amplituditason

Amplituditason is a neologism used in some interdisciplinary discussions of signal processing and cognitive psychology to denote a proposed link between the amplitude envelope of a sound signal and the perception of rhythm or tempo. The term is not part of standard acoustics or music psychology, and its use varies among researchers.

Origin and usage: The word appears in speculative or exploratory literature from the 2010s onward, often in papers suggesting that fluctuations in amplitude modulations can elicit timing expectations similar to beat cues, even when spectral content remains constant. The term is typically described informally rather than formalized with a single operational definition.

Concept and measurement: In this framework, researchers examine how modulation depth, rate, and phase of the amplitude envelope influence perceived tempo, preference, and rhythm discrimination. Experimental methods include listening tasks with amplitude-modulated tones, neural measures (such as EEG) of entrainment, and psychoacoustic rating scales. The concept is used to explore how listeners extract temporal structure from envelopes independent of spectral cues.

Relation and status: Amplituditason intersects with amplitude modulation, envelope processing, and beat induction; it is used mainly as a descriptive device rather than a widely adopted formal model. Critics argue that the concept lacks a precise, testable definition and often overlaps with established constructs in temporal perception.

See also: amplitude modulation; beat perception; rhythm processing; envelope detection.