Psychoacoustics for Music Production

Susan Rogers

Authored by Susan Rogers

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Course Code: OMPRD-570

Explore how humans perceive sound in this graduate-level music production course, from the physics of hearing to brain-based perception. Learn how pitch, loudness, space, masking, and timbre influence mixing and production decisions—and apply psychoacoustic principles to create clearer, more impactful recordings.

Level 5
Graduate
Modality
Online
Duration
12 Weeks
3-Credit Tuition
$2,874
Semester Starts
June 29
Accreditation
NECHE

Key Learning Outcomes

  • Analyze how auditory perception shapes the way we experience music and sound
  • Make informed production decisions based on how listeners perceive pitch, loudness, timbre, and timing
  • Incorporate principles of auditory perception into creative and technical audio work
  • Evaluate psychoacoustic phenomena such as masking, spatial localization, and temporal resolution
Overview Syllabus Requirements Instructors Related Music Career Roles
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Course Description

Are you prepared to enroll in this graduate course?

Take the self-assessment quiz to check your readiness for this material.

Psychoacoustics for Music Production examines human auditory processing from the eardrum to the auditory cortex. You will learn how speech and music signals are transformed from physical activity in the environment, to sensations in the cochlea, to psychological perceptions in the brain. You will also explore the relationship between a sound and its perception in terms of the underlying mechanisms and limitations of our hearing system. The course covers spatial localization, critical bands and masking, temporal resolution, pitch, timbre, and loudness perception, speech and music perception, and noise-induced hearing loss. Throughout the course, you will learn practical applications for how this information serves the audio arts, especially engineering and mixing.

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By the end of the course, you will be able to:

  • Explain the physics of sound and the workings of the auditory nervous system
  • Explain the process by which the human auditory system organizes sound into meaningful elements
  • Describe the impact of noise-induced hearing loss
  • Analyze how the brain processes pitch, loudness, timbre, and timing
  • Apply psychoacoustic principles to enhance production and engineering decision-making
  • Synthesize knowledge of the auditory system to explain why people hear what they hear
  • Evaluate research in psychoacoustics
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Syllabus

Lesson 1: Psychoacoustics and the Physics of Sound

  • Psychoacoustics
  • The Scientific Method
  • Properties of Sound Waves
  • The Fourier Transform
  • Finding, Understanding, and Citing Research Reports
  • Guide to Using Google Scholar
  • Assignment 1: Skimming a Research Paper

Lesson 2: Hearing and the Auditory System

  • The Central Nervous System
  • The Auditory Pathway
  • The Human Ear
  • The Cochlea
  • Hair Cells
  • Neural Activity and Coding
  • Neuroimaging Tools
  • Assignment 2: Reading and Explaining Scientific Figures

Lesson 3: Cochlear Filters and Dissonance

  • Tonotopicity (Review)
  • Auditory Filters and Critical Bandwidth
  • Critical Bands
  • Sensory Consonance/Dissonance
  • Musical Consonance/Dissonance
  • Second Order Beats
  • Simultaneous Masking
  • Assignment 3: Reading for Understanding and Explanation

Lesson 4: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

  • The Loudness War
  • The Auditory System in Survival Mode
  • Types of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
  • The Role of Outer Hair Cells
  • How Hearing Loss Happens
  • Synaptopathy (or Excitotoxicity)
  • Hearing Loss with Normal Aging
  • Tinnitus
  • Hearing Health
  • Assignment 4: Translating Research into Real-World Examples

Lesson 5: Loudness and Distance Perception

  • Intensity and SPL
  • Perceiving Loudness
  • Loudness Encoding
  • Distance Perception
  • Dynamic Distance Perception
  • Assignment 5: The Loudness Wars: What's Your Argument?

Lesson 6: Spatial Localization and Panning

  • Measuring Spatial Localization
  • Interaural Level Differences (ILDs)
  • Interaural Timing and Phase Differences (ITDs, IPDs)
  • The Pinnae and Head-Related Transfer Function
  • Echolocation
  • Assignment 6: Reading and Interpreting a Review Paper

Lesson 7: Timbre Perception and Orchestrating

  • What Is Timbre?
  • Timbral Dimensions
  • Timbre Templates
  • Timbre's Role in Orchestration
  • Assignment 7: Finding and Explaining a Results Figure

Lesson 8: Auditory Scene Analysis and Attention

  • Auditory Scene Analysis (ASA)
  • Gestalt Principles Applied to ASA
  • Simultaneous and Sequential Grouping Cues
  • The Role of Attention
  • Streaming in Music Perception
  • Assignment 8: Interpreting and Teaching a Scientific Diagram

Lesson 9: Pitch Perception and Melody

  • Pitch Perception
  • Spectral Theory
  • Periodicity Theory
  • Two Strategies for Pitch
  • Absolute "Perfect" Pitch
  • Congenital Amusia: Tone Deafness
  • Melody Perception
  • Assignment 9: Applying Research to Your Practice

Lesson 10: Temporal Processing and Rhythm

  • Forward and Backward Masking
  • Oscillations and Entrainment
  • Metrical Organization
  • The Sensation of Groove
  • Individual Differences in Rhythm Perception
  • Assignment 10: Selecting a Research Report for Presentation

Lesson 11: Speech and Singing

  • Speech-to-Song Illusion
  • Intonation vs. Information
  • The Voice Mechanism
  • Voice and Action
  • The Singer's Brain
  • The Singer's Voice
  • Listening to Singing
  • Assignment 11: Presenting a Research Report

Lesson 12: Psychoacoustic Tips for Mixing

  • Quantifying a Great Mix
  • The MIR Toolbox
  • The Mix Contest
  • Measuring the PMF of Distortion
  • Applying Psychoacoustics to the Studio

Requirements

Proof of a Bachelor's Degree

Proof of a bachelor's degree is required to enroll in this non-degree, graduate-level course.
Ready to submit an unofficial copy of your transcript?


Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements 

Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills

Textbook(s)

  • A weekly reading from a peer-reviewed science journal will be provided each week as part of lesson content.

Recording

  • Students will be required to record and submit a file containing an oral presentation accompanied by a slideshow.

Software

  • Word processing software, such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs (free), Apple Pages, Apache OpenOffice (free), etc.
  • Presentation software, such as Microsoft Powerpoint, Google Slides (free), Apple Keynote, Apache OpenOffice (free), etc.
  • Software to record computer screen, such as Quicktime Player (Mac) or Xbox Game Bar (PC)

Student Deals
After enrolling, be sure to check out our Student Deals page for various offers on software, hardware, and more. Please contact support@online.berklee.edu with any questions.

General Course Requirements

Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Classes. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course. 

Mac Users

  • macOS Monterey 12.0 or later

PC Users

All Users

  • Latest version of Google Chrome
  • Zoom meeting software
  • Webcam
  • Speakers or headphones
  • External or internal microphone
  • Broadband Internet connection

Instructors

Susan Rogers
Susan Rogers

Author & Instructor

Susan Rogers holds a Doctorate in Psychology from McGill University (2010), where she studied music cognition and psychoacoustics under researchers Daniel Levitin and Stephen McAdams. Her research focuses on auditory memory and the perception of musical signals. For two decades prior to her science career, Susan was one of the world's few women known for her work as a record producer, engineer, mixer, and audio electronics technician. Career highlights include five years (1983-1987) as staff engineer for Prince, producing hit singles for diverse artists including Barenaked Ladies, David Byrne, Robben Ford, Jeff Black and Rusted Root, and mixing and engineering for an equally eclectic list.

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Susan taught at Berklee College of Music from 2008 to 2022 in the departments of Music Production & Engineering and Liberal Arts. She was awarded the Distinguished Faculty Award in 2012. She is the author of the award-winning nonfiction book This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You, published in 2022 by W. W. Norton & Co. She is currently writing a textbook on music cognition for Princeton University Press. Read Less

What's Next?

When taken for credit, Psychoacoustics for Music Production can be applied towards the completion of these related programs:

Related Certificate Programs

Related Degree Majors

Related Music Career Roles

Employers look for skills learned in this course, when hiring for the following music career roles:

ADR Recordist

Assistant Engineer (Studio)

Dialogue Editor (Film, TV, and Video Games)

Field Recordist

Music Editor

Recording Engineer

Sound Designer (Theater)

Studio Maintenance Engineer

Technology Trainer/Specialist
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Questions?

Contact our Academic Advisors by phone at 1-866-BERKLEE (U.S.), 1-617-747-2146 (INT'L), or by email at advisors@online.berklee.edu.

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