Sound Design Psychoacoustics and Sound Perception 2

Question 1

Binaural hearing primarily refers to:

Accepted Answer

Using both ears together to localize the direction and distance of sound sources

Answer

Listening to audio exclusively through headphones

Answer

Listening at frequencies above 20kHz using special equipment

Answer

Recording audio with two microphones in a figure-8 polar pattern

Question 2

Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) describe:

Accepted Answer

How sound is modified by the head, ears, and torso before reaching the eardrums

Answer

The frequency response specifications of studio headphones

Answer

The gain structure of a standard signal processing chain

Answer

Network transfer protocols used for streaming audio data

Question 3

The 'cocktail party effect' refers to the auditory system's ability to:

Accepted Answer

Selectively focus on one conversation while filtering out background noise

Answer

Tolerate high SPL levels in loud social environments

Answer

Perceive rhythmic patterns in music at social gatherings

Answer

Adapt the equal loudness response to noisy environments

Question 4

What is auditory fatigue?

Accepted Answer

A temporary reduction in hearing sensitivity after exposure to loud sounds

Answer

Permanent noise-induced hearing loss from chronic loud exposure

Answer

The tendency for engineers to make poor mix decisions during long sessions

Answer

The inability to distinguish between harmonically similar sounds

Question 5

In psychoacoustics, 'critical bandwidth' refers to:

Accepted Answer

The frequency range within which two tones interact and mask each other in the cochlea

Answer

The maximum bandwidth supported by professional digital audio interfaces

Answer

The full range of human hearing from 20Hz to 20kHz

Answer

The bandwidth required for CD-quality audio transmission

Question 6

Which factor does NOT directly affect horizontal sound localization in humans?

Accepted Answer

The pitch or frequency of the sound

Answer

Interaural Time Difference (ITD)

Answer

Interaural Level Difference (ILD)

Answer

Spectral shaping by the outer ear (pinna cues)

Question 7

What is the 'missing fundamental' phenomenon in psychoacoustics?

Accepted Answer

When the brain perceives a fundamental pitch that is not physically present in the signal

Answer

When a recording has the low-frequency content accidentally filtered out

Answer

When reverb masks the fundamental note in a dense mix

Answer

The loss of bass frequencies when playing audio through small speakers