Temporal Coherence in the Perception of Tone Sequences

 

Part 6:
The Perception of Temporal Relations

Load example circuit for part 6

This circuit demonstrates that in the case of fission it becomes difficult to hear the exact temporal relations between the tones that belong to different streams. The demo is automated so that you can concentrate on the perceptual phenomena.

In the tone sequence ABAB... we are going to shift the position in time of the tones B. In slow sequences this can easily be heard as a change of rhythm.
Now we increase the tone pitch interval. In this slow sequence, the hobbling rhythm can also be heard at large intervals.
We now raise the tempo, while keeping the relative shift of the tones B from the middle position the same.
It will become difficult to hear the mutual temporal position between the tones A and B. The hobbling rhythm disappears.
Without changing the timing of the tone sequence, we reduce the tone interval again. This makes it possible to hear the hobbling rhythm.
Finally, we move the B tones back to the middle, and you can hear the smooth isochronous sequence again.



©2002 Leon van Noorden
Ed: Andy J Turner