A system for generating electrode stimulation signals to electrode contacts in an implanted cochlear implant electrode array, the arrangement comprising: a preprocessor filter bank configured to process an input sound signal to generate a plurality of band pass signals, wherein each band pass signal represents a band pass channel defined by an associated band of audio frequencies, and wherein each band pass signal has a characteristic amplitude and temporal fine structure features; an envelope detector configured to extract a characteristic envelope signal for each band pass signal based on its amplitude; a stimulation timing module configured to generate stimulation timing signals for each band pass signal, wherein for each of one or more selected band pass signals, the stimulation timing module generates the stimulation timing signals based on a timing function defined to: i. represent instantaneous frequency based on the band pass signal temporal fine structure features, and ii. determine a mapped instantaneous frequency by adjusting the instantaneous frequency based on a frequency relation factor representing a relationship between: the range of audio frequencies for the band pass channel of the selected band pass signal, and a patient-specific, channel-specific range of stimulation rates defined based on patient-specific pitch perception measurements to enhance patient pitch perception within the range of audio frequencies for the band pass channel of the selected band pass signal, and iii. generate the stimulation timing signal for the selected band pass signal at the mapped instantaneous frequency of the selected band pass signal; and a pulse generator configured to produce the electrode stimulation signals for each electrode based on the envelope signals and the stimulation timing signals. a preprocessor filter bank configured to process an input sound signal to generate a plurality of band pass signals, wherein each band pass signal represents a band pass channel defined by an associated band of audio frequencies, and wherein each band pass signal has a characteristic amplitude and temporal fine structure features; an envelope detector configured to extract a characteristic envelope signal for each band pass signal based on its amplitude; a stimulation timing module configured to generate stimulation timing signals for each band pass signal, wherein for each of one or more selected band pass signals, the stimulation timing module generates the stimulation timing signals based on a timing function defined to: i. represent instantaneous frequency based on the band pass signal temporal fine structure features, and ii. determine a mapped instantaneous frequency by adjusting the instantaneous frequency based on a frequency relation factor representing a relationship between: the range of audio frequencies for the band pass channel of the selected band pass signal, and a patient-specific, channel-specific range of stimulation rates defined based on patient-specific pitch perception measurements to enhance patient pitch perception within the range of audio frequencies for the band pass channel of the selected band pass signal, and iii. generate the stimulation timing signal for the selected band pass signal at the mapped instantaneous frequency of the selected band pass signal; and i. represent instantaneous frequency based on the band pass signal temporal fine structure features, and ii. determine a mapped instantaneous frequency by adjusting the instantaneous frequency based on a frequency relation factor representing a relationship between: the range of audio frequencies for the band pass channel of the selected band pass signal, and a patient-specific, channel-specific range of stimulation rates defined based on patient-specific pitch perception measurements to enhance patient pitch perception within the range of audio frequencies for the band pass channel of the selected band pass signal, and the range of audio frequencies for the band pass channel of the selected band pass signal, and a patient-specific, channel-specific range of stimulation rates defined based on patient-specific pitch perception measurements to enhance patient pitch perception within the range of audio frequencies for the band pass channel of the selected band pass signal, and iii. generate the stimulation timing signal for the selected band pass signal at the mapped instantaneous frequency of the selected band pass signal; and a pulse generator configured to produce the electrode stimulation signals for each electrode based on the envelope signals and the stimulation timing signals.