Augmented stage support in ensemble performance using virtual acoustics technology

Abstract

Perceptual evaluation of electronically varied acoustic conditions has been perfomed with 15 musicians in a chamber orchestra rehearsal. Using Virtual Acoustics Technology (VAT), a room impulse response based active acoustic enhancement system, four different acoustic conditions were presented to the musicians. Condition 1 was the natural room itself without the VAT system. Condition 2 had a moderate level of VAT enhancement with approximately 18% increased T30 value from the condition 1. Condition 3 duplicated the condition 2 except for another 17% rise of T30, and condition 4 offered enhancement utilizing multiple early reflections IRs without extending the reverb time of the space. The conditions were presented to the ensemble in random order and the loudness of all four conditions was carefully matched. Evaluation results indicated that 60% of participating musicians prefered condition 4 and musicians' preference was highly correlated with perceptual attributes such as 'envelopment', 'feeling of stage support' and 'quality of reverberation'. The objective measurements also confirmed the improvements in stage acoustics support parameters (ST1 and ST2) with the VAT system employed.