A further study of melodic channeling

Subjects listened to repetitive presentations of C major scale patterns and simple two-part contrapuntal specimens, both dichotically and in a stereophonic free sound field. All scalar and melodic patterns were presented so that successive tones alternated from ear to ear: when a component of one scale or melody was routed through one speaker or headphone, the concurrent member of the other scale or melodic pattern was routed through the other speaker or headphone, and vice versa. The stimulus parameters of spectral contour and envelope characteristics, duration, melodic pattern, and loudness were varied, and a testing procedure was designed to minimize any bias in responses which might be produced by learning, immediate memory, or vocal Limitations of subjects. Virtually all responses (95.2% to scalar stimuli, 99.1% to melodic stimuli) indicated that the subjects channeled stimuli by pitch range, and not by ear of input. When spectral contours routed through the separate headphones or speakers were noticeably dissimilar, no subject perceived that this timbral inequality switched from ear to ear: all subjects heard an overall change in tone quality which pervaded both scalar or melodic sequences, and which apparently emanated from both headphones or speakers.