ascolto, psicoacustica, hearing, psycophisic

Ascolto e PsicoAcustica

Indice

• General information
• Useful data on hearing
• Psycophysics
• Hearing damages and protections

General information

• A Description of the Ear - An Overview
• A Survey of Musical Instrument Spectra to 102.4 KHz - there is energy above 20 kHz in some musical instruments, but normal hearing does not hear them
• Common Misconceptions about Hearing - paper from Digital Recordings
• Fletcher-Munson Equal Loudness Curves - What in the world is a Fletcher-Munson equal loudness curve, and why should I care? Humans don't hear all frequencies of sound at the same level. That is, our ears are more sensitive to some frequencies and less sensitive to other frequencies. Not only that, but the sensitivity changes with the sound pressure level (SPL), too. Fletcher-Munson Equal Loudness Curves tell how the ear reacts to different frequencies on different sound levels.
• Hearing and perception - operation of the ear
• Hearing Impairment FAQ
• Human Audio Perception FAQ - short description of loudness curve, Bark scale and critical band
• Human Audio Perception Frequently Asked Questions
• Music and The Human Ear
• Noise FAQ

Useful data on hearing

The ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies, particularly in the low and high frequency ranges. The Fletcher-Munson Curve explains the non-linear response of the human ear , whereby very low and very high frequencies at a given physical intensity are perceived as softer than mid-range frequencies, with 3-4 kHz being the most sensitive frequency range.

• Equal Loudness Contours-
• Fletcher and Munson equal loudness curves
• Fletcher Munson Curves - The Fletcher-Munson Curve explains the non-linear response of the human ear, whereby very low and very high frequencies at a given physical intensity are perceived as softer than mid-range frequencies, with 3-4 kHz being the most sensitive frequency range.
• Frequency ranges of various equipment and instruments

Psycophysics

• Physics and Psycophysics of music
• Psychoacoustics in audio compression

Hearing damages and protections

Any sound above 85 dB can cause hearing loss, and the loss is related both to the power of the sound as well as the length of exposure. Eight hours of 90-dB sound can cause damage to your ears; any exposure to 140-dB sound causes immediate damage (and causes actual pain).

General information

• Dangerous Decibels: Dancing Until Deaf - high music levels in dance clubs can be dangerous to your hearing
• Hearing Losses - Cause and Effect
• H.E.A.R. - non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the real dangers of repeated exposure to excessive noise levels which can lead to permanent hearing loss and tinnitus
• HEAR Feature Articles - many hearing and hearing damages related articles
• Turn It Up, Eh! Part II - The Horror Continues
• What is a decibel, and what is the loudest sound I can listen to before it hurts my ears?

Hearing protection

• Ear Damage TechTalk
• Protecting your hearing - a look at the potential hazards to our hearing in the workplace and in our social lives

Headphones and hearing damages

• Preventing Hearing Damage When Listening With Headphones - hearing damage from headphones is probably more common than from loudspeakers, because many people exploit the acoustic isolation by listening at higher volumes

Noise exposure

• Noise Pollution Clearinghouse - non-profit organization with extensive online noise related resources
• OSHA Guidelines - what are tolerable noise levels for workers in USA
• Understanding Noise Weighting Curves
• Weighting Curves - This figure descrubes standard weighting curves for sound level measurements (A, B and C). Curve 'A' is the most commonly used.

Tinnitus

• Tinnitus.org information center about tinnitus
• Tinnitus FAQ - annoying buzzing noise in your ear ?

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