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Isolating the dynamic attributes of musical timbre
1Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|November 1, 1993
Summary
Timbre perception relies on both the initial attack (onset) and the sustained portion of musical tones. Acoustic analyses reveal centroid frequencies and amplitude envelopes are key to these dynamic timbre judgments.
Area of Science:
- Psychoacoustics
- Music Perception
- Timbre Analysis
Background:
- Timbre, the perceived sound quality of a musical instrument, is complex and influenced by various acoustic factors.
- The role of initial transient sounds (onsets) in timbre perception has been a subject of ongoing research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dynamic attributes of timbre by examining the significance of onsets in similarity judgments.
- To determine whether salient timbre information is primarily located at the tone onset or throughout the entire sound.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted using orchestral instrument tones.
- Subjects rated the similarity of complete tones, isolated onsets, and tones with onsets removed (remainders).
- Acoustic analyses focused on centroid frequencies and amplitude envelopes.
Main Results:
- Similarity ratings for complete tones aligned with ratings for onsets, suggesting key attributes are present initially.
- Similarity ratings for complete tones also aligned with ratings for remainders, indicating attributes persist after the onset.
- Acoustic analyses confirmed that centroid frequencies and amplitude envelopes drive these similarity patterns.
Conclusions:
- Dynamic timbre attributes are present not only at the onset but also throughout the duration of a tone.
- Multiple acoustic features, including centroid frequencies and amplitude envelopes, contribute to perceived timbre dimensions.
- Timbre perception is a multifaceted process influenced by both transient and sustained acoustic information.