On the Threshold and Loudness of Repeated Bursts of Noise

Abstract

The loudness and threshold of an interrupted white noise (of constant sound-time fraction) was studied over a wide range of interruption frequencies. White noise has the useful property that, when interrupted, no spectral changes result in the white noise spectrum (in the frequency range passed by a dynamic earphone). Both at the threshold and at equal-loudness, less energy is needed for an interrupted noise than for a continuous noise. In many cases, an interrupted noise sounds louder than a continuous noise of the same burst amplitude but of greater energy. A conceptual formulation to encompass the results is presented.