An Investigation into the Identification of Concurrently Presented Earcons: Sound Samples

This web page contains links to Earcons and experimental stimuli used in the experiments described in the paper "An Investigation into the Identification of Concurrently Presented Earcons" included in the printed proceedings. The samples demonstrate individual earcons from the "Original Earcon Set Condition" and the "Multi-Timbre Earcon Set Condition". The samples also demonstrate experimental stimuli sets from the "Original Earcon Set Condition", the "Multi-Timbre Earcon Set Condition" and the "Final Condition"

We do NOT recomend you play these samples using Windows Media Player (WMP). WMP from time to time tends to cut off the first part of the earcons.

Earcons from the "Original Earcon Set Condition"

Water ride, Low Intensity, High Cost
Rollercoaster, Medium Intensity, Medium Cost
Rollercoaster, High Intensity, Medium Cost
Static Ride, Low Intensity, Low Cost

Earcons from the "Multi-Timbre Earcon Set Condition"

Water ride, Low Intensity, High Cost (NB Due to problems in finding suitably similar instruments to that used to represent water rides in the "Original Earcon Set Conditon", the instrument grouping used to represent water rides in this condition was changed.)
Rollercoaster, Medium Intensity, Medium Cost
Rollercoaster, High Intensity, Medium Cost
Static Ride, Low Intensity, Low Cost

An example stimulus from the "Original Earcon Set Condition"

The following sound clip demonstrates a stimulus used from the "Original Earcon Set Condition". Here the four earcons from this condition described above, are concurrently played. This composite sound is repeated seven times. Hence this sound clip demonstrates a stimulus from the experiment exactly as participants heard it. Note the way, that although identifying each earcon is difficult, it is especially difficult to separate the two rollercoasters. As they share the same register and Timbre there is little information with which to separate each earcon.

An example stimulus from the "Multi-Timbre Earcon Set Condition"

The following sound clip demonstrates a stimulus used from the "Multi-Timbre Earcon Set Condition". Here the four earcons from this condition described above, are concurrently played. This composite sound is repeated seven times. Again this sound clip demonstrates a stimulus from the experiment exactly as participants heard it. When listening to this sound you should be able to better separate and attend to both of the Rollercoaster rides, since they are presented with different piano instruments.

An example stimulus from the "Final Condition"

The following sound clip demonstrates a stimulus used from the "Final Condition". This condition incorporates the features of the "Multi-Timbre Earcon Set Condition" and the "Staggered Onset Condition". Again the sound clip demonstrates the stimulus exactly as participants in the experiment heard it.

Last Updated: 2nd May 2003
David K McGookin