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Re: Which is more sensitive? - spectrogram software or human hearing

Subject: Re: Which is more sensitive? - spectrogram software or human hearing
From: "Rob Danielson" danielson_audio
Date: Sun Aug 15, 2010 3:37 pm ((PDT))
Good points, all. The tools can, with coaxing, sometimes serve as a
lab friend to confirm that something has indeed been heard. Sonograms
can also extend HF abilities for interpreting many animal
communications.  But in terms of Thomas' original question of whether
they enhance _human_ "acuteness," I personally do not think the
analysis tools can hold a candle to what humans can infer from
living, vivid impressions.  However, the momentum of human
enthusiasms can mislead one dramatically so checks and balances like
sonograms and other forms of experimentation play important roles in
the big picture. Rob

  =3D =3D =3D

At 8:23 AM +0000 8/15/10, Mike Rooke wrote:
>Hi,
>Using decimation or the large transform size in baudline will enable
>you to zoom in / scroll around the frequency domain. Using the color
>aperture will set the full scale db range of interest, hence if you
>wish to see 65-66 db setting the aperture to 65 and 66 will use the
>full color range for just one dB. - The blip Fourier transform will
>enhance resolution to bring out details. like all software learning
>to drive it can take time.
>
>Rather off topic but heres baudline analyzing seti data:-
><http://baudline.blogspot.com/2010/04/setiquest-kepler-exo4-1420-mhz.html>=
http://baudline.blogspot.com/2010/04/setiquest-kepler-exo4-1420-mhz.html
>
>To answer the question by ear the ear wins, to answer according to
>the analysis of a pre-recorded sound, perhaps spectrogram software,
>but often ive tried to identify something that can be heard clearly
>yet cannot be displayed in the detail required no matter how many
>configurations I try in baudline. Also acoustic / field knowledge
>far outweighs any analysis software.
>
>-Mike.



>--- In
><naturerecordists%40yahoogroups.com>=
m,
>Rob Danielson <> wrote:
>>
>>  At 4:44 PM -0700 8/14/10, Dan Dugan wrote:
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > > Just curious: Can a human hear and distinguish more acutely than a
>>  >> computer spectrogram can display or visualize?
>>  >
>>  >I would say yes and no--If you can hear something, you can adjust a
>>  >spectrogram software to show it, but there's no one setting that
>>  >would show everything you can hear.
>>  >
>>  >-Dan
>>  >
>>
>>  None of the sonogram tools I've used have come very close. Maybe I'm
>>  not using them to their full abilities or using the right tools. It
>>  not unusual for me to discern differences of 1/2 dB and 1/24th of an
>>  octave while making adjustments by ear. The sonogram apps I routinely
>>  use have a minimum amplitude range of 20dB. Are there sonogram apps
>>  that can distinguish fractions of a dB while only examining a 1/4 of
>>  an octave? This would be a very useful tool if it could also display
>  > these factors in real time. Rob D.
>>


--









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