Determining F0.

[Ranjit Randhawa <rsran@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear List,

A very Happy New Year. Hopefully, this email will be of some interest to 
you all.

Existing methods for frequency analysis are generally based on applying 
variations and extensions of Fourier mathematics to a given set of data 
to determine the component frequencies in that set of data. Various 
models have been proposed on how F0 could then be calculated but 
limitations exist in being able to describe the psycho-physical results 
reported by various researchers.

A different approach would use some common function for all frequencies 
(hence wavelengths) at a given point in the stimulus to evaluate an 
attribute or attributes for each frequency, and determine from complete 
set of attributes the conditions necessary to identify F0. If such a 
condition exists and was also capable of describing the psycho-physical 
results, than one would have be encouraged in the ability of the 
function to better explain the biology behind the auditory system.

To that extent, I have shown at my website, www.tonepitch.com in section 
F0, that a function based on evaluative bivalence can provide the 
conditions necessary to pick the correct F0, and also explain many of 
the important psycho-physical phenomenon. The first of these is phase 
locking of the evaluated attributes, with comments on its applicability 
to explain dichotic hearing of pitch. I have also shown test results, 
starting with virtual pitch using "resolved" and "unresolved" harmonics, 
phase invariance with harmonic complexes, and finally results associated 
with "mistuning" of a harmonic in a complex. Finally, I have given a 
simple example of the problems associated with vowel recognition, but 
that is just a flavor of the direction my research is taking, and maybe 
somebody has a helpful suggestion for creation of a meta-model.

There are many psycho-physical results reported by the research 
community, but I hope that what I have documented is of sufficient value 
towards validating the approach that I have taken. Any comments would be 
most helpful and I would be more than willing to update my website with 
any other test results of general interest.

Thanking you for your patience in advance, cheers
Randy Randhawa