pitch, timbre

1
pitch, timbre auditory streaming

• 1 handout

2
selection problem
3
streaming by a pitch difference
- fusion
- streaming
4
timbre

• vs. loudness, duration, pitch

5
physical attributes

• 3 timbre dimensions

6
timbre from spectrums shape

• dB of components plotted against their
  frequencies
• helps distinguish among instruments

addition,
successively higher components,
one at a time
7
brightness dimension

• balance of spectrums shape
• French horn
• - low on brightness
• - prominent low frequencies
• oboe
• - high on brightness
• - prominent high frequencies

8
timbre from attack

• abruptness of onset
• bowed violin (smooth)
• piano tone (sharp)

9
spectral flux

• spectrums shape changes
• trumpet (high)
• oboe (low)

10
brightness
physical timbre space, 3D
spectral flux
attack

• predicts perceptual differences

11
problems with this approach

• players vary timbre, e.g. violin
• isolated tones vs. tones played in real melodies
• context influences timbre judgments

12
alternative approaches

• events
• similar timbres from similar events

13
streaming by a timbre difference
interleaved xylophones
similar timbres
- fusion
different timbres,
brightness altered
- streaming
14
voice timbre and phonemes

• she and shoe,
  shape of spectrum
• shoe and show,
  spectral flux
• shoe and chew,
  attack
• similar phonemes from similar events

15
phoneme differences

• essentially, variations in timbre
• segmental information

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intonation and stress

• essentially, variations in pitch, loudness and
  duration
• suprasegmental information
• e.g. shoe vs. shoe?

football results
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