CS5611
Administration and Introduction
CS5611 Acoustics and Psychoacoustics
Mikael Fernström
ER1-009 mikael.fernstrom@ul.ie
Niall Griffith
CS209 niall.griffith@ul.ie
Course Structure
 2 Lectures + 1 Lab a week
 Lab:
 Lecture 1&2
Monday 11.00-12.00 CSG13
Thursday 09.00-11.00
CSG25
Lecture Notes
The lecture notes can be found at the following URL
http://www.csis.ul.ie/ccmcm/cs5611
CS5611 – Acoustics and Psychoacoustics Semester 1
Niall Griffith & Mikael Fernström
CS5611
Administration and Introduction
Assessment
 CS5611 is assessed through Assignment + Exam.
 The assignment
 50% of the course mark.
 There is a 10% penalty per day for late delivery of
assignments
i.e. you loose 5% of the course mark per day –
except if you have a really good excuse.
The assignment is only repeatable (at the discretion
of the lecturer) if you have an I grade.
 The exam
 5 questions to answer -- 3 psychoacoustic, 2 acoustic
 50% of the course mark.
If you have to repeat the exam (Grade F compulsory,
D2, D1 optional) then the exam is 100% of the course
mark.
The highest grade attainable in a repeat is C3.
 The assignment will be set in week 7 and will be due at
the end of week 12/13. The exact dates will given by
Mikael Fernström when the assignment is specified.
CS5611 – Acoustics and Psychoacoustics Semester 1
Niall Griffith & Mikael Fernström
CS5611
Administration and Introduction
Reading list
Principal text
Howard, D.M. & Angus J. (1996) Acoustics and Psychoacoustics.
Focal Press. (Library)
Other relevant texts
Bregman, A.S. (1990) Auditory Scene Analysis, MIT Press
(Library)
Cook, P. R. (1999) Music Cognition and Computerized Sound,
MIT Press. (Library)
David Butler (1992) The Musician’s Guide to Perception and
Cognition, Schirmer Books
Gaver, W. W. (1993). "What in the world do we hear? An
ecological approach to auditory source perception."
Ecological Psychology 5(1): 1-29.
Gaver, W. W. (1993). "How do we hear in the world?
Explorations of ecological acoustics." Ecological Psychology
5(4): 285-313.
Handel, S. (1989) Listening MIT Press (Library)
McAdams S and Bigande E. (1993) Thinking In Sound. OUP
(Library)
Moore B.C.J. (1997) An Introduction to the Psychology of
Hearing. Academic Press (Library)
Pickles J.O. (1982) An Introduction to the Physiology of Hearing.
Academic Press. (out of print)
Rosen, S. & Howel, P. (1991) Signals and Systems for Speech
and Hearing. Academic Press.
Wallin N. (1991) Biomusicology. Pendragon Press (Library)
CS5611 – Acoustics and Psychoacoustics Semester 1
Niall Griffith & Mikael Fernström
CS5611
Administration and Introduction
Course Objectives
To give you an understanding of the processes involved in the
production, transmission, and perception of sound.
Course Landmarks
Week
1
7
Administration & Intro
Course Outline
Assessment
Introduction
Assignment Set
12/13
Assignment Due
13
Revision
14/15
Exam
CS5611 – Acoustics and Psychoacoustics Semester 1
Niall Griffith & Mikael Fernström
CS5611
Acoustics Curriculum
Acoustics
Nature of Sound
Sound production
Sound propagation and radiation
Acoustics of Rooms
Media
Power
Refraction
Reflection
Spatialisation,
echo & reverb
standing waves
Stereo
3-D Audio
Sound in the environment
Movement
Doppler effect
Sound from
musical instruments
singing voice
Critical band
Masking
Localization
Auditory illusions
Earcons
Auditory Icons
Sonification
Virtual sound
CS5611 – Acoustics and Psychoacoustics Semester 1
Niall Griffith & Mikael Fernström
CS5611
Psychoacoustics Curriculum
Psychoacoustics
Structure of Auditory System
Ear
Auditory Nerve
Auditory Pathway
Auditory Cortex
Psychophysics Of Sound
Pitch
Range of Hearing
Sensitivity of discrimination JND
Critical Bands
Timbre – Sound Quality
Perception of natural sounds
Loudness - Intensity
Localisation - Direction
Auditory Scene Analysis
Gestalt Principles of organisation
Streaming -- Fusion and Fission
Musical Cognition and Memory
Musical Descriptors
Pitch
Scales & Melody
Meter
Rhythm
Development of Musicality
Musical Memory
STM, WM & LTM
Grouping & Reduction
CS5611 – Acoustics and Psychoacoustics Semester 1
Niall Griffith & Mikael Fernström