Modeling the Haas effect: a first step for solving the CASA problem

Auditory scene analysis and its older cousin, the Haas/precedence effect both involve the same acoustic and auditory phenomena. In each case it is necessary to explain the ear´s ability both to hear and pay attention to sources within a background of reverberations. Thus, a successful model of the Haas effect should be capable of being extended to CASA applications. We present a model based on a vector space of elementary meaning that is somewhat similar to Divenyi´s (1995) “three cardinal dimensions”. Test results replicating the Haas effect demonstrate ability to select and track, without foreknowledge, the azimuth direction of arrival of acoustic sources in a background of reverberations and environment noise