Re: Microphone self-noise versus background noise

["Robin" robin_parmar_sound]

Norman Davies wrote:

> For me, noise masking is an academic dead end. I understand, from the pri=
nciples of 'data reduced' audio storage formats, that there are psychoacust=
ic factors that can be bundled up into theoretical sumations of reproductio=
n perception.=A0 I get the idea that we can be fooled.
>
> I also get the idea that I'm sick and fed up of being fooled, too.

You are not being "fooled" unless you think your ears are fooling you.

> If you can hear it, it noise.

If you can hear it, it's sound. If you don't want to hear it, it's noise.

> The fact that there are other noises in the spectrum, doesn't mask anythi=
ng. It's additive. If an orchestra of "noises" played together, would you i=
gnore all but the loudest=A0 component ?
>
> I don't think so.

But your ear-brain axis does "think" so. Masking exists as an empirical fac=
t. In this case your intuition is wrong.

-- Robin Parmar