# Isolating the dynamic attributes of musical timbre **Opening (not a real abstract):** examinedthedynamicattributesof timbreby evaluatingthe roleof onsetsin similarityjudgments.In separateexperiments,subjectsheard completeorchestralinstrument tones,the onsetsof thosetones,and toneswith the onsetsremoved("remainders"). Ratingsfor completetonescorrespondedto thosefor onsets,indicatingthat the salientacousticattributes for completetonesare presentat the onset.Ratingsfor completetonesalso corresponded to thosefor remainders,indicatingthat the salientattributesfor completetonesare presentalsoin the absenceof onsets.Subsequent acousticanalysesdemonstratedthat this patternof similarity was due to the centroidfrequenciesand amplitudeenvelopesof the tones.The resultsindicate that the dynamicattributesof timbre are not only presentat the onset,but alsothroughout,and that multipleacousticattributesmay contributeto the sameperceptualdimensions. **Authors:** [[Paul Iverson]]