The Sound of Silence

[Whoareyou]

The sound of silence? Researchers prove we can hear it

Johns Hopkins philosophers and psychologists used auditory illusions to solve an ancient puzzle: whether people can hear more than sounds

hub.jhu.edu

Auditory illusions are real

 

[fpitas]

My pet theory about vinyl is that some people prefer it because of the groove noise, instead of silence with digital sources.

 

[Sokel]

My pet theory about vinyl is that some people prefer it because of the groove noise, instead of silence with digital sources.

Maybe because that (along with the needle drop) is like a promise for music.

 

[Neuro]

The sound of silence? Researchers prove we can hear it

Johns Hopkins philosophers and psychologists used auditory illusions to solve an ancient puzzle: whether people can hear more than sounds

hub.jhu.edu

Auditory illusions are real

Physical silence usually does not bring internal sound silence in the psychological world.
The brain receives stimuli from the ear's sensors in the case of physical sounds. In silence, the brain usually receives no information from the sensors in the ear.
In physical silence, we usually experience more of our own inner voices/sounds depending on the context. Depending on the context in which the silence is experienced, the inner sounds can be very intense in terms of perceptions.
This means that usually the brain internally experiences no silence in the psychological world.

People who are deaf since birth live in total silence. These deaf people have no inner voices or sounds but perceive inner thoughts in image sequences of sign language.

In total sensory deprivation, hallucinations are experienced in hours. It seems that hearing individuals cannot cope with total silence.

 

[audiofooled]

This is interesting. When ambient noise is really low, sometimes when listening to music with higher dynamic range I've had an illusion that the track has a slightly lower BPM than it usually does, as if it was stretched in time.

The illusion seems real in a sense that if I start the track at lower SPL and then gradually increase the volume closer to normal listening levels, the track simultaneously kind of slows down a bit, but with no change in perceived pitch.

For me this usually happens in the evening when I'm already getting used to low ambient noise so that my hearing is already starting to become a bit more sensitive. It would be interesting to know if someone had similar experience, also which auditory mechanism would cause such an effect.

 

[MRC01]

My pet theory about vinyl is that some people prefer it because of the groove noise, instead of silence with digital sources.

Perhaps. Yet hearing natural music, voices or instruments, arising from total silence can be a hair-raising realistic experience that adds to the expressive power of music. That is closer to what you would hear in the live musical event.

Also, in some digital recordings you can hear the ambient room noise picked up by the mics, which tape hiss or groove noise would mask. And that room sound can be part of the music, for example whether it is a cathedral or a small room.

 

[fpitas]

Perhaps. Yet hearing natural music, voices or instruments, arising from total silence can be a hair-raising realistic experience that adds to the expressive power of music. That is closer to what you would hear in the live musical event.

Also, in some digital recordings you can hear the ambient room noise picked up by the mics, which tape hiss or groove noise would mask. And that room sound can be part of the music, for example whether it is a cathedral or a small room.

I agree. I also suspect groove noise helps cover up minor flaws in the playback equipment.

 

[JeremyFife]

Where do you experience true silence?
3 dogs, 3 kids ... but also just constant ambient noise. Even at night I don't think I am in silence... I'd be intrigued to hear that

 

[fpitas]

Where do you experience true silence?
3 dogs, 3 kids ... but also just constant ambient noise. Even at night I don't think I am in silence... I'd be intrigued to hear that

I live in the middle of nowhere, and it's spooky quiet for the most part. The refrigerator in the next room is the main noise.

 

[Zensō]

Interesting article! Those awkward silences in conversations sure do slow down time.

In music production, adding a small amount of background noise, whether a recording of natural ambience or white/pink noise, can have the effect of expanding the illusion of space within the music. Pure silence, say during a short break in the music, can feel very close, even claustrophobic. I wonder if this has anything to do with the appeal of vinyl and tape with their higher noise floor?

 

[fpitas]

Interesting article! Those awkward silences in conversations sure do slow down time.

In music production, adding a small amount of background noise, whether a recording of natural ambience or white/pink noise, can have the effect of expanding the illusion of space within the music. Pure silence, say during a short break in the music, can feel very close, even claustrophobic. I wonder if this has anything to do with the appeal of vinyl and tape with their higher noise floor?

Kind of where I was going.

 

[DWPress]

Aside from the tinnitus, I crave silence. Ambient sound levels in my room are around 35dB dominated by the quietest ceiling fan I could find so any hiss, crackle or pop is distinct.

I live deep in the woods which helps achieve that low sound level but there is never silence in nature. I open the window and my sound level goes up to 50dB because of that pesky trout stream in the yard, birds, wind etc. That same 50dB white noise emanating from the river also acts as a filter drowning out distant truck sounds, jets and other non-local events.

In the late 80's I tried a sensory depravation tank. Very mixed feelings about that experience even now.

Appropriate stimulation is a good thing! So is relief from it!

 

[Saponetto]

...In the late 80's I tried a sensory depravation tank...

I want one too!