Oscillations, Waves, and Interactions - GWDG

Oscillations, Waves and Interactions, pp. 37–71
edited by T. Kurz, U. Parlitz, and U. Kaatze
Universitätsverlag Göttingen (2007) ISBN 978–3–938616–96–3
urn:nbn:de:gbv:7-verlag-1-03-7
On the use of specific signal types
in hearing research
A. Kohlrausch 1,2 and S. van de Par 1
1 Digital Signal Processing Group, Philips Research Europe,
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
2 Human-Technology Interaction, Eindhoven University of Technology,
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Email: 1 armin.kohlrausch@philips.com, 2 steven.van.de.par@philips.com
Abstract. In this contribution, we review a number of specific signal types that have been
introduced in auditory research in the past 20 years. Through the introduction of digital
computers into experimental and theoretical hearing research, the freedom to construct and
use specific acoustic stimuli in behavorial and also physiological research has grown steadily.
In parallel, the use of computer models allowed to analyze and predict, within certain limits,
how specific properties of acoustic stimuli influence the perception of a listener. As in other
fields of physics, the close interplay between experimental tests and quantitative models has
been shown to be essential in advancing our understanding of human hearing.
1 Introduction
One of the scientific areas to which the research groups at the Dritte Physikalische
Institut (DPI) contributed significantly is the wide field of psychoacoustics. The
interest in this area can be traced back to early research activities of its first director,
Erwin Meyer [1]. Evidence of his strong and continuing interest is provided by the
fact that he chose the opportunity of his inaugural lecture after his new appointment
at the university of Göttingen, which he gave in January 1948, to talk about: ‘ Über
den derzeitigen Stand der Theorie des Hörens (On the current state of the theory of
hearing)’ [2].
One of the best-known psychoacoustic contributions coming from the DPI is based
on the work by Haas [3]. The Haas-effect refers to the observation that a reflection
that follows the direct sound with a short delay up to 50 ms can be significantly
higher in level than the direct sound, without being perceived as annoying. In later
years, hearing-related problems were mostly studied in the context of room-acoustic
questions, and most perceptual activities in the 1970’s were devoted to the broad
area of subjective room acoustics [4].
The classical psychoacoustic studies, based on well-controlled acoustic stimuli delivered
via headphones to subjects sitting in a sound-isolated, and often very narrow,