Subject: Re: Fw: sursound: The pinna and Ambisonics/cross post From: Jens Blauert <blauert(at)IKA.RUHR-UNI-BOCHUM.DE> Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2000 10:35:30 +0200John is completely right. Yet, in rooms one has to consider in addition what the room does to the phase and, hence, the interaural time cues. The reason that sub-woofer work at all has to do with the room. Jens Blauert -------------------------------------- Jens Blauert, Professor Institute of Communication Acoustics Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum D-44780 Bochum, Germany e-mail: blauert(at)ika.ruhr-uni-bochum.de http://www.ika.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/ Phone: +49 234 322 2496 Fax: +49 234 321 4165 -------------------------------------- > > 1) It is not true that humans have particular difficulty with high frequency > sounds. Humans have particular difficulty with pure tones in the 1.5-2.5 kHz > region. Everything else can be localised quite well - at least on a left/right > basis. > > 2) It is true that left/right discrimination is dominated by low frequencies. > > 3) All other discriminations (up/down, front/back) *require* high frequencies, > because they are mediated by pinna cues, and the pinna has no influence over > low frequencies. They also demand a complex sound, as it is the relative level > of different frequencies that codes the direction. > > Regarding point 2, I wonder why audio engineers think that a single sub-woofer > is a good idea these days. I find that they confuse the image compared to > a conventional pair of stereo speakers. Multiple tweeters around the room > seem like a good idea in view of 3) though. > > For literature see recent publications by Wightman and Kistler, Noble and > colleagues, Carlile etc. > > John. > > Dr. John Culling, > Sch. of Psychology, > Cardiff University, > P.O. Box 901 > Cardiff > CF10 3YG > > Tel. +44 029 20874523 > FAX +44 029 20874858 > http://www.cf.ac.uk/uwcc/psych/CullingJ/ >