Re: distancing effect

[beauchamp james w <j-beauch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Chen-Gia,

I don't know about "studies", but Curtis Roads discusses this effect on
pp. 462-463 of his book Computer Music Tutorial (MIT Press, 1996).

John Chowning simulated distance cues in the early 70's by changing the
ratio of direct to reverberated sound:

 Chowning, J. 1971. "The simulation of moving sound sources", J. Audio
 Eng. Soc., vol. 19, pp. 2-6. Reprinted in Computer Music J., vol. 1,
.no. 3, pp. 48-52.

That sounds have attenuated high frequencies at a distance is mainly a
consequence of acoustics. Most materials absorb more at high frequencies
than at low frequencies. Also, the favored reverberation times for
auditoriums are much higher at low frequencies than at high frequencies.

Jim Beauchamp
Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
j-beauch@uiuc.edu

On Wed, 21 Nov 2001 09:59:44 +0100 Chen-Gia Tsai wrote:
> Dear list,
>
> I'm working about the localization of complex tones.
> Musical tones rich in harmonics seem to sound nearer, e.g. trumpet tones.
> When playing overtones in guitar, they seem to sound in the distance,
> because they are poor in harmonics and almost sinusoidal. The localization
> of complex tones may depend on their brightness.
> Can anyone please point me in the direction of any studies of the
> "distancing effect" of tones poor in harmonics?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Chen-Gia Tsai
> (doctoral student at the Musicology Department at the Humboldt-University in
> Berlin)