MODELING SPECTRAL AND TEMPORAL MASKING IN THE HUMAN AUDITORY SYSTEM

An auditory signal processing model is presented that simulates psychoacoustical data from a large variety of experimental conditions related to spectral and temporal masking. The model is based on the modulation filterbank model by Dau et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 102, 2892-2905 (1997)] but includes the dual-resonance non-linear (DRNL) filterbank suggested by Lopez-Poveda and Meddis [J.

Acoust. Soc. Am. 110, 3107-3118 (2001)] to simulate the non-linear cochlear signal processing, as well as several other modifications at later processing stages motivated by other recent findings. The model was tested in conditions of tone-in-noise masking, intensity discrimination, spectral masking with tones and narrowband noises, forward masking with (on- and off-frequency) noise- and pure-tone maskers, and amplitude modulation detection using different noise carrier bandwidths.

One of the key properties of the model is the combination of the fast-acting cochlear compression with the slower compression realized in the adaptation stage of the model. Both play a crucial role for the success of this model.