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Abstract
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Introduction
Method
Analysis
Analysis of Variance (Anova)
Conclusions
References

Perceptual and Acoustical Dimensions of Saxophone Sound

Profile image of Örjan JohanssonÖrjan Johansson

Abstract

Specifications of product sound qualities may contain both perceptual and acoustical descriptions. The perceptual descriptions are most helpful when they contain adequate detail and utilises understandable wording. To facilitate the product design process the descriptions should also be interpretable as acoustical quantities. The objectives of the study reported upon here were to investigate how musicians use verbal descriptions of sound and to interpret these descriptions in terms of commonly used acoustical quantities. Musicians' use of verbal descriptions of saxophone sound was investigated through interviews. The most frequently used words were evaluated through listening tests. The subjects were asked to judge how well the words described the timbre of test sounds. To find the most significant perceptual dimensions for the test sounds Principal Component Analysis was used. Four significant dimensions were found and described by 9 words. To interpret the perceptual dimension...

Figures (10)
In listening test 3 recordings were made of one saxophone player playing two alto saxophones of the same brand and model, of which one was modified by installation of a plate surrounding the edges of the tone holes, see figure 1.
In listening test 3 recordings were made of one saxophone player playing two alto saxophones of the same brand and model, of which one was modified by installation of a plate surrounding the edges of the tone holes, see figure 1.
* To give a hint of how the vowels should be pronounced, an example of a word was given in the following way: like a, as for example in “car”. In the English translation, the phonetic description of the vowel has been given instead. Table 2: Descriptors judged in listening test 2 and 3.
* To give a hint of how the vowels should be pronounced, an example of a word was given in the following way: like a, as for example in “car”. In the English translation, the phonetic description of the vowel has been given instead. Table 2: Descriptors judged in listening test 2 and 3.
Table 1: Descriptors used in listening test 1.
Table 1: Descriptors used in listening test 1.
Results and discussion Table 3: Acoustic quantities used as independent variables in the linear regression models.
Results and discussion Table 3: Acoustic quantities used as independent variables in the linear regression models.
Table 4: r’-values of the four Varimax rotated components found by PCA from listening tests based on tone stimuli. Table 4: r’-values of the four Varimax rotated components found by PCA from listening tests based on tone stimuli.
Table 4: r’-values of the four Varimax rotated components found by PCA from listening tests based on tone stimuli. Table 4: r’-values of the four Varimax rotated components found by PCA from listening tests based on tone stimuli.
Table 5: p-values for the ANOVA of data from listening test 1. Only variables with p-values below 0.05 are shown. p-values below 0.05 are in bold. Descriptors representing each component from the PCA were selected for further analysis. Component 1 was represented by soft and warm, component 2 by o]-like, component 3 by sharp and rough and component 4 by [e]-like. Component 4 was considered to represent front vowels, even though [e]-like and [z]- ike were not salient on this component. None of the front vowel similes showed significant variations between the two saxophones or the two musicians at the 0.05 level. [e]-like was the front vowel simile with the lowest p-value (0.12 for the factor musician). Therefore, it was chosen as a representative for front vowels, and hence also for component 4, even though it was not salient in this component. The selected descriptors were used as variables in listening tests 2 and 3. For listening test 2 the same factors as for listening test 1, musician and saxophone, were examined by ANOVA. The results are presented in table 6.
Table 5: p-values for the ANOVA of data from listening test 1. Only variables with p-values below 0.05 are shown. p-values below 0.05 are in bold. Descriptors representing each component from the PCA were selected for further analysis. Component 1 was represented by soft and warm, component 2 by o]-like, component 3 by sharp and rough and component 4 by [e]-like. Component 4 was considered to represent front vowels, even though [e]-like and [z]- ike were not salient on this component. None of the front vowel similes showed significant variations between the two saxophones or the two musicians at the 0.05 level. [e]-like was the front vowel simile with the lowest p-value (0.12 for the factor musician). Therefore, it was chosen as a representative for front vowels, and hence also for component 4, even though it was not salient in this component. The selected descriptors were used as variables in listening tests 2 and 3. For listening test 2 the same factors as for listening test 1, musician and saxophone, were examined by ANOVA. The results are presented in table 6.
Table 6: p-values for the ANOVA of data from listening test 2. p-values below 0.05 are bold. For listening test 3, the effect of one factor, saxophone with or without the plates surrounding the edges of the tone holes, was analysed by ANOVA. The results are presented in table 7. In listening test 3 all selec variables could be used for discrimination between ted the two saxophones. The modified saxophone was judged sharper, rougher, less soft, less warm, more [e]-like and less [o]-like than the unmodified saxophone. ce) significant difference in overall impression was found.
Table 6: p-values for the ANOVA of data from listening test 2. p-values below 0.05 are bold. For listening test 3, the effect of one factor, saxophone with or without the plates surrounding the edges of the tone holes, was analysed by ANOVA. The results are presented in table 7. In listening test 3 all selec variables could be used for discrimination between ted the two saxophones. The modified saxophone was judged sharper, rougher, less soft, less warm, more [e]-like and less [o]-like than the unmodified saxophone. ce) significant difference in overall impression was found.
3.3 Linear regression Table 7: p-values for the ANOVA of data from listening test 3. p-values below 0.05 are bold.
3.3 Linear regression Table 7: p-values for the ANOVA of data from listening test 3. p-values below 0.05 are bold.
Table 9: Linear regression models based on sums of neighbouring critical bands. Table 8: The linear regression models suggested by stepwise estimation.
Table 9: Linear regression models based on sums of neighbouring critical bands. Table 8: The linear regression models suggested by stepwise estimation.

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