Auditory Behavioral Research Lab, UW - Madison

Welcome to the home page of the Auditory Behavioral Research Lab (ABRL) of the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Stay tuned, this page is sometimes under construction. 

Determining the Source from the Force.

The figure above represents, as wavelength, the degree of perceptible change in the spectrum of a common tuning fork sound with percent change in bar length (z-axis), mass density (x-axis), and elasticity (y-axis). Using the principles of theoretical acoustics, it is possible approximately to reconstruct the sound pressure waveform at the ear as it would be produced by this simple resonant source and others. Here's a brass tuning fork - ding(.wav), here's a large suspended metal plate - dong(.wav), here's a mylar tympani membrane - boing(.wav), here's a small wood block - bonk(.wav).  Here is a sequence of two-interval, forced-choice, trials of real-recorded vs. synthesized sounds used in a recent experiment involving 35 members of the Madison Symphony Orchestra (For best results play outside of browser using a popular media player; membrane also requires speakers with low-frequency response).  We attempt to understand how listeners evaluate different physical attributes of these sources (size, material, etc.) by measuring partial correlations of their identification responses with lawful pertubations in acoustic parameters introduced experimentally. Sound source determination based on the physical dynamics of the source is one of several projects currently underway at the ABRL.

Other ongoing projects :

People, past and present:

Affiliations:

And now our lab anthem.

Email: lutfi@waisman.wisc.edu