Modeling room impulse response by incorporating speaker polar response into image source method

Abstract

Simple computer modeling of impulse responses for small rectangular rooms is typically based on the image source method, which results in an impulse response with very high time resolution. The image source method is easy to implement, but the simulated impulse responses are often a poor match to measured impulse responses because the description of the source is often too idealized to match the real measurement conditions. For example, the basic image source method has often assumed the sound source to be an omni‐directional point source for ease of implementation, but a real loudspeaker may include multiple drivers and exhibit an irregular polar response in both the horizontal and vertical directions. In this paper, an improved room impulse response computer modeling technique is developed by incorporating the measured horizontal and vertical polar responses of the speaker into the basic image source method. Results show that compared with the basic image source method, the modeled room impulse response using this method is a better match to the measured room impulse response.