Pitch percepts may only require encoding fine-structure peaks near envelope maxima

Evidence

This signal is an unresolved harmonic complex tones with all harmonics shifted by the same amount of Hz. As the frequency distance between adjacent components is regular and identical than in the original harmonic complex tone, such a signal has the same envelope but a different fine structure. So, any perceptual difference between these signals is interpreted as a fine structure based percept. Here, as illustrated by very basic simulations, I suggest that this orthogonal point of view that is generally admitted could be a conceptual error. In fact, neither the fine structure nor the envelope is required to be fully encoded to explain pitch perception. Sufficient information is conveyed by the peaks in the fine structure that are located nearby a maximum of the envelope. Envelope and fine structure could then be in perpetual interaction and the pitch would be conveyed by “the fine structure under envelope”. Moreover, as the temporal delay between peaks of interest is rather longer than the delay between two adjacent peaks of the fine structure, such a mechanism would be much less constrained by the phase locking limitation of the auditory system. — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 4611

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains the pitch-shifted unresolved-harmonic-complex experimental tool and its interpretive logic, which this passage then challenges.
• XREF: Connects to phase-locking limits in auditory nerve coding and unresolved vs resolved harmonics discussions familiar from other pitch-perception readings.