Contribution of spectral and temporal cues in timbre recognition among normal-hearing and hearing-impaired Iranian people
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Abstract
Background and Aim: Timbre, as a multidimensional feature of sound, is influenced by hearing loss and can significantly reduce music perception. Hearing loss may affect the duration or spectral coding of musical notes, making instrument recognition challenging. Since the temporal and spectral features of sounds are known to be crucial for timbre recognition, this study aimed to evaluate the relative importance of temporal and spectral cues for instrument (timbre) recognition in people with normal-hearing and those with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).
Methods: Two groups of Iranian adults with normal-hearing (n=29) and SNHL (n=28) participated in this study. In this research, the CAMP test was used. A single note from two musical instruments selected from among four musical instrument families was played and recorded (original condition). Subsequently, employing specialized signal processing techniques, the rise time and spectral cues were manipulated while maintaining the overall spectrum and loudness. Participants were asked to identify the desired instrument after listening to each note.
Results: Instrument recognition scores were the same at the original and spectral-manipulated conditions, but were lower at the temporal-manipulated condition. the difference between the two groups was significant (p<0.05), where the normal-hearing group recognized the musical instruments significantly better than the SNHL group(p<0.05).
Conclusion: Temporal cues have a greater importance for timbre recognition in Iranian people with normal hearing or SNHL. This suggests that the interventions and assistive devices aimed at improving timbre recognition for Iranian people with hearing loss should prioritize temporal processing.
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| Timbre recognition hearing loss music pitch musical instrument temporal spectral | ||
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