Repetition Pitch and Its Implication for Hearing Theory

ISSN： 1610-1928

Source： Acta Acustica united with Acustica, Vol.22, Iss.2, 1969-01, pp. : 63-73

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Abstract

When a sound and the (delayed) repetition of that sound are listened to, monaurally, a subjective tone is perceived with a pitch corresponding to the reciprocal value of the delay time. This pitch, Repetition Pitch, undergoes a relative change, independent of the delay time, when all the frequency components of the delayed sound are shifted in phase by a constant amount. Evidence is presented underlining the concept that Repetition Pitch is the result of a combined frequency- and time-analysis in the hearing organ. Thereby the perceived pitch appears to correspond to the reciprocal value of the time interval between two prominent positive peaks in the temporal fine structure of the displacement waveform, evoked by the signal, at a dominant frequency region on the basilar membrane. For each pitch value, this dominant region appears to be situated around a frequency of about four times the frequency value of the pitch. Finally, it is concluded that the perception of Repetition Pitch and identical pitch effects, known in literature as “Reflection Tone”, “Sweep Pitch”, “Time Difference Tone”, “Time Separation Pitch”, etc., is based on the same principles as the perception of the pitch of complex periodic sounds, known in literature as “Residue Pitch” and “Periodicity Pitch”.