Zwicker effect

[r norman]

On 2 Jun 2003 11:30:47 -0700, tonyjeffs at aol.com (TonyJeffs) wrote:

>r norman <rsnorman_ at _comcast.net> wrote in message news:<u2nmdvs5dsfkjfd6bkqi5e8g4qk066r0mf at 4ax.com>...
>>   Not to mention the constant tinnitus that
>> prevents me from recognizing a faint high frequency tone!
>> 
>
>Small world!!! 
>My ageing tinnitus website is at www.tonyjeffs.com/tinnitus
>
>I was never a hi-fi buff, but wonder whether the output amp in my
>Soundblaster and cheap speakers can retain that 60dB/octave. I think
>maybe it might require top-of the range domestic audio equipment to
>achieve. I don't know though.  I found a shareware program, Saccara,
>at http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/programs/Saccara/
>(< 1 minute download)
>
>It can produce white noise, pink noise, high, low and bandpass, but
>has no graphical display, so it's difficult to know exactly what is
>happening.
>
>Tony

My tinnitus was described as sort of a "phantom limb" effect resulting
from my high frequency hearing loss (I can't hear the upper half
octave on a piano).  In any event, a pair of digital, very expensive
hearing aids makes a world of difference.  I rediscovered that paper
crinkles, water splashes, and coins jingle, things I hadn't heard in
ages.  And my tinnitus is either gone or I just don't bother to care
when my hearing aids or on.

Even your cheap computer audio system should be good up to 8 or 10
kHz. So if your high frequency cutoff is 5 hKz it should be fine.

There are a number of fourier transform (FFT) programs.  SigView
http://www.sigview.com/ is relatively inexpensive.  Google, of course,
has a good list at
http://directory.google.com/Top/Science/Math/Numerical_Analysis/Software/Fast_Fourier_Transforms/

Reliable software has a little unit on FFT
(http://www.relisoft.com/Science/Physics/sound.html)
and a free frequency analyzer at
http://www.relisoft.com/freeware/index.htm.  Source code is
also available to help you roll your own.

I used to have software to do all that but it was years ago.