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Human ear as a tool

To: A.Nugent@unsw.edu.au, triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Human ear as a tool
From: JAMES_S_WALLACE@HP-Canada-om1.om.hp.com
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 09:49:30 -0500
     Allen,
     When adjusting carbs (trying to be a human Uni-Syn), are we listening 
     to volume or pitch? My understanding is that hearing loss due to 
     exposure to rock concerts (or other loud things) always occurs in the 
     mid-frequencies, which is where consonants are in speech. Thus, a 
     former rock-and-roll devotee would hear only vowels in speech, and 
     presumably not hear lots of sharp clunks or hisses in their cars 
     either (might be a relief, actually). On the other hand, if an SU or 
     Stromberg at idle normally sounds like a vowel, we're still at least 
     able to balance our twin carbs. 
     Regards,
     Jim Wallace
     >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
     Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 11:23:30 +1100 (EST)
     From: Allen Nugent <A.Nugent@unsw.edu.au>
     
     Hearing (and, to a lesser extent, vision) has a logarithmic, not 
     linear response to input power. This is so that we can detect sound 
     over a huge range. I would estimate the difference in power (the 
     square of volume) between a mosquito at 2 metres and a live band at 20 
     metres to be about 100 deciBels (a power ratio of 10,000).
     
     Therefore, if you expect to balance carbs by ear to within, say, 10%, 
     you had better not have been to too many rock concerts (like me ... 
     bzzzzzzzzzzzz).
     
     Allen Nugent
     Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering
     University of New South Wales
     Sydney  2052  Australia


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