscape. No measures of noise that are in wide use today for aviation take background sound into consideration and, thus, would not predict this outcome. This work is an attempt to bridge this gap by looking at past results from psychoacoustic research in which background sounds appear to play a significant role (not just for aviation sources). It includes information on the problem of human auditory detection in general—what is the transductive mechanism of the ear, how does one quantify detectability, etc., and it attempts to make the connection between detectability and annoyance. A notional schematic version of how measures/predictions of these two aspects may be incorporated into a single assessment of noise is given. Overall, detectability is shown to be very complex to predict relative to conventional noise metrics that are used to correlate with human response. Given this, the outlook for the use of measures of detectability in scientific, industrial, and regulatory applications is discussed.

"GENTLE DEEP SUBLIME ROUGH AZURE": ONOMATOPOEIA OF ONE NAME

The purpose of the proposed article is, by restoring the original meaning of onomatopoeia as the skill of giving names and based on modern research in psychoacoustics and phonosemantics, to reveal the influence of the sound of one's name on the character of its bearer, and once again raise the issue of the consequences of transposing anthroponyms to another language. The object is the proper name of the famous Ukrainian linguist Dmytro Semenovych Ishchenko (in Russian, "Dmytry Semionovych Ishchenko"). The subject of the study is the etymological, psychoacoustic features of the name in the Ukrainian and Russian versions in correlation with the linguistic reflection of its bearer and the objective features of the linguistic personality. The main result of the study is the identification the opposite synesthetic characteristics in the Ukrainian version of the anthroponym such as gentleness – roughness, depth – sublimity, energy – lethargy and others, which are not preserved when the name is transposed into the Russian language. The relevance of the problem is determined by the modern anthropocentric paradigm of science, the need for a holistic understanding of personal names from the point of view of ethno-, psycho-, socio-, cognitive linguistics and other aspects of the theory of linguistic existence of the individual, as well as the need to develop practical recommendations for transposing proper names to another language. Conclusions: The personal name that is given to a child and that a person hears during his or her life, with its sound and perceived etymology, affects the character of the linguistic personality, and therefore, in the absence of significant phonemic differences between languages, it should be transmitted using transliteration.

Just noticeable differences in sound intensity of piano tones in non-musicians and experienced pianists

Changes in sound intensity are important components of piano performance. Previous research in this area has largely focused on perception of changes in pitch and timing, with little investigation of sound intensity. The present study used Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) technology to algorithmically control the key velocity, and thereby sound intensity, of consecutive piano tones. Non-musicians ( n = 20) and experienced pianists ( n = 30) played pairs of consecutive piano tones with 0–15 arbitrary units (a.u.) of change in key velocity, indicating whether they perceived the first, second, or neither tone as louder. All participants completed the test with C4, and a subset ( n = 24) with pitches C2 and C6 also. The mean just noticeable difference (JND) ranged from 2.71 to 4.48 a.u., corresponding to 0.68–1.22 dBC on the Yamaha Disklavier used to produce the stimuli. Experienced pianists demonstrated lower JND, which the authors theorize may be linked to listener motivation. When two tones were played with the same key velocity, participants tended to perceive the first tone as louder. The authors discuss a number of factors that may be relevant considerations for application of the findings in music and psychoacoustics research. These findings hold insight for music performance researchers, psychoacoustics researchers, and pedagogues.

Self-conducted speech audiometry using automatic speech recognition: Simulation results for listeners with hearing loss

Speech-in-noise tests are an important tool for assessing hearing impairment, the successful fitting of hearing aids, as well as for research in psychoacoustics. An important drawback of many speech-based tests is the requirement of an expert to be present during the measurement, in order to assess the listener’s performance. This drawback may be largely overcome through the use of automatic speech recognition (ASR), which utilizes automatic response logging. However, such an unsupervised system may reduce the accuracy due to the introduction of potential errors. In this study, two different ASR systems are compared for automated testing: A system with a feed-forward deep neural network (DNN) from a previous study (Ooster et al., 2018), as well as a state-of-the-art system utilizing a time-delay neural network (TDNN). The dynamic measurement procedure of the speech intelligibility test was simulated considering the subjects’ hearing loss and selecting from real recordings of test participants. The ASR systems’ performance is investigated based on responses of 73 listeners, ranging from normal-hearing to severely hearing-impaired as well as read speech from cochlear implant listeners. The feed-forward DNN produced accurate testing results for NH and unaided HI listeners but a decreased measurement accuracy was found in the simulation of the adaptive measurement procedure when considering aided severely HI listeners, recorded in noisy environments with a loudspeaker setup. The TDNN system produces error rates of 0.6% and 3.0% for deletion and insertion errors, respectively. We estimate that the SRT deviation with this system is below 1.38 dB for 95% of the users. This result indicates that a robust unsupervised conduction of the matrix sentence test is possible with a similar accuracy as with a human supervisor even when considering noisy conditions and altered or disordered speech from elderly severely HI listeners and listeners with a CI.

Cybernetics, Listening, and Sound-Studio Phenomenotechnique in Abraham Moles’s Théorie de l’information et perception esthétique (1958)

In his Théorie de l’information et perception esthétique (1958), the sociologist of culture Abraham Moles (1920–92) set out to demonstrate the applicability of information theory—a mathematical linchpin of cybernetics—to the arts more generally. Moles drew on classical psychophysics, Gestalt psychology, more modern behavioral psychology, and contemporary psychoacoustic research to advocate a cybernetic model of the perception and creation of art. Moles repeatedly returned to musical examples therein to make his case, leveraging his dual expertise in philosophy and electroacoustics, drawing on formative experiences with Pierre Schaeffer in Paris and Hermann Scherchen at his Gravesano studio. Moles’s interdisciplinary text found many attentive readers across Europe and, following an English translation by the precocious Joel E. Cohen (1966), the Anglophone academic world, but it was valued more as an inspiration for the burgeoning area of “information aesthetics” than as a source of hard scientific evidence. Drawing lightly on positions in the history and philosophy of science articulated by Gaston Bachelard (who supervised Moles’s second PhD, in philosophy) and Hans-Jörg Rheinberger suggests a change of emphasis away from its apparent scientific infelicities and toward Moles’s use of sound-studio technique, which is described with reference to the technologies available to Moles in the years leading up to the publication of the Théorie. Moles manipulated and processed sound recordings—filtering, clipping, and reversing them—in his attempts to empirically estimate the relative proportions of semantic and aesthetic information in speech and music. Moles’s text, when understood in tandem with the traces of his practical experiments in the sound studio, appears as an influential and occasionally prescient exposition of the many possible applications of the principles of information theory to the production, perception, and consumption of sound culture that makes ready use of the latest technical innovations in the media environment of its time.

Los implantes cocleares en América latina

Los implantes cocleares en América latina

Analysis of Neural Interface When Using Modiolar Electrode Stimulation. Radiological Evaluation, Trans-Impedance Matrix Analysis and Effect on Listening Effort in Cochlear Implantation.

Background: The proximity of the electrode to the modiolar wall may be of interest to investigate the effect of pitch discrimination. This research establishes the relation between these factors and whether perimodiolar positions may provide benefits regarding improved electrode discrimination. Methods: A prospective randomized study including 24 post-lingual deaf adults was performed. A psychoacoustic study was done by using a psychoacoustic research platform. Radiological study, and a cone-beam computed tomography was used to assess post cochlear implantation electrodes’ position. Trans-impedance matrix (TIM) analysis was performed after cochlear implant insertion in all cases, and pupillometry test was also performed. Results: 12 patients received a slim perimodiolar electrode array, and 12 patients received a straight electrode array. Although all the patients showed similar speech test results after 12 months follow-up, those implanted with a perimodiolar electrode obtained better scores in electrode discrimination test and pupillometry test, and showed more homogenous TIM patterns. Conclusions: The better positioning of the electrode array seams to provide a better hearing resolution and less listening effort trans-impedance matrix seems to be a useful tool to analyze positioning of the perimodiolar array.

Relational analysis in soundscape preservation

Given the musical origins of soundscape studies, soundscape preservation might suggest the need to protect specific features-such as prominent soundmarks or long-standing natural sounds-to maintain a sonic environment's composition. However, the identification of a soundscape primarily by its discrete elements misses the importance of relational longevity. A relational lens of identification can distinguish a soundscape's effects on visitors rather than simply the presence of specific components, placing human perception candidly at the center of consideration. For instance, an urban courtyard might no longer echo with hand-drawn carts from the street, yet visitors continue to experience a distanced connection with evolving traffic sounds - here the sonic-spatial relationship persists rather than sonic elements being frozen in time. This paper will discuss longevity in the relationships connecting use, architectural space, and sonic character. The discussion draws from architectural analysis, soundwalking, and psychoacoustic research in exploring soundscape preservation within the orbit of heritage conservation more broadly. Case studies focus on a variety of historic contexts, including a military installation, medieval church, and factory landscape, highlighting the limitations of a compositional soundscape reading, the fundamental role of transit through a soundscape for visitors, and the potentials for relational analysis in soundscape preservation efforts.

Contextual effects on loudness judgments for sounds with continuous changes of intensity are reflected in nonauditory areas.

Psychoacoustic research suggests that judgments of perceived loudness change differ significantly between sounds with continuous increases and decreases of acoustic intensity, often referred to as “up‐ramps” and “down‐ramps.” The magnitude and direction of this difference, in turn, appears to depend on focused attention and the specific task performed by the listeners. This has led to the suspicion that cognitive processes play an important role in the development of the observed context effects. The present study addressed this issue by exploring neural correlates of context‐dependent loudness judgments. Normal hearing listeners continuously judged the loudness of complex‐tone sequences which slowly changed in level over time while auditory fMRI was performed. Regression models that included information either about presented sound levels or about individual loudness judgments were used to predict activation throughout the brain. Our psychoacoustical data confirmed robust effects of the direction of intensity change on loudness judgments. Specifically, stimuli were judged softer when following a down‐ramp, and louder in the context of an up‐ramp. Levels and loudness estimates significantly predicted activation in several brain areas, including auditory cortex. However, only activation in nonauditory regions was more accurately predicted by context‐dependent loudness estimates as compared with sound levels, particularly in the orbitofrontal cortex and medial temporal areas. These findings support the idea that cognitive aspects contribute to the generation of context effects with respect to continuous loudness judgments.

Interactive real-time auralization of airborne sound insulation in buildings

Sound insulation auralization can be used as valuable tool to study the perceptual aspects of sound transmission in built environments for assessment of noise effects on people. It may help to further develop guidelines for building constructions. One advanced goal of real-time sound insulation auralization is to appropriately reproduce the condition of noise effects on the human perception and cognitive performance in dynamic and interactive situations. These effects depend on the kind of noise signal (i.e. speech, music, traffic noise, etc.) and on the context. This paper introduces a sound insulation auralization model. The sound insulation filters are constructed for virtual buildings with respect to complex sound propagation effects for indoor and outdoor sound sources. The approach considers the source room sound field with direct and diffuse components along with source directivity and position. The transfer functions are subdivided into patches from the source room to the receiver room, which also covers composite building elements, thus providing more detail to the actual building situations. Furthermore, the receiving room acoustics includes the reverberation of the room based on its mean free path, absorption and binaural transfer functions between its radiating walls elements and the listener. This more exact approach of sound insulation model agrees reasonably well with the ISO standard (i.e. diffuse field theory) under standard settings. It is also shown that the sound field significantly influences the transmitted energies via building elements depending on the directivity and position of the source. The proposed method is validated as a general scheme and includes more details for real-time auralization in specific situations especially in the cases where the simplified diffuse sound field approach fails. It is capable to be used in interactive Virtual Reality (VR) systems, which opens new opportunities for psychoacoustics research in noise effects on human.

Processing of tonal sequences and assessing user perception of audio products

This talk will highlight how lessons learned from Bill Yost during my time at the Parmly Hearing Institute influenced both my past academic research and more recent efforts in commercial product development. Two primary subject areas will be points of focus, (1) discussion of my psychoacoustic research on the processing of tonal sequences, and (2) application of academic research methods to business concerns. The psychoacoustic study of tonal sequences evaluated involvement of musical training and working memory in the processing of tonal sequences defined by both pitch contour and sequence rhythm. To evaluate involvement of musical training in task performance, subjects were recruited from both music and audio-arts academic programs. Subjects reconstructed four-element tonal sequences by focusing on pitch only, rhythm only, or on both pitch and rhythm. Findings suggested that rhythm reconstruction was generally more difficult than pitch reconstruction, with effect of musical training primarily on processing sequences defined by pitch and effect of working memory on rhythmic sequences. Additionally, an overview of product development research will be presented, focusing on the assessment of end-user perception and understanding of audio products. The process, core challenges, and strengths and limitations of product development research will be examined.

Virtual acoustic environments for perception research

Human sound perception includes the ability to process auditory information from dynamic acoustic situations, which is an essential component for communication and orientation in everyday life. In contrast, standard psychoacoustic experiments don't include real-life situations.They include rather simple acoustic stimuli with nominally high reproducibility but low significance for situations in real life. The gap in research on auditory perception between the laboratory and real life can be closed now. Virtual Reality technology is a very powerful tool which connects real-time computer simulation with 3D devices for auditory-visual impressions. Virtual acoustics can incorporate any situational context and scene conditions with sources and sound propagation features in given environments. In consequence, ground-breaking research in auditory perception can be expected with higher degree of realism and with still high reproducibility. The presentation will highlight guidelines for creation of Virtual Acoustic Environments and examples for application in noise assessment, psychoacoustic research, and hearing diagnosis and rehabilitation.

The impact of temporal fine structure and signal envelope on auditory motion perception.

The majority of psychoacoustic research investigating sound localization has utilized stationary sources, yet most naturally occurring sounds are in motion, either because the sound source itself moves, or the listener does. In normal hearing (NH) listeners, previous research showed the extent to which sound duration and velocity impact the ability of listeners to detect sound movement. By contrast, little is known about how listeners with hearing impairments perceive moving sounds; the only study to date comparing the performance of NH and bilateral cochlear implant (BiCI) listeners has demonstrated significantly poorer performance on motion detection tasks in BiCI listeners. Cochlear implants, auditory protheses offered to profoundly deaf individuals for access to spoken language, retain the signal envelope (ENV), while discarding temporal fine structure (TFS) of the original acoustic input. As a result, BiCI users do not have access to low-frequency TFS cues, which have previously been shown to be crucial for sound localization in NH listeners. Instead, BiCI listeners seem to rely on ENV cues for sound localization, especially level cues. Given that NH and BiCI listeners differentially utilize ENV and TFS information, the present study aimed to investigate the usefulness of these cues for auditory motion perception. We created acoustic chimaera stimuli, which allowed us to test the relative contributions of ENV and TFS to auditory motion perception. Stimuli were either moving or stationary, presented to NH listeners in free field. The task was to track the perceived sound location. We found that removing low-frequency TFS reduces sensitivity to sound motion, and fluctuating speech envelopes strongly biased the judgment of sounds to be stationary. Our findings yield a possible explanation as to why BiCI users struggle to identify sound motion, and provide a first account of cues important to the functional aspect of auditory motion perception.

Dynamic Spatial Responsiveness in Concert Halls

In musical perception, a proportion of the reflected sound energy arriving at the ear is not consciously perceived. Investigations by Wettschurek in the 1970s showed the detectability to be dependent on the overall loudness and direction of arrival of reflected sound. The relationship Wettschurek found between reflection detectability, listening level, and direction of arrival correlates well with the subjective progression of spatial response during a musical crescendo: from frontal at pianissimo, through increasing apparent source width, to a fully present room acoustic at forte. “Dynamic spatial responsiveness” was mentioned in some of the earliest psychoacoustics research and recent work indicates that it is a key factor in acoustical preference. This article describes measurements of perception thresholds made using a binaural virtual acoustics system—these show good agreement with Wettschurek’s results. The perception measurements indicate that the subjective effect of reflections varies with overall listening level, even when the reflection level, delay, and direction relative to the direct sound are maintained. Reflections which are perceptually fused with the source may at louder overall listening levels become allocated to the room presence. An algorithm has been developed to visualize dynamic spatial responsiveness—i.e., which aspects of a three-dimensional (3D) Room Impulse Response would be detectable at different dynamic levels—and has been applied to measured concert hall impulse responses.