Technical Listening Training: Improvement of sound sensitivity for acoustic engineers and sound designers

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present the concept and design of Technical Listening Training, a systematic education program designed to allow prospective acoustic engineers and sound designers to enhance their auditory sensitivity. Sound professionals should have the ability to express auditory differences using appropriate technical terms for the physical properties of sounds. Furthermore, they should be able to imagine the sounds when given the acoustic properties of the sounds. Training starts with a discrimination task for pitch, loudness, and timbre in order to increase sensitivity to auditory differences. This is followed by instruction on sound property identification to improve students’ ability to correlate auditory impressions with the physical properties of the sound, thereby allowing them to imagine the sound. Through Technical Listening Training, students improve their sound sensitivity and understanding of the relationship between acoustic properties and auditory impression.