Perceived pitch of complex FM-AM tones--pitch determination process of vibrato sounds.

Pitch-matching experiments were conducted to clarify the pitch determination process of complex FM-AM tones which consist of components whose frequency and amplitude are simultaneously modulated. The pitch is higher when FM and AM of each component are in phase than when they are out of phase. The pitch shift induced by the phase difference between FM and AM of each component becomes larger as its relative power increases. These experimental results suggest that the pitch of complex FM-AM tones is determined as follows: A complex FM-AM tone is resolved into each FM-AM component by the auditory filter bank. The spectral pitch of each FM-AM component is determined by a loudness-weighted pitch averaging processes. The central pattern recognizer determines the pitch of complex FM-AM tones by integration of virtual pitches derived from the spectral pitches.