Terminology ("Albert Bregman, Tel: 514-398-6103" )

Subject: Terminology
From:    "Albert Bregman, Tel: 514-398-6103"  <IN09(at)MUSICB.MCGILL.CA>
Date:    Tue, 1 Dec 1992 12:18:20 EST

Re David Huron's suggestions about terminology, here are my preferences,
written in upper-case following his, which are in quotes:

"sonic object" ACOUSTIC EVENT   - "an objective acoustic event"

"auditory image  - the subjective experience of an acoustic event"
AUDITORY OBJECT - THE SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE OF A SINGLE BOUNDED AUDITORY
                 UNIT WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE PART OF A LONGER STREAM.

sonic emission  - an objective ongoing acoustic activity
ACOUSTIC SEQUENCE

auditory stream - the subjective experience of an on-going acoustic activity
                - A SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE, INVOLVING AN ONGOING ACTIVITY
                  OF AN AUDITORY SOURCE.

ONE OF MY GOALS IN CHOOSING THESE TERMS WAS TO USE THE WORD ACOUSTIC
FOR PHYSICAL SOUND, AND AUDITORY FOR SUBJECTIVE SOUND.
(I PREFER THE GREEK "ACOUSTIC" TO THE LATIN "SONIC" MAINLY BECAUSE IT IS
 WIDELY USED IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES)

ACOUSTIC SEQUENCE IS NOT QUITE RIGHT BECAUSE THE TERM IMPLIES A
SUBDIVISION INTO UNITS, BUT IT HAS THE VIRTUE OF BEING IMMEDIATELY
UNDERSTANDABLE.
...
...
In summary, what do people think of the following terminology?

        OBJECTIVE       SUBJECTIVE

        sonic object    auditory image (OR AUDITORY OBJECT)
        or sonic event
        ACOUSTIC EVENT

        sonic emission  auditory stream
        or sonic flow
        ACOUSTIC SEQUENCE

 -AL BREGMAN