This clip has been circulating online, and has even gotten traction on a local ABC affiliate in Arizona which is capitalizing on #TeamYanny and #TeamLaurel buzz. Their explanation left a lot to be desired, considering the conclusion that if you didn’t hear ‘Laurel’ you are somehow a loser. This is just not accurate.
Why did I decide to chime in? First and foremost, I heard ‘Laurel’ consistently while Glen Bradley heard ‘Yanny’… most of the time. So, I popped the clip into Adobe Audition to analyze and split it by frequency bands.
Results
The original audio contains two separate data sets from two separate frequency bands (0Hz – 2000Hz, and 2000Hz – 12025Hz). Some people are more sensitive to higher frequency bands than others.
What did you hear & when?
Also, think about what applications this can have in media…
Update
The New York Times made a tool approaching this ‘controversy’… well done.
