Welcome to the Virtual Pitch tests. The previous set of tests on this page were completed by 30 people, and the results, along with much other work, led to the completion of my PhD thesis and the award of a doctorate from the Open University.

The research continues, and you are invited to complete some new tests examining a different aspect of virtual pitch. There are only two tests this time, unlike the nine in the previous test set. Begin the tests by clicking one of the two links below: Test one Test two Testing progress up to 8 September 2008 is shown in the plot. Slightly fewer people have done test two so far; it helps if an equal number do both.

Taking the tests involves listening to test tones and comparing them to see which sounds higher and which lower. The tests are designed to work in any standard web browser (both PC and Macintosh) but do require that your computer has sound output. You can use headphones or computer speakers as you prefer - you will be asked what equipment you used at the end of each test. For advice on how to check that your computer is set up correctly to run the tests, click here. I do ask for your name and email address, so that if your results are particularly interesting I can contact you for follow up. Your email address will only be used to contact you about the results of these tests.

In each test you are asked to choose tones which have the same pitch or note. In each test there is a test sound and sixteen reference sounds. The reference sounds are the same for each test, and are arranged in order from flattest (A) to sharpest (P). The test sounds are displayed in random sequence - if you repeat a test, they will appear in a different order. There are no right and wrong answers to the tests. People's ears respond differently, and these tests are designed to investigate that.

For each test, listen to the test sound and the reference sounds, decide which reference sound is the nearest in note or pitch to the test sound, and select it with the radio button to the right of the sound. The first time you play each sound, it might take a moment to download. After that, it should play instantly. If you have problems playing the sounds on your computer, see here. You can listen to each sound as many times as and in whatever order you like. Once you have chosen the reference sound you believe best matches the test sound, it helps to repeatedly listen to the reference sounds either side of the one you have chosen against the test sound to make sure that one sounds lower in pitch, and the other higher, than the test sound. When you are happy with your selection for each of the tests, answer the questions at the bottom of the page and click the 'Send results' button. Depending on the test setup, your test results will be displayed on the screen for printing, saved to disk or emailed to me automatically.

These instructions are repeated at the start of each test page for your convenience. If you have any comments or questions on these tests, send me an email.

Page last updated on 8th September 2008. Page created by Bill Hibbert, Great Bookham, Surrey.