Re: [AUDITORY] Number of critical bands in human hearing?

[Christopher Shera <christopher.shera@xxxxxxxxx>]

If one does the calculation Dick suggests, then the number of ERBs between frequencies fa and fb is

    N(fa,fb) = \int_{fa}^{fb} (1/ERB(f)) df

where ERB(f) is the ERB at frequency f.

Using either of the approximate formulae for Qerb(f) at low sound levels given here (Leschke J, Rodriguez-Orellana G, Shera CA, Oxenham AJ. Auditory filter shapes derived from simultaneous and forward masking at low frequencies: Implications for human cochlear tuning. Hear Res 2022; 420:108500) yields N approx 60 over the range 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

Chris

On Wed, Sep 13, 2023 at 10:49 PM Richard F. Lyon <dicklyon@xxxxxxx> wrote:

I think critical bands are not discrete countable things.

But if you want to divide up the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz into CB-size bands, then there should be an answer, though it will be more at low sound levels than at high sound levels.  24 sounds plausible for moderate sound level.  If you count ERBs at low level, you'll get more than that, maybe about 40.

Dick

On Wed, Sep 13, 2023 at 9:14 PM David Jackson Morris <dmorris@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Dear all,

 

In teaching an undergrad course on hearing science the students have asked, how many critical bands are there in normal healthy hearing? The text that we use says that there are 24.   If I ask ChatGPT it also cites Fletcher and Munson’s estimation of 24, but what would it know. . .  

 

Am I right in suspecting that this may have been revised upwards at some stage (?).  Is the collective wisdom of the list able to help with this or point to an authoritative source? 

 

Cheers

David

 

 

David Jackson Morris, PhD, LTCL

Associate Professor/Lektor

 

University of Copenhagen/Københavns Universitet

Speech Pathology and Audiology/Audiologopædi

Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics/Institut for Nordiske Studier og Sprogvidenskab

Emil Holms Kanal 2

2300 Copenhagen S/København S

 

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Christopher Shera                                        

Auditory Physics Group

Caruso Department of Otolaryngology

Keck School of Medicine

University of Southern California

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