Subject: Re: Why it has to be played loud From: Alexandre Lehmann <alexandre.lehmann@xxxxxxxx> Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:33:15 -0400 List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>Dear All, Indeed, vestibular response to loud-music is a fascinating topic. I include the reference to the original article for those interested. It is interesting to notice that, on top of the mentioned modern genres of rock&roll and techno ; ritual tribal drumming also exhibits the ideal characteristics for vestibular stimulation (repetitive bass frequencies, over 90 dB(A) SPL). I wonder to what extent this can be related to rhytmic entrainment and the vestibular theory of trance induction ? I'd be happy to know about any further investigation along those lines. Regards Alexandre ps : Todd, N. P., & Cody, F. W. (2000). Vestibular responses to loud dance music: a physiological basis of the "rock and roll threshold"? The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 107(1), 496-500. doi:10641657 On Fri, Sep 24, 2010 at 1:25 PM, James Johnston <James.Johnston@xxxxxxxx> wrote: > There seem to be a number of factors at work. > > > > First is the heavy intermod/distortion of some equipment that is used in a > euphonic sense (perhaps not all people appreciate the euphony, I will > note). > > > > Second is the “rock and roll high”, which seems, if I am to accept what some > of the folks at the House Ear Institute and others have said, to be > partially a product of stimulation of the semicircular canals by low > frequency leakage from the cochlea. This is reputed to happen at the 90dB > SPL level at low frequencies, give or take, and is reputed to create a > sensation of “being high”. > > > > This could account for some measure of “loud”. I suspect that the body > stimulation from intense (not really loud, rather it’s intense, really) > signals also has something to do with it. > > > > Having said all of that, not everyone (hello!) shares the desire to have > their outer hair cells shredded. > > > > __________________________ > > James D. Johnston (jj@xxxxxxxx) > > CHIEF SCIENTIST - DTS, Inc. > > 425-814-3200, ext. 134 - office > 425-814-3204 - fax > 206-321-7449- mobile > > 11410 NE 122nd Way, Suite 100 > Kirkland, WA 98034 > > This electronic transmission (and/or the documents accompanying it) may > contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized use, > copying or distribution is prohibited. If you have received this > communication in error, please notify DTS, Inc immediately by telephone > (425-814-3200) and destroy the original message. Messages sent to and from > us may be monitored. > > > > From: AUDITORY - Research in Auditory Perception > [mailto:AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx On Behalf Of Brian Gygi > Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 9:53 AM > > To: AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx > Subject: [AUDITORY] Why it has to be played loud > > > > Lazlo, > > I know from my experience as a "rock" musician that there are certain > amplifiers (Mesa Boogie, Gallien-Kruger and Marshall seem to be the best > examples) which sound their best when the gain is nearly at full. The > harmonics are richer, and there is an edge to the sound that is just not > present at lower settings. In fact, one G-K amp I had sounded fabulous > right before it caught on fire (really). I don't know if this is a > conscious engineering design (I suspect so) but I have found it's pretty > reliable. That's why the joke about "turning the amp to 11" in Spinal Tap > had such resonance. > > > Brian Gygi, Ph.D. > Speech and Hearing Research > Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System > 150 Muir Road > Martinez, CA 94553 > (925) 372-2000 x5653 > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Laszlo Toth [mailto:tothl@xxxxxxxx > Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 12:28 AM > To: AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx > Subject: Re: Hearing Loss "False Positives" > > On Thu, 23 Sep 2010, reinifrosch@xxxxxxxx wrote: > Old guys with undamaged > hair cells have the advantage that they can fully > enjoy classical tonal > music with its change from dissonant to consonant > chords and back. > According to the Helmholtz consonance theory that > change is due to the > presence or absence of beats generated by pairs of > partial tones of almost > equal frequencies. These partials tend to be > soft, and their frequencies > tend to be high. Do you know the answer to the opposite: why is rock music > more enjoyable loud? I think that it would be important to understand. > Laszlo Toth Hungarian Academy of Sciences * Research Group on Artificial > Intelligence * "Failure only begins e-mail: tothl@xxxxxxxx * when you > stop trying" http://www.inf.u-szeged.hu/~tothl * > > Notice: > This message and any included attachments are intended only for the use of > the addressee, and may contain information that is privileged or > confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified > that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is > strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, > please destroy the original message and any copies or printouts hereof. >