A masker masks most when its frequency matches the signal frequency

Evidence

The earliest experimental work that established the frequency selective nature of the auditory system was conducted in the early 1900s. Wegel and Lane (1924) measured the effects of the presence of one tone on the ability to detect a tone of a different frequency. They demonstrated that a masker produced the most masking when it had a frequency similar to that of the signal. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 462

The earliest experimental work that established the frequency selective nature of the auditory system was conducted in the early 1900s. Wegel and Lane (1924) measured the effects of the presence of one tone on the ability to detect a tone of a different frequency. They demonstrated that a masker produced the most masking when it had a frequency similar to that of the signal. Subsequent studies evaluated masking produced by narrow and wide bands of noise on the detection of pure tones and found similar results (Egan & Hake, 1950; Fletcher, 1940). — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 462

Categorization

• QUESTION: The Wegel and Lane 1924 study could be worth tracking down as the origin of masking research.
• XREF: Connects to ‘The Soundscape’ reading on how sounds mask other sounds in the acoustic environment.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 462