The impact of visual cues on perceived intimacy in an acoustic ecology.

Abstract

Crossmodal studies of the effects of visual cues on the perceived acoustics of a performance space have suggested the inextricable relationship between vision and audition. When designing a building or virtual environment for music, critical attention must be paid to a visual aesthetic to ensure a desired level of intimacy between the audience and performer. This visual aesthetic is ordinarily left entirely to the main architect or visual artist. However, given the body of research suggesting crossmodal influences on the human auditory system, it is clear that acousticians must also carefully consider the visual effects of their recommendations for acoustic improvement. The objective of this study is to establish the effects of various visual cues on audition as pertaining to intimacy in an ecological context. This study uses digital compositing (bluescreen) techniques to place a musical performance in various virtual environments, and employs real time audio‐video processing to create an interactive, cross‐modally immersive environment. Participant‐adjusted direct‐to‐reverberant ratio as well as visual cues adapted from stage lighting techniques are used to establish crossmodal relationships. It is hypothesized that the ability to adjust visual cues will significantly effect subjects’ perception of intimate acoustic settings.