Selection of temporal windows for the computational prediction of masking thresholds

In the field of auditory masking threshold predictions an op- timal method for buffering a continuous, ecologically valid programme combination into discrete temporal windows has yet to be determined. An investigation was carried out into the use of a variety of temporal window durations, shapes, and steps, in order to discern the resultant effect upon the accu- racy of various masking threshold prediction models. Selec- tion of inappropriate temporal windows can triple the predic- tion error in some cases. Overlapping windows were found to produce the lowest errors provided that the predictions were smoothed appropriately. The optimal window shape varied across the tested models. The most accurate variant of each model resulted in root mean squared errors of 2.3, 3.4, and 4.2 dB