The Effect of a Thermal Masking Noise on the Pitch of a Pure Tone

Abstract

When a pure tone and a masking noise are fed into the same ear simultaneously, the pitch of the pure tone is raised. The effect is more pronounced at low loudness levels and is progressively greater as the frequency of the tone rises. Apparently the phenomenon is not present if the pure tone is 20 db or more above its masked threshold. Control measurements were made to estimate the effects of diplacusis and of the difference in intensity between the masked and the unmasked pure tone when they were matched in loudness.