Complete natural sounds experiment example script

[ofgulban]

• Instructions on downloading setting up the sound stimuli from data dryad.
• Protocol creator with a few free parameters like nr sound categories, nr of runs, duration of each run etc.
• Improve input/output files, get rid of pickles (use BIDS style events.tsv where possible).
  • Export stimulus presentation protocols.
  • Import stimulus presentation protocols.
  • Export experiment log.
• Test the experiment on different systems, make sure everything works fine.
  • Stimulus presentation script.
  • Protocol generator.
  • Protocol generator output stimulus presentation input combination.

[PeerHerholz]

Thanks for updating @ofgulban!

• regarding the instructions for downloading and setting up we could write an experiment doc and include every information necessary (stimuli, script, psychopy, etc.)
  • would be cool if we could connect it to datalad
• don't know if I can be a huge help regarding cleaning up and improving output files (how about BIDS style events.tsv!?)
• I can test it on different mac os & linux versions, as well as windows 7 and 10
• best case scenario would be having the whole stimulation setup as a docker, but that's far from being possible

[ofgulban]

I have written instructions about how to download the move the sound stimuli. Maybe we can turn this into a script in the future. BIDS style events.tsv idea is great, I will make the protocol generation/outputs comply with it.

Could you try following the instructions and see whether it works for you. The experiments script should run until the end. The protocol is meaningless for now, I will work on a protocol creation script next.

[PeerHerholz]

Just some small updates:

• the instructions are sufficient and good
• @M-earnest tested the experiment on a laptop running Ubuntu 17.10 --> worked fine
• I tested it on an iMac running El-Capitan --> some smaller problems that might be related to Psychopy's internal sound settings (audio device and library)
  --> deleting pyo from the module list solved the error
  --> that's actually a problem we experienced quite often before in different experiments involving       sound
• we both used Psychopy standalone 1.85.3
• in both setups a chirp sound is played before the experiment starts

[M-earnest]

The chirping sound is related to the outputSetSound.play() statement in line 150

'''
initialize sound module with silence sound (this can prevent initial hickups)
outputSetSound = sound.Sound(value=os.path.join(PATH_STIM, sounds[IDX_SIL]),
bits=16, sampleRate=44100)
outputSetSound.play()
'''

The description seems to indicate that this should be silent, but instead the first stimulus (s2_animal_30.wav) is played. I further noticed no difference in performance upon removal.

[ofgulban]

@M-earnest thanks for the report. The sounds and the sound presentation order do not match for now. The script in its current state is just the foundation and still work in progress.

[ofgulban]

@PeerHerholz & @M-earnest thanks for testing the initial script, I will prioritize pushing a simple protocol creator now.