Musical Mix Clarity Prediction Using Decomposition and Perceptual Masking Thresholds
Objective measurement of perceptually motivated music attributes has application in both target-driven mixing and mastering methodologies and music information retrieval. This work proposes a perceptual model of mix clarity which decomposes a mixed input signal into transient, steady-state, and resi...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/20/9578 |
| _version_ | 1797515396749721600 |
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| author | Andrew Parker Steven Fenton |
| author_facet | Andrew Parker Steven Fenton |
| author_sort | Andrew Parker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective measurement of perceptually motivated music attributes has application in both target-driven mixing and mastering methodologies and music information retrieval. This work proposes a perceptual model of mix clarity which decomposes a mixed input signal into transient, steady-state, and residual components. Masking thresholds are calculated for each component and their relative relationship is used to determine an overall masking score as the model’s output. Three variants of the model were tested against subjective mix clarity scores gathered from a controlled listening test. The best performing variant achieved a Spearman’s rank correlation of <i>rho</i> = 0.8382 (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Furthermore, the model output was analysed using an independent dataset generated by progressively applying degradation effects to the test stimuli. Analysis of the model suggested a close relationship between the proposed model and the subjective mix clarity scores particularly when masking was measured using linearly spaced analysis bands. Moreover, the presence of noise-like residual signals was shown to have a negative effect on the perceived mix clarity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:44:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fc6d72ae4117439fb878516560b2fabc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:44:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-fc6d72ae4117439fb878516560b2fabc2023-11-22T17:21:02ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172021-10-011120957810.3390/app11209578Musical Mix Clarity Prediction Using Decomposition and Perceptual Masking ThresholdsAndrew Parker0Steven Fenton1Centre for Audio and Psychoacoustic Engineering (CAPE), University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UKCentre for Audio and Psychoacoustic Engineering (CAPE), University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UKObjective measurement of perceptually motivated music attributes has application in both target-driven mixing and mastering methodologies and music information retrieval. This work proposes a perceptual model of mix clarity which decomposes a mixed input signal into transient, steady-state, and residual components. Masking thresholds are calculated for each component and their relative relationship is used to determine an overall masking score as the model’s output. Three variants of the model were tested against subjective mix clarity scores gathered from a controlled listening test. The best performing variant achieved a Spearman’s rank correlation of <i>rho</i> = 0.8382 (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Furthermore, the model output was analysed using an independent dataset generated by progressively applying degradation effects to the test stimuli. Analysis of the model suggested a close relationship between the proposed model and the subjective mix clarity scores particularly when masking was measured using linearly spaced analysis bands. Moreover, the presence of noise-like residual signals was shown to have a negative effect on the perceived mix clarity.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/20/9578mix clarityclarityauditory maskingperceptionpsychoacoustic modelMPEG |
| spellingShingle | Andrew Parker Steven Fenton Musical Mix Clarity Prediction Using Decomposition and Perceptual Masking Thresholds Applied Sciences mix clarity clarity auditory masking perception psychoacoustic model MPEG |
| title | Musical Mix Clarity Prediction Using Decomposition and Perceptual Masking Thresholds |
| title_full | Musical Mix Clarity Prediction Using Decomposition and Perceptual Masking Thresholds |
| title_fullStr | Musical Mix Clarity Prediction Using Decomposition and Perceptual Masking Thresholds |
| title_full_unstemmed | Musical Mix Clarity Prediction Using Decomposition and Perceptual Masking Thresholds |
| title_short | Musical Mix Clarity Prediction Using Decomposition and Perceptual Masking Thresholds |
| title_sort | musical mix clarity prediction using decomposition and perceptual masking thresholds |
| topic | mix clarity clarity auditory masking perception psychoacoustic model MPEG |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/20/9578 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andrewparker musicalmixclaritypredictionusingdecompositionandperceptualmaskingthresholds AT stevenfenton musicalmixclaritypredictionusingdecompositionandperceptualmaskingthresholds |