Audibility thresholds for a pure tone in the presence of a pulse jam in the bottlenose dolphin

The effect of a pulse jam on the audibility of pure tones in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is investigated. The pulse jam consists of a sequence of pairs of identical short pulses with a pulse spacing of 50 µs in each pair and with a pair repetition rate of 300 s^?1. The test signal is represented by pure tones in the frequency range 20–100 kHz. The audibility thresholds for the test signals are measured at 10-kHz steps, both in the presence of the pulse jam and in its absence, on the basis of the conditioned-reflex method with food reinforcement. The resulting dependence of the threshold shifts (TS) due to the pulse jam on the frequency of the test signal has a complex form. This dependence can be separated into three components: (1) the oscillations of the TS curve that correlate with the extrema of the spectral density of the jam, so that the peaks and dips of the TS curve correspond to the maxima and minima of the spectral density, respectively; (2) the component monotonically decreasing as the frequency grows up to 80 kHz, which distinguishes the TS curve under consideration from the rising curve obtained for masking by random noise; and (3) the frequency-independent component of the TS curve. The following auditory features are associated with these components: component 1 determines the timbre of the pulse jam; component 2 is presumably related to the pitch corresponding to the frequency 1/τ; and component 3 exhibits a rather strong auditory feature of random noise due to the random neural activity caused by the pulse jam in the whole auditory filter band.     

Hearing thresholds of a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) for sweeps (1-2 kHz and 6-7 kHz bands) mimicking naval sonar signals

The distance at which active naval sonar signals can be heard by harbor porpoises depends, among other factors, on the hearing thresholds of the species for those signals. Therefore the hearing sensitivity of a harbor porpoise was determined for 1 s up-sweep and down-sweep signals, mimicking mid-frequency and low-frequency active sonar sweeps (MFAS, 6-7 kHz band; LFAS, 1-2 kHz band). The 1-2 kHz sweeps were also tested with harmonics, as sonars sometimes produce these as byproducts of the fundamental signal. The hearing thresholds for up-sweeps and down-sweeps within each sweep pair were similar. The 50% detection threshold sound pressure levels (broadband, averaged over the signal duration) of the 1-2 kHz and 6-7 kHz sweeps were 75 and 67 dB re 1 μPa(2), respectively. Harmonic deformation of the 1-2 kHz sweeps reduced the threshold to 59 dB re 1 μPa(2). This study shows that the presence of harmonics in sonar signals can increase the detectability of a signal by harbor porpoises, and that tonal audiograms may not accurately predict the audibility of sweeps. LFAS systems, when designed to produce signals without harmonics, can operate at higher source levels than MFAS systems, at similar audibility distances for porpoises.     

Near-threshold equal-loudness contours for harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) derived from reaction times during underwater audiometry: a preliminary study

Equal-loudness functions describe relationships between the frequencies of sounds and their perceived loudness. This pilot study investigated the possibility of deriving equal-loudness contours based on the assumption that sounds of equal perceived loudness elicit equal reaction times (RTs). During a psychoacoustic underwater hearing study, the responses of two young female harbor seals to tonal signals between 0.125 and 100 kHz were filmed. Frame-by-frame analysis was used to quantify RT (the time between the onset of the sound stimulus and the onset of movement of the seal away from the listening station). Near-threshold equal-latency contours, as surrogates for equal-loudness contours, were estimated from RT-level functions fitted to mean RT data. The closer the received sound pressure level was to the 50% detection hearing threshold, the more slowly the animals reacted to the signal (RT range: 188-982 ms). Equal-latency contours were calculated relative to the RTs shown by each seal at sound levels of 0, 10, and 20 dB above the detection threshold at 1 kHz. Fifty percent detection thresholds are obtained with well-trained subjects actively listening for faint familiar sounds. When calculating audibility ranges of sounds for harbor seals in nature, it may be appropriate to consider levels 20 dB above this threshold.     

The use of neural networks for the determination of the signal modulation frequency from the firing activity pattern in the auditory neurons of the frog

A two-layer backward propagation neural network was used for the determination of the modulation frequency of tonal signals from the firing patterns of single neurons located in the cochlear nuclei and the torus semicircularis of the grass frog (Rana t. temporaria). As an input of the neural network, a sum of several single responses of a neuron to an amplitude-modulated stimulus was used. The number of inputs corresponded to the number of the time readouts of the summarized response (usually 60), and the number of output elements corresponded to the number of modulation frequencies to be distinguished (from 3 to 15). In the case of a good synchronization of the input firing activity with the signal envelope, the classification was successful even if the training and classification were performed with the use of individual responses. An increase in the number of summed responses to 10–20 lead to a simplification of the training procedure. The results of the study were discussed in the context of the problem of the formation of periodicity detectors at the upper levels of the auditory pathway in vertebrates.     

The effect of narrow-band noise maskers on increment detection

It is often assumed that listeners detect an increment in the intensity of a pure tone by detecting an increase in the energy falling within the critical band centered on the signal frequency. A noise masker can be used to limit the use of signal energy falling outside of the critical band, but facets of the noise may impact increment detection beyond this intended purpose. The current study evaluated the impact of envelope fluctuation in a noise masker on thresholds for detection of an increment. Thresholds were obtained for detection of an increment in the intensity of a 0.25- or 4-kHz pedestal in quiet and in the presence of noise of varying bandwidth. Results indicate that thresholds for detection of an increment in the intensity of a pure tone increase with increasing bandwidth for an on-frequency noise masker, but are unchanged by an off-frequency noise masker. Neither a model that includes a modulation-filter-bank analysis of envelope modulation nor a model based on discrimination of spectral patterns can account for all aspects of the observed data.     

Incorporation of loudness measures in active noise control

An attempt has been made to use a modified version of a standard active noise control algorithm in order to take into account the unique response of the human auditory system. It has been shown in the past that decreasing the sound pressure level at a location does not guarantee a similar decrease in the perceived loudness at that location. Typically, active noise control is based on minimizing the "error signal" from a mechanical device such as a microphone, whose response is nominally flat across the frequency response range of the human ear. However, if the response of the ear can be approximated by digitally filtering the error signal before it reaches the adaptive controller, one can, in effect, minimize the more subjective loudness level, as opposed to the sound pressure level. The work reported here entails simulating active noise control based upon minimizing perceived loudness for a collection of input noise signals. A comparison of the loudness of the resulting error signal is made to the loudness of that resulting from standard sound pressure level minimization. It has been found that the effectiveness of this technique is largely dependent upon the nature of the input noise signal. Furthermore, this technique is judged to be worth considering for use with applications of active noise control where the uncontrolled noise more prominently constitutes low range audio frequencies (approximately 30 Hz-100 Hz) than medium range audio frequencies (approximately 300 Hz-600 Hz).     

Comodulation masking release as a function of bandwidth and test frequency

Comodulation masking release (CMR) was investigated as a function of signal frequency (0.5-4.0 kHz) and the total bandwidth of noise centered on the signal frequency. Taking noncomodulated noise of the same bandwidth as the reference condition, CMR for modulated noise increased with increasing bandwidth of the flanking noise outside the critical band centered on the signal tone; however, this growth asymptoted for broad total bandwidths. These bandwidth effects were expressed by scaling the width of the flanking bands beyond the critical band centered on the signal frequency, approximately according to a critical bandwidth scale. After this scaling, signal frequency had negligible effect on CMR magnitude. For the low modulation frequencies involved, a beneficial effect on CMR at high carrier frequencies would not be expected, and none was observed. Some further trends in the masked thresholds in comodulated and noncomodulated conditions, and the choice of appropriate reference condition are discussed.     

Temporal gap resolution in listeners with high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss

Temporal gap resolution was measured in five normal-hearing listeners and five cochlear-impaired listeners, whose sensitivity losses were restricted to the frequency regions above 1000 Hz. The stimuli included a broadband noise and three octave band noises centered at 0.5, 1.0, and 4.0 kHz. Results for the normal-hearing subjects agree with previous findings and reveal that gap resolution improves progressively with an increase in signal frequency. Gap resolution in the impaired listeners was significantly poorer than normal for all signals including those that stimulated frequency regions with normal pure-tone sensitivity. Smallest gap thresholds for the impaired listeners were observed with the broadband signal at high levels. This result agrees with data from other experiments and confirms the importance of high-frequency signal audibility in gap detection. The octave band data reveal that resolution deficits can be quite large within restricted frequency regions, even those with minimal sensitivity loss.     

A masking level difference due to harmonicity

The role of harmonicity in masking was studied by comparing the effect of harmonic and inharmonic maskers on the masked thresholds of noise probes using a three-alternative, forced-choice method. Harmonic maskers were created by selecting sets of partials from a harmonic series with an 88-Hz fundamental and 45 consecutive partials. Inharmonic maskers differed in that the partial frequencies were perturbed to nearby values that were not integer multiples of the fundamental frequency. Average simultaneous-masked thresholds were as much as 10 dB lower with the harmonic masker than with the inharmonic masker, and this difference was unaffected by masker level. It was reduced or eliminated when the harmonic partials were separated by more than 176 Hz, suggesting that the effect is related to the extent to which the harmonics are resolved by auditory filters. The threshold difference was not observed in a forward-masking experiment. Finally, an across-channel mechanism was implicated when the threshold difference was found between a harmonic masker flanked by harmonic bands and a harmonic masker flanked by inharmonic bands. A model developed to explain the observed difference recognizes that an auditory filter output envelope is modulated when the filter passes two or more sinusoids, and that the modulation rate depends on the differences among the input frequencies. For a harmonic masker, the frequency differences of adjacent partials are identical, and all auditory filters have the same dominant modulation rate. For an inharmonic masker, however, the frequency differences are not constant and the envelope modulation rate varies across filters. The model proposes that a lower variability facilitates detection of a probe-induced change in the variability, thus accounting for the masked threshold difference. The model was supported by significantly improved predictions of observed thresholds when the predictor variables included envelope modulation rate variance measured using simulated auditory filters.     

Louder sounds can produce less forward masking: effects of component phase in complex tones

The influence of the degree of envelope modulation and periodicity on the loudness and effectiveness of sounds as forward maskers was investigated. In the first experiment, listeners matched the loudness of complex tones and noise. The tones had a fundamental frequency (F0) of 62.5 or 250 Hz and were filtered into a frequency range from the 10th harmonic to 5000 Hz. The Gaussian noise was filtered in the same way. The components of the complex tones were added either in cosine phase (CPH), giving a large crest factor, or in random phase (RPH), giving a smaller crest factor. For each F0, subjects matched the loudness between all possible stimulus pairs. Six different levels of the fixed stimulus were used, ranging from about 30 dB SPL to about 80 dB SPL in 10-dB steps. Results showed that, at a given overall level, the CPH and the RPH tones were louder than the noise, and that the CPH tone was louder than the RPH tone. The difference in loudness was larger at medium than at low levels and was only slightly reduced by the addition of a noise intended to mask combination tones. The differences in loudness were slightly smaller for the higher than for the lower F0. In the second experiment, the stimuli with the lower F0s were used as forward maskers of a 20-ms sinusoid, presented at various frequencies within the spectral range of the maskers. Results showed that the CPH tone was the least effective forward masker, even though it was the loudest. The differences in effectiveness as forward maskers depended on masker level and signal frequency; in order to produce equal masking, the level of the CPH tone had to be up to 35 dB above that of the RPH tone and the noise. The implications of these results for models of loudness are discussed and a model is presented based on neural activity patterns in the auditory nerve; this predicts the general pattern of loudness matches. It is suggested that the effects observed in the experiments may have been influenced by two factors: cochlear compression and suppression.     

Intrinsic envelope fluctuations and modulation-detection thresholds for narrow-band noise carriers

A model is presented which calculates the intrinsic envelope power of a bandpass noise carrier within the passband of a hypothetical modulation filter tuned to a specific modulation frequency. Model predictions are compared to experimentally obtained amplitude modulation (AM) detection thresholds. In experiment 1, thresholds for modulation rates of 5, 25, and 100 Hz imposed on a bandpass Gaussian noise carrier with a fixed upper cutoff frequency of 6 kHz and a bandwidth in the range from 1 to 6000 Hz were obtained. In experiment 2, three noises with different spectra of the intrinsic fluctuations served as the carrier: Gaussian noise, multiplied noise, and low-noise noise. In each case, the carrier was spectrally centered at 5 kHz and had a bandwidth of 50 Hz. The AM detection thresholds were obtained for modulation frequencies of 10, 20, 30, 50, 70, and 100 Hz. The intrinsic envelope power of the carrier at the output of the modulation filter tuned to the signal modulation frequency appears to provide a good estimate for AM detection threshold. The results are compared with predictions on the basis of the more complex auditory processing model by Dau et al.     

Critical modulation frequency based on detection of AM versus FM tones

The ratios between the modulation index (eta) for just noticeable FM of a sinusoidally modulated pure tone and the degree of modulation (m) for just noticeable AM at the same carrier and the same modulation frequency were measured at carrier frequencies of 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 kHz. Signal levels were 20 dB SL and 50 dB SPL or 80 dB SPL. At low modulation frequencies, for example, 8 Hz, AM and FM elicit very different auditory sensations (i.e., a fluctuation in loudness or pitch, respectively). In this case, eta and m show different values for just noticeable modulation. Since both stimuli have almost equal amplitude spectra if eta equals m (m less than 0.3), the difference in detection thresholds reflects differences in the phase relation between carrier and sidebands in AM and FM. With increasing modulation frequency, the eta-m ratio decreases and reaches unity at a modulation frequency called the "critical modulation frequency" (CMF). At modulation frequencies above the CMF, the same modulation thresholds are obtained for AM and FM. Therefore, it can be concluded that the difference in phase between the two types of stimuli is not perceived in this range. At center frequencies below 1 kHz, where phase errors caused by headphones and ear canal presumably are small, the CMF is useful in estimating critical bandwidth.     

Modulation masking: effects of modulation frequency, depth, and phase

Modulation thresholds were measured for a sinusoidally amplitude-modulated (SAM) broadband noise in the presence of a SAM broadband background noise with a modulation depth (mm) of 0.00, 0.25, or 0.50, where the condition mm = 0.00 corresponds to standard (unmasked) modulation detection. The modulation frequency of the masker was 4, 16, or 64 Hz; the modulation frequency of the signal ranged from 2-512 Hz. The greatest amount of modulation masking (masked threshold minus unmasked threshold) typically occurred when the signal frequency was near the masker frequency. The modulation masking patterns (amount of modulation masking versus signal frequency) for the 4-Hz masker were low pass, whereas the patterns for the 16- and 64-Hz maskers were somewhat bandpass (although not strictly so). In general, the greater the modulation depth of the masker, the greater the amount of modulation masking (although this trend was reversed for the 4-Hz masker at high signal frequencies). These modulation-masking data suggest that there are channels in the auditory system which are tuned for the detection of modulation frequency, much like there are channels (critical bands or auditory filters) tuned for the detection of spectral frequency.     

Perceptual interaction between carrier periodicity and amplitude modulation in broadband stimuli: a comparison of the autocorrelation and modulation-filterbank model

Recent temporal models of pitch and amplitude modulation perception converge on a relatively realistic implementation of cochlear processing followed by a temporal analysis of periodicity. However, for modulation perception, a modulation filterbank is applied whereas for pitch perception, autocorrelation is applied. Considering the large overlap in pitch and modulation perception, this is not parsimonious. Two experiments are presented to investigate the interaction between carrier periodicity, which produces strong pitch sensations, and envelope periodicity using broadband stimuli. Results show that in the presence of carrier periodicity, detection of amplitude modulation is impaired throughout the tested range (8-1000 Hz). On the contrary, detection of carrier periodicity in the presence of an additional amplitude modulation is impaired only for very low frequencies below the pitch range (<33 Hz). Predictions of a generic implementation of a modulation-filterbank model and an autocorrelation model are compared to the data. Both models were too insensitive to high-frequency envelope or carrier periodicity and to infra-pitch carrier periodicity. Additionally, both models simulated modulation detection quite well but underestimated the detrimental effect of carrier periodicity on modulation detection. It is suggested that a hybrid model consisting of bandpass envelope filters with a ripple in their passband may provide a functionally successful and physiologically plausible basis for a unified model of auditory periodicity extraction.     

Perceptual interactions in the loudness of combined auditory and vibrotactile stimuli

The loudness of auditory (A), tactile (T), and auditory-tactile (A+T) stimuli was measured at supra-threshold levels. Auditory stimuli were pure tones presented binaurally through headphones; tactile stimuli were sinusoids delivered through a single-channel vibrator to the left middle fingertip. All stimuli were presented together with a broadband auditory noise. The A and T stimuli were presented at levels that were matched in loudness to that of the 200-Hz auditory tone at 25 dB sensation level. The 200-Hz auditory tone was then matched in loudness to various combinations of auditory and tactile stimuli (A+T), and purely auditory stimuli (A+A). The results indicate that the matched intensity of the 200-Hz auditory tone is less when the A+T and A+A stimuli are close together in frequency than when they are separated by an octave or more. This suggests that A+T integration may operate in a manner similar to that found in auditory critical band studies, further supporting a strong frequency relationship between the auditory and somatosensory systems.     

Factors affecting thresholds for sinusoidal signals in narrow-band maskers with fluctuating envelopes

When a signal is higher in frequency than a narrow-band masker, thresholds are lower when the masker envelope fluctuates than when it is constant. This article investigates the cues used to achieve the lower thresholds, and the factors that influence the amount of threshold reduction. In experiment I the masker was either a sinusoid (constant envelope) or a pair of equal-amplitude sinusoids (fluctuating envelope) centered at the same frequency as the single sinusoid (250, 1000, 3000, or 5275 Hz). The signal frequency was 1.8 times the masker frequency. At all center frequencies, thresholds were lower for the two-tone masker than for the sinusoidal masker, but the effect was smaller at the highest and lowest frequencies. The reduced effect at high frequencies is attributed to the loss of a cue related to phase locking in the auditory nerve. The reduced effect at low frequencies can be partly explained by reduced slopes of the growth-of-masking functions. In experiment II the masker was a sinusoid amplitude modulated at an 8-Hz rate. Masker and signal frequencies were the same as for the first experiment. Randomizing the modulation depth between the two halves of a forced-choice trial had no effect on thresholds, indicating that changes in modulation depth are not used as a cue for signal detection. Thresholds in the modulated masker were higher than would be predicted if they were determined only by the masker level at minima in the envelope, and the threshold reduction produced by modulating the master envelope was less at 250 Hz than at higher frequencies. Experiments III and IV reveal two factors that contribute to the reduced release from masking at low frequencies: The rate of increase of masked threshold with decreasing duration is greater at 250 Hz than at 1000 Hz; the amount of forward masking, relative to simultaneous masking, is greater at 250 Hz than at 1000 Hz. The results are discussed in terms of the relative importance of across-channel cues and within-channel cues.     

Ambisonics声捡拾与重放音色的双耳听觉模型分析与实验

提出用双耳听觉模型对空间声音色进行分析的普遍方法,并以Ambisonics为例进行了分析。Ambisonics是基于物理声场重构的空间声系统,其最终重构声场误差以及音色改变是由传声器捡拾和重放空间混叠误差共同引起的。采用修正的Moore双耳响度模型计算了Ambisonics重构声场的双耳响度级谱并和目标声场的情况比较,从而定量评价重构声场的音色改变。结果表明,在理想捡拾信号的情况下,无音色改变重放的上限频率和区域大小随Ambisonics的阶数而增加。而对于传声器阵列捡拾的情况,只要阵列的上限频率大于Ambisonics重放的上限频率,在重放的上限频率以下,传声器阵列空间混叠误差对最终重构声场及其感知音色的影响就可以忽略。在此基础上,提出了一种综合考虑捡拾与重放性能的Ambisonics系统优化设计方法。心理声学实验得到了和双耳听觉模型一致的结果,从而也验证了模型分析的有效性。      

Two phase effects in roughness perception.

The respective influences of spectral and temporal aspects of sound in roughness perception are examined by way of phase manipulations. In a first experiment, the phase of the central component of three-component signals is shown to modify perceived roughness, for a given amplitude spectrum, regardless of whether it modifies the waveform envelope. A second experiment shows that the shape of the waveform envelope, for a given amplitude spectrum and a given modulation depth, also influences perceived roughness. We interpret both of these results by considering the envelope of an internal representation that is deduced from the physical signal by taking into account peripheral auditory processing. The results indicate that the modulation depth of such an internal representation is not the only determinant of roughness, but that an effect of temporal asymmetry is also to be taken into account.     

Dependence of binaural loudness summation on interaural level differences, spectral distribution, and temporal distribution

Loudness of interaurally correlated narrow- and broadband noises was investigated using a loudness estimation paradigm (with two anchors) presented via headphones. Throughout the experiments (most performed by 12 subjects), the results from both anchors agreed very well. In the first experiment, third-octave-band noises centered around 250, 710, or 2000 Hz, as well as broadband red (-10 dB/oct), pink (-3 dB/oct), and blue (+10 dB/oct) noises, with interaural level differences of delta L = 0, 4, 10, 20, and infinity dB, were presented as test signals while the same sound presented monaurally or diotically served as anchor. The binaurally summed loudness at delta L = 0 dB was found to be larger than the loudness of a monaural signal of the same SPL by a factor of about 1.5 and decreased with increasing delta L. No dependence of this behavior on frequency, level, or spectral shape was found. In a second experiment, abutting frequency bands of varying width were alternately presented to the subject's left and right ears with the overall spectrum encompassing the whole audio range. The binaural loudness was larger for fewer but broader frequency bands. In a third experiment, uniform exciting noise was switched between the two ears at various speeds. Increasing the switching frequency gave rise to an increase in loudness of about 20%. All results are discussed from the viewpoint of the use of the standardized loudness meter. At this point, there is no evidence that any significant systematic errors due to single-channel evaluation (in contrast to the human two-channel processing) are made by measuring loudness using these meters.     

Masking of short stimuli by noises with spiked spectra: I. Compressive nonlinearity of cochlea and evaluation of frequency resolution

A psychoacoustic method for measuring masking thresholds based on the application of single-type stimuli and maskers intended for revealing compressive nonlinearity of displacements of the cochlea basila membrane and evaluation of the frequency resolution of hearing in a narrow frequency range near the central frequency of the stimulus is considered. High-frequency pulses with an envelope in the form of a Gaussian function with a sinusoidal filling with the frequency band corresponding to the width of the critical hearing band have been used as stimuli (referred to as compact). Noises with a spike structure of the amplitude spectrum with a limited frequency band width served as maskers. With the central frequencies of stimuli and maskers being equal, a band noise with the central frequency corresponding with a spike of an indented spectrum was called an on_(rip)-frequency masker, while that with the central frequency corresponding to a dip in an indented spectrum was called an off_(rip)-frequency masker. The central frequencies and frequency bands of the stimuli and maskers were 4 kHz and 1000 Hz, respectively. The spike (dip) frequencies of an indented amplitude spectrum of a masker were 1000 Hz. In the case of successive and simultaneous masking, the dependences of the thresholds of off_(rip)-frequency masking of compact stimuli on the masker level revealed compressive nonlinearity of basila membrane displacements. However, threshold on_(rip)/off_(rip)-frequency masking differences visualized it much better. The estimates of the frequency resolution obtained under conditions of simultaneous masking of compact stimuli during variations in the frequency of spikes of indented masker spectra of low and medium levels corresponded to the width of the critical hearing band measured using a classical method of tone masking by a pair of narrow-band noise maskers. Within the spike frequency range of 500–2000 Hz, the steepness of the dependence of off_(rip)-masking of compact stimuli on the spike frequency decreased with an increase in masker levels that pointed to an effect of compressive properties of basila membrane displacements on this parameter.