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PERCEPTION OF SOUND AND IMAGE

In our universe, there is an objective reality, which may be defined through quantitative measurements.A rock has a specific mass. A thermometer will

PERCEPTION OF SOUND AND IMAGE

Sep 1, 1998 12:00 PM,
SOUND & VIDEO CONTRACTOR STAFF

In our universe, there is an objective reality, which may be definedthrough quantitative measurements.

A rock has a specific mass. A thermometer will give us the temperatureoutside. Clocks mark the passage of time from one event to the next. Tothese distinct, objective realities, however, there is a human, subjectiveinterpretation. To one individual, the rock may be heavy; the weather mayfeel blisteringly hot, and the amount of time passing between two eventsmay seem like an eternity. A human interpretation of a quantifiable realityis colored by the individual’s physiology, biases, personality andperspective.

The worlds of sound and image are no different. A wide array instrumentsallow us to measure loudness, frequency and brightness, among others.Despite the availability of quantifiable measurements, human perception ofour environment often presents us with an interpretation at odds with theobjective and concrete. For example, an alarm clock may seem painfully loudin the morning, yet the evening’s live musical concert, althoughquantifiably louder, may not bring as much pain. In this, our 15thanniversary issue, we take an insightful journey through the realm of humanperception by examining such areas as impulse response, perceptual soundgrouping, and visual illusions, and by offering consideration to more thanthe quantifiable measurements, you will be able to add new a dimension toyour installation techniques.

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