Subject: Re: Spectral timbre discrimination From: David Smith <smithd@xxxxxxxx> Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:45:46 -0500 List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --_----------=_1227890746221750 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Tom, You have not stated what the subjects task was. The subjects were presented with two tones and asked to... In any case, the relative harmonic strengths, length of presentation, and time interval between tone presentations may be relevant. At very short time intervals (say less than 100ms) listeners may hear a tone movement, particularly if the tones are repeated. At longer time intervals (a second or more) or with intervention, my guess would be that listeners are using a consonance/dissonance relation to differentiate betwen the tones and tend to "forget" dissonant aspects sooner, a form of cognitive shorthand. My next test would be to repeat the study using harmonic change similar pitch and opposite dissonance. all the best, Dave Smith composer smithd@xxxxxxxx www.roughlight.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Mercer" To: AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx Subject: [AUDITORY] Spectral timbre discrimination Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:30:11 -0000 Dear list, We have recently completed an auditory memory study using the interpolated tone paradigm (Deutsch, 1970). Our aim was to look at spectral timbre through varying the position of one of the harmonics in the two sounds to be compared. We used a same-different task. Listeners were presented with two tones - A and B - which could be presented in any combination. This created four trial types: AA, BB, AB and BA. Pitch was randomly varied across trials. Tone A featured the fundamental and the fourth, sixth and eighth harmonics, and tone B featured the fundamental, and the fourth, seventh and eight harmonics. So, the only difference between the tones was whether it included the sixth or the seventh harmonic. For example, on an AB trial the sixth harmonic present in tone A would be shifted upward to the seventh harmonic in tone B. Along with uncovering the interference effect we anticipated when certain intervening tones were placed into the interstimulus interval, we also found that participants were much worse on the BA trials (i.e. where the seventh harmonic was shifted down to the sixth harmonic) than on AB trials (where the sixth harmonic was shifted up to the seventh harmonic). We found this effect both during initial training and when the intervening tone was placed into the sequence. Whilst this phenomenon is not the main focus of our study, we would be very interested in trying to understand why this has occurred but so far we have been unable to come across any papers which have found a similar effect. Can anyone recommend any studies which have found related effects to ours? That is, where a certain component change is easier or more difficult to identify than another, particularly in relation to 'upward' or 'downward' shifted harmonics? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance, Tom Mercer Postgraduate Research Student Institute of Psychological Sciences University of Leeds LS2 9JT Email: T.Mercer04@xxxxxxxx --=20 Be Yourself @xxxxxxxx mail.com! Choose From 200+ Email Addresses Get a Free Account at www.mail.com --_----------=_1227890746221750 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" <div> <br> Tom,<br>You have not stated what the subjects task was. The subjects = were presented with two tones and asked to...<br>In any case, the relative = harmonic strengths, length of presentation, and time interval between tone = presentations may be relevant.<br>At very short time intervals (say less th= an 100ms) listeners may hear a tone movement, particularly if the tones are= repeated.<br><br>At longer time intervals (a second or more) or with inter= vention, my guess would be that listeners are using a consonance/dissonance= <br>relation to differentiate betwen the tones and tend to "forget" disson= ant aspects sooner, a form of cognitive shorthand.<br><br>My next test woul= d be to repeat the study using harmonic change similar pitch and opposite d= issonance. <br>all the best,<br>Dave Smith<br>composer<br>smithd@xxxxxxxx<= br>www.roughlight.com<br> <blockquote style=3D"border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: = 5px; padding-left: 5px;">----- Original Message -----<br> From: "Tom Mercer" <t.mercer04@xxxxxxxx><br> To: AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx<br> Subject: [AUDITORY] Spectral timbre discrimination<br> Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:30:11 -0000<br> <br> <br> Dear list,<br> <br> We have recently completed an auditory memory study using the<br> interpolated tone paradigm (Deutsch, 1970). Our aim was to look at<br> spectral timbre through varying the position of one of the harmonics in<br> the two sounds to be compared. We used a same-different task. Listeners<br> were presented with two tones - A and B - which could be presented in<br> any combination. This created four trial types: AA, BB, AB and BA. Pitch<br> was randomly varied across trials. Tone A featured the fundamental and<br> the fourth, sixth and eighth harmonics, and tone B featured the<br> fundamental, and the fourth, seventh and eight harmonics. So, the only<br> difference between the tones was whether it included the sixth or the<br> seventh harmonic. For example, on an AB trial the sixth harmonic present<br> in tone A would be shifted upward to the seventh harmonic in tone B.<br> <br> Along with uncovering the interference effect we anticipated when<br> certain intervening tones were placed into the interstimulus interval,<br> we also found that participants were much worse on the BA trials (i.e.<br> where the seventh harmonic was shifted down to the sixth harmonic) than<br> on AB trials (where the sixth harmonic was shifted up to the seventh<br> harmonic). We found this effect both during initial training and when<br> the intervening tone was placed into the sequence.<br> <br> Whilst this phenomenon is not the main focus of our study, we would be<br> very interested in trying to understand why this has occurred but so far<br> we have been unable to come across any papers which have found a similar<br> effect. Can anyone recommend any studies which have found related<br> effects to ours? That is, where a certain component change is easier or<br> more difficult to identify than another, particularly in relation to<br> 'upward' or 'downward' shifted harmonics?<br> <br> Any help would be much appreciated.<br> <br> Thanks in advance,<br> <br> Tom Mercer<br> Postgraduate Research Student<br> Institute of Psychological Sciences<br> University of Leeds<br> LS2 9JT<br> Email: T.Mercer04@xxxxxxxx<br> </t.mercer04@xxxxxxxx></blockquote> </div> <BR> --=20 <div> Be Yourself @xxxxxxxx mail.com!<br> Choose From 200+ Email Addresses<br> Get a <b>Free</b> Account at <a href=3D"http://www.mail.com/Product.aspx" t= arget=3D"_blank">www.mail.com</a>!</div> --_----------=_1227890746221750--