Nonmonotic behaviour of (2f1 - f2) explained by a saturation-feedback model.
A rough approximation of the saturation-feedback model is used to calculate the dependence of the (2f1 - f2) difference tone on the level L1 of the lower primary. The calculated data are in astonishingly good agreement with measured data, indicating that the cubic difference tone is a vector sum composed from many partials. These partials are derived through a nonlinear saturation characteristic with a knee point corresponding to 40 dB SPL from the excitation-time functions produced by the two primaries along the basilar membrane.
D005246:Feedback; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008433:Mathematics; D008954:Models, Biological