A new set of auditory demonstrations
Adrianus J. M. Houtsma, Thomas D. Rossing, W. M. Wagenaars · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 1988
A new series of auditory demonstrations for classroom use, modeled after the well-known “Harvard Tapes” [D. M. Green, Harvard Laboratory of Psychophysics (1978)] was developed and produced. The demonstrations are issued on a compact disc (CD), are accompanied by a 92-page explanatory booklet, and fit conveniently in a handy slide box. Almost all demonstrations were synthesized digitally on DEC Vax 11/780 and MicroVax II computers, converted to analog signals with DSC-200 16-bit two-channel D/A converters, and recorded on 16-bit PCM video tape. Brief spoken introductions to each demonstration were recorded on similar PCM video tape. Editing of the master tape was done digitally in 1630 format on 34-in. U-Matic tape, from which the CD master was made. The CD medium, allowing a S/N ratio of up to 90 dB, is very appropriate for sound demonstrations that require a clean acoustic background. The medium also provides random access to individual demonstrations or parts thereof, allows preprogramming of any desired combination of demonstrations, and is much more resistant against wear and tear than traditional tapes or records. The CD can be played on any CD player capable of handling selections from up to 80 tracks. The demo set is available through the ASA.