Masking limits how much combination tones interfere with other instruments’ pitches

Evidence

These combination tones would beat with the f0 component of any other instruments playing a note close to a combination tone. This will not be as marked as it might appear at first due to an effect known as “masking,” which is described in the next section. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1590

Categorization

• XREF: Forward-references the masking section; useful as a hinge connecting combination tones to later hearing phenomena. — connects to: Combination tones beat against other near-pitched instruments unless masked; One tone can make another tone inaudible through masking; Masking reduces how prominently audible combination-tone beating is — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1590 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Masking reduces how prominently audible combination-tone beating is #corroborates (1.00) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1590
• One tone can make another tone inaudible through masking #contradicts (0.90)
• Combination tones beat against other near-pitched instruments unless masked #complicates (0.85)
• Tone-on-tone masking can be detected through beating and combination tones alone #corroborates (0.85) — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 1006