Perceptual similarity between piano notes: Simulations with a template-based perception model

Area of Science:

• Psychoacoustics
• Computational Auditory Modeling

Background:

• The Dau, Kollmeier, and Kohlrausch (1997) auditory model simulates human sound perception.
• Recent studies measured perceptual similarity of piano sounds using discrimination tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To simulate perceptual similarity of complex piano sounds using the Dau et al. auditory model.
• To validate the model's performance against experimental data on sound discrimination.

Main Methods:

• The Dau et al. auditory model was adapted with a new central processor stage.
• A fixed set of model parameters was reviewed and applied.
• The auditory adaptation stage and adaptation loops were described in detail.

Main Results:

• Simulations showed moderate to high correlation with experimental data.
• The adapted auditory model successfully simulated perceptual similarity of piano sounds.

Conclusions:

• The enhanced auditory model effectively simulates human perception of complex sounds.
• The model provides a valuable tool for psychoacoustic research and auditory modeling.