Blend

The mixing together of various tones in music or speech due to environmental acoustical factors. In the case of speech, an excessive amount of reverberation may result in sufficient blending as to make it unintelligible, whereas with music, blending serves to enhance the overall sound, particularly that of ensembles. Compare: Masking, Mixing.

Blend also refers to the ability of the ear to hear inexact attacks of various instruments or singers as being a single attack, if they occur within about 50 milliseconds. This aspect, when combined with slight differences in pitch of the various sources, is also known as the choral effect or chorus effect, and serves to enhance the volume of the combined sound.

Compare: Cocktail Party Effect, Rustle Noise.