The Present, Past, and Future of Timbre Research

Abstract

Timbre is a foundational aspect of hearing. The remarkable ability of humans to recognize sound sources and events (e.g., glass breaking, a friend's voice, a tone from a piano) stems primarily from a capacity to perceive and process differences in the timbre of sounds. Roughly defined, timbre is thought of as any property other than pitch, duration, and loudness that allows two sounds to be distinguished. Current research unfolds along three main fronts: (1) principal perceptual and cognitive processes; (2) the role of timbre in human voice perception, perception through cochlear implants, music perception, sound quality, and sound design; and (3) computational acoustic modeling. Along these three scientific fronts, significant breakthroughs have been achieved during the decade prior to the production of this volume. Bringing together leading experts from around the world, this volume provides a joint forum for novel insights and the first comprehensive modern account of research topics and methods on the perception, cognition, and acoustic modeling of timbre. This chapter provides background information and a roadmap for the volume.