Amplitude envelope cues for consonant recognition with simulated loudness recruitment

This investigation examined the degree to which modification of the consonant-vowel (C-V) intensity ratio affected consonant recognition under conditions in which listeners were forced to rely more heavily on waveform envelope cues than on spectral cues. The stimuli were 22 vowel-consonant-vowel utterances, which had been mixed at six different signal-to-noise ratios with white noise that had been modulated by the speech waveform envelope. The resulting waveforms preserved the gross speech envelope shape, but spectral cues were limited by the white-noise masking. In a second stimulus set, the consonant portion of each utterance was amplified by 10 dB. Sixteen subjects with normal hearing listened to the unmodified stimuli, and 16 listened to the amplified-consonant stimuli. Recognition performance was reduced in the amplified-consonant condition for some consonants, presumably because waveform envelope cues had been distorted. However, for other consonants, especially the voiced stops, consonant amplification improved recognition. Patterns of errors were altered for several consonant groups, including some that showed only small changes in recognition scores. The results indicate that when spectral cues are compromised, nonlinear amplification can alter waveform envelope cues for consonant recognition.

Download Full-text

Stochastic Response of SDOF Self-Centering System

International Journal of Structural Stability and Dynamics ◽

10.1142/s0219455420500625 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (05) ◽

pp. 2050062

Author(s):

Huiying Hu ◽

Lincong Chen

Keyword(s):

Stochastic Averaging ◽

Nonlinear Stochastic System ◽

Amplitude Envelope ◽

Stochastic Response ◽

Equivalent Damping ◽

Yield Displacement ◽

Seismic Loadings ◽

New Type ◽

Stationary Probability Density Function ◽

Energy Dissipation Coefficient

As a new type of seismic resisting device, the self-centering system is attractive due to its excellent re-centering capability, but research on such a system under random seismic loadings is quite limited. In this paper, the stochastic response of a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) self-centering system driven by a white noise process is investigated. For this purpose, the original self-centering system is first approximated by an auxiliary nonlinear system, in which the equivalent damping and stiffness coefficients related to the amplitude envelope of the response are determined by a harmonic balance procedure. Subsequently, by the method of stochastic averaging, the amplitude envelope of the response of the equivalent nonlinear stochastic system is approximated by a Markovian process. The associated Fokker–Plank–Kolmogorov (FPK) equation is used to derive the stationary probability density function (PDF) of the amplitude envelope in a closed form. The effects of energy dissipation coefficient and yield displacement on the response of system are examined using the stationary PDF solution. Moreover, Monte Carlo simulations (MCS) are used for ascertaining the accuracy of the analytical solutions.

Download Full-text

LOUDNESS RECRUITMENT AND VERTIGO

The Laryngoscope ◽

10.1288/00005537-195902000-00006 ◽

1959 ◽

Vol 69 (2) ◽

pp. 174???188 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Walter Alexander

Keyword(s):

Loudness Recruitment

Download Full-text

Loudness Growth under Masking: Relation to True Sensorineural Impairment

Journal of Speech and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/jshr.1604.597 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 597-607 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Alan M. Richards

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Power Function ◽

Threshold Shift ◽

Essential Difference ◽

Frequency Dependent ◽

Masker Level ◽

Loudness Recruitment ◽

The Family ◽

Balance Functions ◽

Loudness Growth

Alternate binaural loudness balances between masked and unmasked normal ears were performed to examine the growth of loudness as a function of masker level at each of several frequencies (500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz) and to determine whether the recruitmentlike phenomenon in masked ears is comparable in its growth and form to actual recruitment growth in sensorineural impaired ears. The results for 28 subjects indicated that for all frequencies a power function relating the perceived loudness in the masked ear to the unmasked ear could be drawn, and that the slope of this function rose as a function of increased masking. The family of slopes for each frequency was linearly related to the induced threshold shift. The slope of this latter relation proved to be frequency dependent. Comparison between the slope growth in simulated hearing loss and the family of loudness-balance slopes obtained from patients with true unilateral loss of varying degree indicated that the slopes of loudness-balance functions in the latter group also increased linearly with increased loss. In this latter instance, however, the slope growth was not frequency dependent, thus pointing to an essential difference between simulated and actual loudness recruitment growth.

Download Full-text

Behavioral Measurement of Loudness Recruitment in the Monkey

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America ◽

10.1121/1.3437476 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 55 (2) ◽

pp. 450-450

Author(s):

D. B. Moody

Keyword(s):

Loudness Recruitment ◽

Behavioral Measurement

Download Full-text

Introduction to the Consonant‐Recognition Test

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America ◽

10.1121/1.1974704 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 47 (1A) ◽

pp. 74-74

Author(s):

John W. Preusse

Keyword(s):

Recognition Test ◽

Consonant Recognition

Download Full-text

Single Band Amplitude Envelope Cues as an Aid to Speechreading

The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A ◽

10.1080/14640749108400990 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 43 (3) ◽

pp. 621-645 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Ken W. Grant ◽

Louis D. Braida ◽

Rebecca J. Renn

Keyword(s):

Single Band ◽

Amplitude Envelope

Download Full-text

Exploring the Effects of “Sound Shape” on Consumer Preference

Ergonomics in Design The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications ◽

10.1177/1064804618810031 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 16-19

Author(s):

Michael Schutz ◽

Jeanine K. Stefanucci

Keyword(s):

Interaction Design ◽

Crucial Role ◽

Perceived Value ◽

Consumer Preference ◽

Cost Effective ◽

User Preference ◽

Amplitude Envelope

Interfaces play a crucial role in a device’s success or failure. Although visual aspects generally receive more attention, findings from sonic interaction design increasingly illustrate the importance of auditory aesthetics in creating desirable products. Here we show that small changes to the amplitude envelope (i.e., “sound shape”) of tones affect user preference. Specifically, participants are willing to pay 9% more for products using sounds with decaying-amplitude envelopes rather than abruptly ending envelopes that are common in many device sounds. These findings hold important implications for cost-effective changes that could potentially improve a product’s desirability and perceived value.

Download Full-text