Abstract
The production concept of car engine sound has been changing from finding a solution to noise to designing sound. Although many studies have been conducted on creating comfortable car-engine sound, the psychoacoustic effects of time-varying rate for accelerating-engine sounds are still unclear. Thus, we investigated the effects of increasing the frequency rate of car interior noise on auditory impressions using psychological and neurophysiological methods. Harmonic complex tones that simulate acceleration noise were used as stimuli. First, subjective evaluations were examined using the semantic differential (SD) method. Second, neuronal activities of the auditory cortex evoked by these stimuli were measured by magnetoencephalography (MEG). The results indicated that has a significant effect on subjective impressions and on neuronal activities of the auditory cortex.
