A hardware device for analyzing an audio signal comprises a calculator for calculating a neural activity pattern over time resulting at nerve fibers of an ear model based on the audio signal and a processor for processing the neural activity pattern to obtain a sequence of time information as an analysis representation describing a temporal position of consecutive trajectories, wherein a trajectory includes activity impulses on different nerve fibers based on the same event in the audio signal. A two-dimensional representation of the neural activity pattern is gradually distorted over time, and it is recognized when an approximately straight line is contained in the distorted two-dimensional representation of the neural activity pattern over time. Accordingly, a time information belonging to the trajectory is provided.