Re: CASA problems and solutions ("James W. Beauchamp" )

Subject: Re: CASA problems and solutions
From:    "James W. Beauchamp"  <j-beauch(at)UX1.CSO.UIUC.EDU>
Date:    Wed, 31 Jan 2001 11:34:39 -0600

List,

Al Bregman said:
> Apart from spatial origin, the following sorts of information are used by
> humans:
>
> (A) For integrating components that arrive overlapped in time:
>
>     1.  harmonic relations
>     2.  asynchrony of onset and offset
>     3.  spectral separation
>     4.  Independence of amplitude changes in different
>          parts of the spectrum
>
> (B) For integrating components over time:
>
>     5.  Spectral separation
>     6.  Separation in time (interacts with other factors)
>     7.  Differences in spectral shape
>     8.  Differences in intensity (a weak effect)
>     9.  Abruptness/smoothness of transition from one sound
>          to the next

What about knowledge of the source? For example, if I hear out the
oboe in an orchestra, doesn't it help that I know what an oboe
sounds like? Isn't this a learned phenomenon?

A friend of mine in the 70's remarked that he didn't fully enjoy music
played by large musical groups because he couldn't separate the
instrument sounds. However, he discovered that "under the influence"
of grass he suddenly could. What's going on there? Why is perception
heightened by something that slows the brain down?

I realize there are two separate issues.

Jim