Application of a simple hearing model to the design of audio filters

Filtering audio signals with filters designed exclusively from frequency domain specifications may result in an audible distortion in the vicinity of sharp amplitude transitions. This paper considers the application of known psychoacoustical properties to the design of digital audio filters which minimizes this distortion while approximating some ideal frequency domain characteristics. Psychoacoustic properties and a simple model for hearing are reviewed. A weighted least squares design criteria based on the model and frequency domain specifications is given. Examples of FIR and IIR filters are given and compared to classical frequency domain filters.