Simulated Sound Fields Programmed from Acoustic Model Data

Abstract

In the past we have found the impulse responses of auditoriums to be useful indicators of qualities such as clarity or reverberance for speech and music. We have also used impulse responses measured in acoustic models of halls in the design stage to predict these qualities in the finished building. A further development, now under way, is to simulate the three-dimensional sound field expected in a finished hall, using simulation equipment described in this session. The impulse response of the simulator is programmed to correspond to that of an acoustic model of the hall. Speech and music recordings are then played through the simulator so that the basic acoustic qualities of the design may be previewed. We will describe a set of experiments involving a well-known existing concert hall, an acoustic model of the hall, and a simulation of the hall acoustics based on model and hall objective data.