audio experiment - how do you perceive this?
Hi all,
This has been on my agenda for posting here, but due to laziness I just haven't done it.
This is an audio experiment, and while it is musical in nature, you don't have to be a musician to take part. I've left out all the technical jargon to keep this accessible to a wider audience. This may result in things sounding vague, but in order to understand what the test is really checking, I'd have to go into a lot of technical details. I'll probably do that later on in the thread if it generates interest, but for now I'll keep it simple, and let you guys speculate on the true nature of the test.
The idea for this came up during a very interesting debate I had with a friend concerning how we hear various sounds. In short, if we voted on the pole in this thread, I would vote one way and he would vote the opposite. Neither of us thought such differences in perception would be this easily exposed, but yet here they are. That lead to me developing a strong fascination about how humans perceive sound, and the tricks our auditory system can play on us.
Now, you bunch of gamers and nerds here on the audiogames forum can test yourselves, and potentially tell who you would've sided with if you had been present during our debate
Test Instructions:
Download and listen to these two files: file 1file 2.
Preferably use high quality headphones or speakers if you can. Volume level doesn't matter, so long as it's comfortable and you can hear the sounds clearly.
Try to listen on something which has at least a little bit of bass; a lack of bass could bias the results. What I'm curious about here is how you perceive the full sound, not what you can make out on your cheap 50 cent speakers!
Performing the test itself is very simple. Each file contains two instrument sounds. Your job is simply to decide which file has both instruments playing the same note. Surprisingly, the conclusion may well vary from person to person!
Things to keep in mind:
This is not a formal test, it's just for fun. I'm not using this for research or any serious purpose. That said, please don't give troll votes, I do want actual test runs being reflected in the pole.
Don't be afraid or ashamed of your vote. I deliberately set the options up so that one doesn't look more superior or more tempting than the other. In truth, there really isn't a right or a wrong answer to this question. The right choice depends entirely on what your brain and your ear subscribe to.
If you are undecided, go with your first instinct. This isn't meant to take 10 minutes to work through, you should instantly come to a decision based on your immediate perception. If you really can't tell, though, go ahead and use the "can't tell" option. I'll be looking at replies, so if you're leaning toward one option but aren't confident enough to vote, I'll still see it and would be interested to read what you have to say!
This test is not meant to give indications about your hearing or listening skills. Rather it tests how different brains process certain sounds. Picking file 1 or file 2 just indicates your default way of aural processing, if you will. But it is by no means black and white. In fact, if you're good at noticing details, your perception could very well sway with careful listening to both files, but that is not what I'm testing for.
If you like these sorts of things, I have a few more I could share, so if you want to see them, let me know!
Okay, that'll do it for now. Let's see where this goes!
Edit: removed a stray h from the title, and put a blank line between the file links and the rest of the post.
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