Product Description

"Signals, Sound, and Sensation is of great importance to the hearing science community... If I were to give an advanced course, this is precisely the book I would recommend." (W. Dixon Ward, University of Minnesota)

This is a unique book on the mathematics of signals written for hearing-science researchers. Designed to follow an introductory text on psychoacoustics, Signals, Sound, and Sensation takes the reader through the mathematics of signal processing from its beginnings in the Fourier transform to advanced topics in modulation, dispersion relations, minimum phase systems, sampled data, and nonlinear distortion.

While the book is organized like an introductory engineering text on signals, the examples and exercises come from research on the perception of sound. A unique feature of the book is the consistent application of the Fourier transform, which unifies topics as diverse as cochlear filtering and digital recording. More than 250 exercises are included. Many of them are devoted to practical research in perception, while others explore surprising auditory illusions generated by special signals. A working knowledge of elementary calculus is the only prerequisite.

Signals, Sound, and Sensation will help readers acquire the quantitative skills they need to solve signal problems that arise in their everyday work. Periodic signals, aperiodic signals, and noise - along with their linear and nonlinear transformations - are covered in detail. More advanced mathematical topics are treated in the appendices.

In no other book are signal mathematics and psychoacoustics so neatly intertwined. Researchers and advanced students in the psychology of auditory perception will find this book indispensable.

---

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #557083 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-14
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 668 pages

Review

From the reviews

"...of great importance to the hearing science community... If I were to give an advanced course, this is precisely the book I would recommend." W. Dixon Ward, University of Minnesota

"Covers a wide range of topics in a clear, authoritative and easy-to-read style… [It] is intended to be used as a text for a second course in psychoacoustics … Should be considered by anyone wanting to teach signal theory to students with an interest in psychoacoustics." Physics Today

"…The book makes very clear the extraordinary complexity of the signal processing performed automatically and effortlessly by the ears … [This book] is specifically aimed at readers deeply interested in the perception of sound. It emphasizes not only advanced psychoacoustic concepts and measurement protocols, but also provides masterly treatment of the mathematics of signals … It is remarkably successful in its simultaneous exposition of the analytical, physical and perceptual aspects of sound and hearing … This is a splendid book, well organized, copiously illustrated and pleasantly written." American Scientist

"Signals, Sound, and Sensation" is of great importance to the hearing science community... If I were to give an advanced course, this is precisely the book I would recommend." --- W. Dixon Ward, University of Minnesota

---

Customer Reviews

Good application of signal processing theory to psychoacoustics
This book very much resembles an engineering textbook. It is written on the premise that a fundamental element in the science of sound as it is perceived is the signal. Thus, scientists who understand the mathematics of the signal are better prepared to develop and understand models of psychoacoustical effects. Therefore, this is not intended to be a first book on the either the subject of signal processing or psychoacoustics. Rather, this book attempts to join the two subjects.

This is very much a signals and systems type book, except that all of the signals and systems described pertain to audio and its perception. The quantitative emphasis in this book is underscored by the exercises at the end of each chapter. The author assumes that the reader has a fundamental understanding of calculus. Using that as a basis, the reader will learn a great deal about differential equations, Fourier transforms, and linear algebra, as these topics are covered in depth as they are needed. Throughout the book, topics that may seem elementary to those with an engineering background are interspersed with applications to acoustics and psychoacoustics that the reader may not be familiar with, so chapters should not be overlooked just because their titles convey the idea of remedial material. For example Chapter 6, on the perception of complex tones, at first looks like a simplistic tutorial on sampling theory, but it leads up to the interesting Shepard tones and the Tritone Paradox.

Along with the basics of tone and characteristics of sound, there is detailed coverage on the Fourier series and integral, signal processing, random processes and noise, and modulation, all discussed within the framework of applying these subjects to acoustics and psychoacoustics. Thus, some chapters are very mathematical while others are very conversational. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has prior knowledge of both signals and system theory as well as acoustics and psychoacoustics. There is no other book I know of that is as good as this one at explaining the mathematics of psychoacoustics.

Hard stuff
I read the book and it was quite a bit of hard work. I can only recommend to people who love maths. For all others, especially biologists and people more interested in the biological things: it is not worth the money.
If the author would use a more coherent and explaining style of writing and reduce formulas for every single detail it would be much better.

A Unique Book on Auditory Processing
This book fills a large gap between signal processing and psychoacoustics. Standard signal processing books have in-depth coverage on Fourier transform, filtering, etc., but say little about what various signals mean to our ears. On the other hand, psychoacoustics books lack necessary mathematical rigor and insight for people who want to understand underlying computations. The book is written with remarkable clarity and rigor, and yet accessible to readers with just basic knowledge of calculus. The book does not just state conclusions but goes through the trouble to show how they are or can be derived, which greatly enhances understanding. An ideal book for people interested in auditory computations, and a required reading for my students in Ohio State Computer and Cognitive Science. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in acoustic processing and auditory perception.