Simulation of wave field synthesis

Abstract

Wave field synthesis utilizes a large number of loudspeakers to generate a desired wave field. It therefore is necessary to drive each speaker with an independent signal, which requires as many amplifier and soundcard channels as there are loudspeakers. These enormeous hardware costs make research and development very expensive and time consuming. Additionally, different rooms influence the wave field synthesis arrays in different ways. For this reason a simulation technique is of advantage which permits the evaluation of the perceived properties of arbitrary wave field synthesis configurations without the need to physically construct them. This paper proposes a simulation system capable to simulate wave field synthesis systems in different rooms based on physical measurements of one loudspeaker in each room. The techniques used are presented, and possiblities as well as limits of the system are discussed.