Subject: How good is inter-aural frequency or pitch matching in normal humans? From: Jan Schnupp <jan.schnupp@xxxxxxxx> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2015 14:44:30 +0100 List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>--047d7beb93b460972c0519a84cae Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Dear List, I have had a conversation with a musically keen retired physicist who assured me that when he holds up a tuning fork to one ear he hears the pitch of the tuning fork about a semitone lower than at the other ear. I had to say that I found that surprising. We always assume that there has to be a good alignment of frequency channels going into the binaural centers of the brainstem for example, and much effort is invested in trying to improve "inter-aural pitch matching" for cochlear implant patients. But I have to admit I know of no formal studies that have actually measured how good inter-aural pitch matching would be for normally hearing subjects, and whether a difference of a semitone (after all, only a few % in absolute terms) is absurdly large or within the expected human variability. Would any of you know of any papers that have looked at this? Best, Jan -- Prof Jan Schnupp University of Oxford Dept. of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics Sherrington Building - Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PT - UK +44-1865-282012 http://jan.schnupp.net --047d7beb93b460972c0519a84cae Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">Dear List,<div><br></div><div>I have had a conversation wi= th a musically keen retired physicist who assured me that when he holds up = a tuning fork to one ear he hears the pitch of the tuning fork about a semi= tone lower than at the other ear. I had to say that I found that surprising= . We always assume that there has to be a good alignment of frequency chann= els going into the binaural centers of the brainstem for example, and much = effort is invested in trying to improve "inter-aural pitch matching&qu= ot; for cochlear implant patients. But I have to admit I know of no formal = studies that have actually measured how good inter-aural pitch matching wou= ld be for normally hearing subjects, and whether a difference of a semitone= (after all, only a few % in absolute terms) is absurdly large or within th= e expected human variability. Would any of you know of any papers that have= looked at this?</div><div><br></div><div>Best,</div><div><br></div><div>Ja= n=C2=A0<br clear=3D"all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class=3D"gmail_signatur= e">Prof Jan Schnupp<br>University of Oxford<br>Dept. of Physiology, Anatomy= and Genetics<br>Sherrington Building - Parks Road<br>Oxford OX1 3PT - UK<b= r>+44-1865-282012<br><a href=3D"http://jan.schnupp.net" target=3D"_blank">h= ttp://jan.schnupp.net</a></div> </div></div> --047d7beb93b460972c0519a84cae--