Psychoacoustics on the Music Production

Psychoacoustics on the Music Production and Engineer Field

The objective of this study is to describe what this course taught about the human auditory system and its relationship to sound. This work will additionally describe how this knowledge can be put to practical use in the chosen area of study or expertise. Psychoacoustics is the study of how one perceives sound. This is in terms of the psychological and physiological effects of sound on the human being's nervous system. (Leeds, 2013) Psychoacoustics is a reported as another "realm" where vibration, frequency, music, sound…all of these are "interchangeable" and according to Leeds (2013) this is because "…they are different approximations of the same essence."

Defining Psychoacoustics

Indeed, the inquiry of psychoacoustics is focused on the experience of listening. The focus of this field is on the use of music for therapy and this pertains to the response psychologically-based either on physiological or neurological reactions to sound. Sounds may be "filtered or gated" and when "tones are slightly detuned" the result is that the brainwaves either speed up or slow down in what is termed as a "sophisticated engineering process" resulting in a "random sonic event." (2013) Leeds states that this "triggers an active listening response and thus tonifies the auditory mechanism, including the tiny muscles of the middle ear. As a result, sounds are perceived more accurately, and speech and communication skills improve." (Leeds, 2013)

III. The Application of Psychoacoustics

The important of psychoacoustics is an important one in today's society. It is important to understand what types of experiences are best for a perceived specific group of individuals as playing music that invoked rage would not be the chosen projection. Rather, in a large crowd, a listening experience that invoked calmness and a relaxed atmosphere would be a likely aim of psychoacoustics applied. The application of psychoacoustics could be used in the treatment of various disorders and treatment by using tone is becoming recognized as effective therapy across many specialties in the field of medicine.

IV. The Many Variables in Psychoacoustic Research

Psychoacoustics takes into account the experience of listening and the fact that the brain is always working to disseminate among incoming stimuli. As well understanding that music and speech are more alike than different and psychoacoustics factors in the visual stimuli and the assignation of these into units that make the incoming stimuli meaningful. Psychoacoustics also factors in the impact of cognition on individual perception of incoming stimuli. It is possible to study psychoacoustics through observation and testing of hypotheses as well as though measurements and analysis and upon solid findings undergoing peer review. Psychoacoustics is very much still in the research stages with the field of many yet undiscovered treasures it is certain.

V. Advanced Psychoacoustics

Advanced uses of psychoacoustics include those related to psychophysics, which shows that sounds begin with a vibration resulting from energy that is mechanically driven. When sound is immersed in air or water the variations in energy are transferred to the space in between that vibrate precisely in the same pattern. As this sound is transmitted through the medium the receptor in the medium vibrates in the same way. The human brain analyzes these patterns and learning occurs. The inner ear is a receptor that transmits messages to the brain about the location of sound and does so through the use of the following:

(1) pitch;

(2) loudness;

(3) timbre;

(4) spatial localization; and (5) Duration. (Lecture 2, p.4)

The shape of the inner ear in addition to any sounds that mask the tones being processed by the ear for instance in how white noise masks a 2 kHz tone. (Lecture 4, p.18) in addition, psychoacoustics measures the head and spatial localization or the head in relation to the surrounding in which the tones or sound is heard in relation to the position of the head. The cues for location of pure tones are reported as:

(1) Interaural time differences (it'd); and (2) Interaural level differences (ILD). (Lecture 10, p.2)

ILD result from sound bending around an object known as diffraction. ILD locate low frequencies, can be detected over the entire frequency range, and are large enough to make provision of clues on localization generally in high frequencies. The ear pinna and the head are complex and directly dependent upon one another for reception of incoming stimuli "from every direction in space." (Lecture 10, p.24) Behavioral psychologists relied on self-report in tasks that were "yes-no' to find sensory thresholds for:

(1) detection of weight;

(2) brightness or light;

(3) color saturation;

(4) discrimination of frequency;

(5) loudness;

(6) touch or toughness;

(7) touch in terms of pressure;

(8) taste (sweet, salty, bitter, sour) and (9) smells. (Lecture 2, p. 5)