Perception of attributes in real and synthetic string instrument sounds

This thesis explores the perceptual features of natural and synthetic string instrument sounds. The contributions are in formal listening experiments on a variety of features in musical sounds that have not been studied in detail previously. The effects of inharmonicity on timbre and pitch have been measured. The results indicate that the implementation of inharmonicity is not always necessary. The timbre effect is more salient in natural instruments, but for high tones a pitch difference may also be detected. Guidelines were given for compensation of the pitch effect. A perceptual study of the decaying parameters showed that large deviations from the reference value are tolerated perceptually. The studies on the audibility of initial pitch glides and dual-polarization effects provides practical knowledge that helps in the implementation of these features in digital sound synthesis. Related to expression rather than basic string behavior, the study on perception-based control of the vibrato parameters has a sligthly different background. However, all of the studied features are more or less player-controlled by different ways of plucking the string or pressing the key. The main objective of the thesis is to find answers to current problems in digital sound synthesis, such as parameter quantization. Another aim is to gain more general understanding of how we perceive musical sounds.reviewe

Augmenting Sonic Experiences Through Haptic Feedback

Sonic experiences are usually considered as the result of auditory feedback alone. From a psychological standpoint, however, this is true only when a listener is kept isolated from concurrent stimuli targeting the other senses. Such stimuli, in fact, may either interfere with the sonic experience if they distract the listener, or conversely enhance it if they convey sensations coherent with what is being heard. This chapter is concerned with haptic augmentations having effects on auditory perception, for example how different vibrotactile cues provided by an electronic musical instrument may affect its perceived sound quality or the playing experience. Results from different experiments are reviewed showing that the auditory and somatosensory channels together can produce constructive effects resulting in measurable perceptual enhancement. That may affect sonic dimensions ranging from basic auditory parameters, such as the perceived intensity of frequency components, up to more complex perceptions which contribute to forming our ecology of everyday or musical sounds

Developing a speech intelligibility test based on measuring speech reception thresholds in noise for English and Finnish

Peer reviewe

Audibility of the timbral effects of inharmonicity in stringed instrument tones

Abstract: Listening tests were conducted to find the audibility of inharmonicity in musical sounds produced by stringed instruments, such as the piano or the guitar. The audibility threshold of inharmonicity was measured at five fundamental frequencies. Results show that the detection of inharmonicity is strongly dependent on the fundamental frequency f 0 . A simple model is presented for estimating the threshold as a function of f 0 . The need to implement inharmonicity in digital sound synthesis is discussed

Rendering and subjective evaluation of real vs. Synthetic vibrotactile cues on a digital piano keyboard

The perceived properties of a digital piano keyboard were studied in two experiments involving different types of vibrotactile cues in connection with sonic feedback. The first experiment implemented a free playing task in which subjects had to rate the perceived quality of the instrument according to five attributes: Dynamic control, Rich- ness, Engagement, Naturalness, and General preference. The second experiment measured performance in timing and dynamic control in a scale playing task. While the vibrating condition was preferred over the standard non- vibrating setup in terms of perceived quality, no significant differences were observed in timing and dynamics accu- racy. Overall, these results must be considered preliminary to an extension of the experiment involving repeated mea- surements with more subjects

Perception of interactive vibrotactile cues on the acoustic grand and upright piano

An experiment has been conducted, measuring pianists’ sensitivity to piano key vibrations at the fingers while playing an upright or a grand Yamaha Disklavier piano. At each trial, which consisted in playing loud and long A notes across the whole keyboard, vibrations were either present or absent through setting the Disklavier pianos to normal or quiet mode. Sound feedback was always provided by a MIDI controlled piano synthesizer via isolating ear/headphones, which masked the acoustic sound in normal mode. In partial disagreement with the existing literature, our results suggest that significant vibrotactile cues are produced in the lower range of the piano keyboard, with perceptual cut-off around the middle octave. Possible psychophysical mechanisms supporting the existence of such cues are additionally discussed

Detection of keyboard vibrations and effects on perceived piano quality

Two experiments were conducted on an upright and a grand piano, both either producing string vibrations or conversely being silent after the initial keypress, while pianists were listening to the feedback from a synthesizer through insulating headphones. In a quality experiment, participants unaware of the silent mode were asked to play freely and then rate the instrument according to a set of attributes and general preference. Participants preferred the vibrating over the silent setup, and preference ratings were associated to auditory attributes of richness and naturalness in the low and middle ranges. Another experiment on the same setup measured the detection of vibrations at the keyboard, while pianists played notes and chords of varying dynamics and duration. Sensitivity to string vibrations was highest in the lowest register and gradually decreased up to note D5. After the percussive transient, the tactile stimuli exhibited spectral peaks of acceleration whose perceptibility was demonstrated by tests conducted in active touch conditions. The two experiments confirm that piano performers perceive vibratory cues of strings mediated by spectral and spatial summations occurring in the Pacinian system in their fingertips, and suggest that such cues play a role in the evaluation of quality of the musical instrument

AVH-potilaan kotiutuminen Armilan sairaalan vaativan kuntoutuksen osastolta : - potilaan näkökulma

Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli kuvata AVH-potilaiden kotiutumisen onnistumista Armilan sairaalan vaativan kuntoutuksen osastolta kotiutuneiden potilaiden näkökulmasta. Tutkimuskysymysten avulla selvitettiin kotiutuneiden AVH-potilaiden mielipiteitä heidän osastolla saamastaan jatkohoidon ohjauksesta ja siinä mahdollisesti esiintyvistä puutteista sekä heidän selviytymistään kotona päivittäisissä toiminnoissa. Opinnäytetyö toteutettiin kvantitatiivisella tutkimusmenetelmällä. Kyselylomake laadittiin tutkimuskysymysten pohjalta, ja aineisto kerättiin syys–lokakuussa 2011. Kyselylomake lähetettiin tammi–kesäkuun 2011 aikana Armilan sairaalan vaativan kuntoutuksen osastolta kotiutuneille potilaille (N=28). Vastausprosentti oli 64 % (n=18). Aineisto analysoitiin tilastollisin menetelmin. Analysointi suoritettiin pääasiassa manuaalisesti ja apuna käytettiin Windowsin Excel-taulukkolaskenta ja IBM SSPS Statistics 19.0 ohjelmia. Avoimet kysymykset analysoitiin luokittelemalla ja laskemalla frekvenssejä. Kaikki vastaajat ilmoittivat tarvitsevansa toisen henkilön apua selviytyäkseen päivittäisistä toiminnoista. Avustava henkilö oli useimmiten puoliso tai sukulainen. Eniten apua tarvittiin lääkkeiden annostelemisessa ja ottamisessa, asioiden hoitamisessa kodin ulkopuolella sekä ruokailun järjestämisessä. Omatoimisimmin vastaajat selviytyivät sisätiloissa liikkumisesta. Kokemukset saadusta ohjauksesta ja jatkohoidon suunnittelusta olivat enimmäkseen positiivisia. Omaisten resurssit huomioitiin, ja heidät otettiin hyvin mukaan potilaan jatkohoidon suunnitteluun. Kuntoutusjakso koettiin riittävän pitkäksi, ja kotiutumisen ajankohta suunniteltiin yhdessä. Jatkohoito-ohjeita pidettiin ymmärrettävinä, ja ohjaus oli pääsääntöisesti asiantuntevaa ja selkeää. Kotilomat auttoivat potilaita ymmärtämään heidän mahdollisuuksiaan selvitä kotona. Jatkohoidon ohjauksen puutteina pidettiin vähäisen kirjallisen materiaalin saamista mukaan sairaalasta kotiutuessa ja jatkohoitoon liittyvien kontrollikäyntien ajankohdan selkeää tiedottamista. Myös sosiaalietuuksiin liittyvä ohjaus koettiin puutteelliseksi. Opinnäytetyön tuloksia voidaan hyödyntää Armilan sairaalan osastolla 3 AVH-potilaan hyvää ja suunnitelmallista kotiutumista arvioitaessa ja kehitettäessä. Jatkotutkimuksissa tutkimuksen voisi toistaa suuremmalla otannalla tai kerätä aineisto laadullisin menetelmin. Omaisten näkökulman ja potilaan kognitiivisten ongelmien huomioiminen toisi hyödyllistä tietoa kotiutumisen onnistumisesta ja potilaan selviytymisestä.The purpose of this thesis was to describe the success of the stroke patients´ discharge from Armila Hospital’s demanding rehabilitation department from the patients’ perspective. According to the research questions, opinions from discharged patients about receiving guidance and their survival in daily activities at home were examined. The thesis was a quantitative research. A questionnaire was formulated based on the research questions. The information was gathered by post during September and October 2011. The questionnaire was sent to the patients discharged from Armila Hospital’s rehabilitation department from January to June 2011(N=28). The response rate was 64% (n=18). The material was analyzed by statistical methods. The results of the thesis are that all of the respondents needed help in daily activities. The assistant was most often a partner or relative. The respondents needed the most help to take medications, to run an errand outside the home, and with meals. Most respondents were able to move about indoors without help. The positive results of the thesis are that the respondents were mostly satisfied with the guidance. Relatives resources were take into account. Relatives were involved in planning follow-up care. The hospital episode was seen as suitable in length. The guidance was understandable and professional. The weekend home leave from the hospital helped respondents to understand how to cope at home. The negative results are that the respondents received too little written material from the hospital. Follow-up treatment times contain incomplete information. Social benefits are not sufficiently explained to the respondents. The results of this thesis can be used to develop the work of Armila Hospital’s rehabilitation department

Kuntoutumisen jatkuminen kotihoidossa

Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli kuvata kotihoidon piiriin siirtyneiden asiakkaiden toimintakykyä ja kaatumisriskiä sairaalajakson aikana, kartoittaa kuntoutumisen edistäviä ja estäviä tekijöitä sekä esittää kehittämisehdotuksia kuntoutusprosessin parantamiseksi. Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli tuottaa tietoa, jota voidaan hyödyntää sairaalasta kotihoitoon siirtyvien asiakkaiden kuntoutumisprosessin kehittämisessä. Opinnäytetyö toteutettiin sekä laadullista että määrällistä tutkimusmenetelmää käyttäen. Määrällisen osuuden aineistona käytettiin Eksoten Kuntouttava kotiutuminen -pilotointiin osallistuneiden, kotihoidon palvelujen piiriin siirtyneiden asiakkaiden (N=26) toimintakykymittareiden ja kaatumisvaara-arviointien tuloksia. Laadullinen aineisto kerättiin haastattelemalla kotihoidon asiakkaita (n=2) ja kuntoutusvastaavia (n=5). Aineisto analysoitiin tilastollisin menetelmin sekä aineistolähtöisellä sisällönanalyysillä. Tulosten perusteella suurin osa sairaalasta kotihoitoon siirtyneistä asiakkaista on toimintakyvyltään heikkoja, ja heidän kaatumisriskinsä on suurentunut. Kuntoutumisen jatkumista edistää henkilökunnan positiivinen suhtautuminen ja riittävä osaaminen, asiakkaan motivaatio ja sosiaalisen verkoston tuki, riittävät asiakaslähtöiset palvelut sekä yhteistyö eri toimijoiden välillä. Kuntoutussuunnitelma koettiin merkityksellisenä asiakkaan tavoitteellisessa kuntoutumisprosessissa. Kuntoutumisen jatkumisen esteitä ovat henkilöstön, asiakkaiden ja omaisten kielteiset asenteet, kotihoidon erilaiset fyysiset ympäristöt sekä asiakkaiden niukka sosiaalinen tuki omaisilta ja ystäviltä. Kokonaisvaltaisen kuntoutumisen tukemiselle tuovat haasteita myös tiedonkulun ongelmat, henkilökunnan osaamisen puutteet sekä kotihoidon niukat resurssit. Lisäksi haasteita aiheuttaa se, että asiakkailla ja omaisilla on epärealistisia odotuksia kotihoidon palveluita kohtaan. Riittävillä resursseilla ja henkilöstön osaamista vahvistamalla voidaan parantaa asiakkaiden toimintakyvyn tukemista kotihoidossa. Hyvä tiedonkulku kuntoutusprosessiin osallistuvien kesken sekä kotihoidon kuntouttavista toimintatavoista tiedottaminen mahdollistavat kaikkien toimijoiden osallistumisen asiakkaan toimintakyvyn tukemiseen.The purpose of the study was to describe the transition from hospital to home care for clients needing rehabilitation, especially regarding functional capacity, risk for falls, and factors affecting the success of rehabilitation, both positive and negative. The purpose was also to present development proposals for rehabilitation. The aim of the study was to produce information for the development of the rehabilitation process when clients are transferred from the hospital to home care. This study was carried out using quantitative and qualitative research methods. Quantitative data consisted of home care clients performance metrics results (N=26). Qualitative material was collected by interviewing 2 clients needing re-habilitation from home care and 5 caregivers responsible for the rehabilitation in home care. The data was analyzed by the statistical method and using inductive content analysis. The results of the study show most of those transferred from the hospital to home care have low functional capacity and an increased risk of falling. Rehabilitation was positively affected by the positive attitude of the caregiving staff as well as by their competence, by client motivation, the client's support network, client-centred services, and cooperation between the various care providers. A rehabilitation plan was experienced as good for the client rehabilitation process. Factors negatively affecting rehabilitation were incidences where staff, clients and their families had negative attitudes towards rehabilitation. Also, difficult conditions in the home care and clients low support from relatives and friends had negative consequences. Continuation of rehabilitation is affected by poor communication, low staff competence and home care with limited resources. The results show that clients and relatives have unrealistic expectations of home care services provided. Development of sufficient resources an staff competence could support the functional capacity of clients in home care. Effective flow of information between those involved in the rehabilitation and adequate informing about rehabilitative home care practices promote the support of functional capacity in home care clients