• 1990 (Vol.4)
  • 1989 (Vol.3)
  • 1988 (Vol.2)
  • 1987 (Vol.1)

Discrimination of sound signals with rippled spectra in the noises of different spectral compositions

© 2016 O. N. Milekhina, D. I. Nechaev, A. Ya. Supin

Institute o Ecology and Evolution RAS 119071 Moscow, Leninsky Prospect, 33

Received 31 Mar 2016

Discrimination of complex sound signals in noise was investigated in normal listeners. Rippled-spectrum signals were used as a version of complex sound signals. The rippled spectrum was 0.5 oct wide centered at 2 kHz; the ripples were frequency proportional. Discrimination of these signals were measured using two paradigms: (i) Measurement of threshold for discrimination of ripple spacing using a phase reversal test and (ii) Measurement of threshold for discrimination of spectrum-pattern shift using a ripple shift test. The noise was 0.5 oct wide centered below, on, or above the signal band (low-, on-, and high-frequency noise, respectively). Both the low-frequency and on-frequency noises increased the thresholds for both ripple-spacing and for ripple shift discrimination. However, the threshold dependence on the noise level was qualitatively different for the lowand on-frequency noises. For the on-frequency noise, the effect primarily depended on the noise/signal ratio. Alternatively, for the low-frequency noise, the effect primarily depended on the noise SPL. The high-frequency masker produced little effect. The data were successfully simulated using an excitation- pattern model. According to this model, the effect of the onfrequency noise appeared due to a decrease of ripple depth when the noise overlapped the signal, thus depending mostly on the noise/signal ratio. The effect of the low-frequency noise appeared due to widening of the auditory lters at high sound levels, thus depending mostly on the noise SPL.

Key words: hearing, rippled spectra, noise

Cite: Milekhina O. N., Nechaev D. I., Supin A. Ya. Razlichenie zvukovykh signalov s grebenchatym spektrom na fone shumov raznogo spektralnogo sostava [Discrimination of sound signals with rippled spectra in the noises of different spectral compositions]. Sensornye sistemy [Sensory systems]. 2016. V. 30(3). P. 215-221 (in Russian).

References:

  • Emmerich D.S., Brown W.S., Fantini D.A., Navarro N.C. Frequency discrimination and signal detection in band-rejected noise // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1983. V. 74. P. 1702–1708.
  • Emmerich D.S., Fantini D.A., Brown W.S. Frequency discrimination of tones presented in filtered noise // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1986. V. 80. P. 1668–1672.
  • Fantini D.A. Frequency discrimination near the spectral edge of simultaneous and forward maskers // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1989. V. 85. P. 1691–1698.
  • Glasberg B.R., Moore B.C.J. Derivation of auditory filter shapes from notched-noise data // Hearing Res. 1990. V. 47. P. 103–138.
  • Glasberg B.R., Moore B.C.J. Frequency selectivity as a function of level and frequency measured with uniformly exciting notched noise // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 2000. V. 108. P. 2318–2328.
  • Henning G.B. Frequency discrimination in noise // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1967. V. 41. P. 774–777.
  • Jesteadt W., Sims S.L. Decision processes in frequency discrimination // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1975. V. 57. P. 1161–1168.
  • Moore B.C.J., Glasberg B.R. Mechanisms underlying the frequency discrimination of pulsed tones and the detection of frequency modulation // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1989. V. 86. P. 1722–1732.
  • Nechaev D.I., Milekhina O.N., Supin A.Ya. Hearing Sensitivity to Shifts of Rippled-Spectrum Sound Signals in Masking Noise // PLOS ONE. 2015. DOI: 10.1371/jour- nal.pone.0140313.
  • Nechaev D.I., Supin A.Ya. Hearing sensitivity to shifts of rippled-spectrum patterns // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 2013. V. 134. P. 2913–2922.
  • Nelson D.A., Stanton M.E. Frequency discrimination at 1200 Hz in the presence of high-frequency masking noise // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1982. V. 71. P. 660–664.
  • Patterson R.D., Nimmo-Smith I., Weber D.L., Milory R. The deterioration of hearing with age: Frequency selectivity, the critical ratio, the audiogram, and speech threshold // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1982. V. 72. P. 1788–1803.
  • Sek A., Moore B.C.J. Frequency discrimination as a function of frequency, measured in several ways // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1995. V. 97. P. 2479–2486.
  • Shower E.G., Biddulph R. Differential pitch sensitivity of the ear // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1931. V. 3. P. 275–287.
  • Supin A.Ya., Popov V.V., Milekhina O.N., Tarakanov M.B. Frequency-temporal resolution of hearing measured by rippled noise // Hearing Res. 1997. V. 108. P. 17–27.
  • Supin A.Ya., Popov V.V., Milekhina O.N., Tarakanov M.B. Ripple density resolution for various rippled-noise patterns // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1998. V. 103. P. 2042–2050.
  • Supin A.Ya., Popov V.V., Milekhina O.N., Tarakanov M.B. Ripple depth and density resolution of rippled noise // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1999. V. 106. P. 2800–2804.
  • Supin A.Ya., Popov V.V., Milekhina O.N., Tarakanov M.B. The effect of masking noie on rippled-spectrum resolution // Hearing Res. 2001. V. 151. P. 157–166.
  • Supin A.Ya., Popov V.V., Milekhina O.N., Tarakanov M.B. Rippled-spectrum resolution dependence in level // Hearing Res. 2003. V. 185. P. 1–12.
  • Supin A.Ya., Popov V.V., Milekhina O.N., Tarakanov M.B. Rippled-spectrum resolution dependence on masker-to-probe ratio // Hearing Res. 2005. V. 204. P. 191–199.
  • Wier C.C., Jesteadt W., Green D.M. Frequency dicrimination as a function of frequency and sensation level // J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1977. V. 61. P. 178–184.
  • Zwicker E. Masking and psychophysical excitation as consequences of the ear’s frequency analysis // Detection in Hearing. Leiden: Sijthoff. 1970. P. 376–394.