MASKING

ROY D. TIPONES
Masking

A sound may become inaudible due to the presence
of one or more other sounds

Explained in terms of an increase in the hearing
threshold of the weaker sound

Formal definition:

“The process (or amount) by which the threshold of
audibility for one sound is raised by the presence of
another (masking) sound”

Amount – measured in dB
Masking

A sound is most easily masked by another sound
that has frequency components close to it

Related to the BM frequency resolution – our ability
to separate the components of a complex sound

Masking occurs if the frequency selectivity of the ear
is insufficient to separate the signal and the masker
Types of masking

Simultaneous masking – signal present at the
same time as the masker

Backward masking – signal present before
the masker

Forward masking – signal present after the
masker

Asa trk 23-25
Mechanism of simultaneous
masking

Two conceptions:

The masker swamps the neural activity
evoked by the signal

The masker suppresses the activity which the
signal would evoke if presented alone – two-
tone suppression
Forward masking

The amount of forward masking is greater the
nearer in time to the masker the signal occurs

limited to signals which occur within about
200ms after the cessation of the masker

Influenced by the relation between the
frequencies of the signal and masker
forward masking

Some explanations:

BM response rings after end of masker - temporal
overlap of vibration patterns on the BM – for small
delay times between masker and signal

fatigue in the auditory nerve or higher centres –
reduces the response to the signal after the masker

The auditory processes underlying forward and
backward masking are not well understood
Sound Localisation
Sound Localisation

Two ears

To determine the direction and distance of a sound
source

Locate sounds in the horizontal plane, the vertical
plane (elevation) and distance – for each of these
we use a number of different cues:

Interaural time difference (ITD)

Interaural level difference (ILD)

Pinna and head cues - head-related transfer
function (HRTF), head movement, movement of
sound source
Locating sounds in the
azimuth

Azimuth – locations on an imaginary circle
that extends around us in a horizontal plane,
measured in angle degrees

Locating a sound source in the azimuth:

Interaural time difference (ITD)

Interaural level difference (ILD)
Interaural level difference (ILD)

Difference in level (intensity) between a
sound arriving at one ear versus the other

Properties:

Sounds are more intense at the ear closer to
the source

Largest at 90°, -90° and min. at 0° and 180°
ILD

Head blocks high-frequency sounds much
more than low-frequency sounds,

low frequency sounds have a wavelength
which is long compare with the size of the
head – sound bends around the head

ILDs are greatest for high frequency sounds
Auditory distance perception

Determine how far away a sound is

Cue: relative intensity of a sound – become less
intense with greater distance

Cue: spectral composition of sounds – high
frequencies dampen (decrease in energy) more than
low frequencies for far away sounds – sound of
close vs far away thunder

Cue: relative amounts of direct vs. reverberant
energy – a closer sound – more direct energy, also
time delay between direct and reflected sound
Auditory distance perception

Change in intensity as listener moves toward the
sound source

Relies on many cues:

In order to estimate the distance of a sound source
the listener can combine absolute intensity, changes
in intensity with distance (a moving source), spectral
composition, and relative amounts of direct and
reflected energy.