Effect of a competing instrument on melodic contour identification by cochlear implant users

Cochlear implant (CI) users have limited access to fundamental frequency (F0) and timbre cues, which are needed to segregate competing voices and/or musical instruments. In the present study, CI users' melodic contour identification was measured for three target instruments in the presence of a masker instrument; the F0 of the masker was varied relative to the target instruments. Mean CI performance significantly declined in the presence of the masker, while mean normal-hearing performance was largely unaffected. However, the most musically experienced CI users were able to make use of timbre and F0 differences between instruments.