1
|
Necciari T, Laback B, Savel S, Ystad S, Balazs P, Meunier S, Kronland-Martinet R. Auditory Time-Frequency Masking for Spectrally and Temporally Maximally-Compact Stimuli. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0166937. [PMID: 27875575 PMCID: PMC5119819 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many audio applications perform perception-based time-frequency (TF) analysis by decomposing sounds into a set of functions with good TF localization (i.e. with a small essential support in the TF domain) using TF transforms and applying psychoacoustic models of auditory masking to the transform coefficients. To accurately predict masking interactions between coefficients, the TF properties of the model should match those of the transform. This involves having masking data for stimuli with good TF localization. However, little is known about TF masking for mathematically well-localized signals. Most existing masking studies used stimuli that are broad in time and/or frequency and few studies involved TF conditions. Consequently, the present study had two goals. The first was to collect TF masking data for well-localized stimuli in humans. Masker and target were 10-ms Gaussian-shaped sinusoids with a bandwidth of approximately one critical band. The overall pattern of results is qualitatively similar to existing data for long maskers. To facilitate implementation in audio processing algorithms, a dataset provides the measured TF masking function. The second goal was to assess the potential effect of auditory efferents on TF masking using a modeling approach. The temporal window model of masking was used to predict present and existing data in two configurations: (1) with standard model parameters (i.e. without efferents), (2) with cochlear gain reduction to simulate the activation of efferents. The ability of the model to predict the present data was quite good with the standard configuration but highly degraded with gain reduction. Conversely, the ability of the model to predict existing data for long maskers was better with than without gain reduction. Overall, the model predictions suggest that TF masking can be affected by efferent (or other) effects that reduce cochlear gain. Such effects were avoided in the experiment of this study by using maximally-compact stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thibaud Necciari
- Acoustics Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Laback
- Acoustics Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sophie Savel
- Laboratoire de Mécanique et d’Acoustique, CNRS UPR 7051, Equipe Sons, Aix-Marseille Université, Centrale Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Sølvi Ystad
- Laboratoire de Mécanique et d’Acoustique, CNRS UPR 7051, Equipe Sons, Aix-Marseille Université, Centrale Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Peter Balazs
- Acoustics Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabine Meunier
- Laboratoire de Mécanique et d’Acoustique, CNRS UPR 7051, Equipe Sons, Aix-Marseille Université, Centrale Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Richard Kronland-Martinet
- Laboratoire de Mécanique et d’Acoustique, CNRS UPR 7051, Equipe Sons, Aix-Marseille Université, Centrale Marseille, Marseille, France
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sieck NE, Rasetshwane DM, Kopun JG, Jesteadt W, Gorga MP, Neely ST. Multi-tone suppression of distortion-product otoacoustic emissions in humans. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 139:2299. [PMID: 27250125 PMCID: PMC4859829 DOI: 10.1121/1.4946989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the combined effect of multiple suppressors. Distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) measurements were made in normal-hearing participants. Primary tones had fixed frequencies (f2 = 4000 Hz; f1 / f2 = 1.22) and a range of levels. Suppressor tones were at three frequencies (fs = 2828, 4100, 4300 Hz) and range of levels. Decrement was defined as the attenuation in DPOAE level due to the presence of a suppressor. A measure of suppression called suppressive intensity was calculated by an equation previously shown to fit DPOAE suppression data. Suppressor pairs, which were the combination of two different frequencies, were presented at levels selected to have equal single-suppressor decrements. A hybrid model that represents a continuum between additive intensity and additive attenuation best described the results. The suppressor pair with the smallest frequency ratio produced decrements that were more consistent with additive intensity. The suppressor pair with the largest frequency ratio produced decrements at the highest level that were consistent with additive attenuation. Other suppressor-pair conditions produced decrements that were intermediate between these two alternative models. The hybrid model provides a useful framework for representing the observed range of interaction when two suppressors are combined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E Sieck
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, 555 North 30th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68131, USA
| | - Daniel M Rasetshwane
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, 555 North 30th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68131, USA
| | - Judy G Kopun
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, 555 North 30th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68131, USA
| | - Walt Jesteadt
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, 555 North 30th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68131, USA
| | - Michael P Gorga
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, 555 North 30th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68131, USA
| | - Stephen T Neely
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, 555 North 30th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68131, USA
| |
Collapse
|