The CARFAC v2 Cochlear Model in Matlab, NumPy, and JAX

TL;DR

The paper presents an upgraded open-source version 2 of the CARFAC cochlear model with improved implementations in Matlab, Python, and JAX, addressing previous issues and adding features for modeling hearing impairment.

Contribution

It introduces version 2 of the CARFAC model with bug fixes, new features, and better integration into the Auditory Model Toolbox, enhancing usability and modeling capabilities.

Findings

Resolved DC quadratic distortion anomaly.

Reduced neural synchrony at high frequencies.

Enabled modeling of cochlear amplifier reduction.

Abstract

The open-source CARFAC (Cascade of Asymmetric Resonators with Fast-Acting Compression) cochlear model is upgraded to version 2, with improvements to the Matlab implementation, and with new Python/NumPy and JAX implementations -- but C++ version changes are still pending. One change addresses the DC (direct current, or zero frequency) quadratic distortion anomaly previously reported; another reduces the neural synchrony at high frequencies; the others have little or no noticeable effect in the default configuration. A new feature allows modeling a reduction of cochlear amplifier function, as a step toward a differentiable parameterized model of hearing impairment. In addition, the integration into the Auditory Model Toolbox (AMT) has been extensively improved, as the prior integration had bugs that made it unsuitable for including CARFAC in multi-model comparisons.