Klaus Genuit

Wide band, low noise artificial head for transmission of aural phenomena

By means of an active filter with free-field sound exposure from the front, a system is provided which assures a frequency response of a microphones transmission functions which is comparable with that of a measurement microphone, so that this system on the one hand analyzes acoustic phenomena in the conventional manner and, additionally, in the case of reproduction via a free-field, distortion-corrected headset to the eardrums of a listening person, generates the same sound pressure signals as if the person were located at the place of sound recording, while, on the other hand, in the case of reproduction via loudspeakers no annoying acoustic contamination occurs. The entire artifical head system is designed for either a.c. or battery operation and is combined with an analog or digital recording unit to produce a self-sufficient recording and reproduction system.

Prediction of Psychoacoustic Parameters

Noise is defined as an audible sound which either disturbs the silence, or an intentional sound that listening to leads to annoyance. Thus, it is clearly defined that the assignment of noise cannot be reduced to simple determining objective parameters like the A‐weighted SPL. The question whether a sound is judged as noise can only be answered after the transformation from the sound event into an hearing event has been accomplished. The evaluation of noise depends on the physical characteristics of the sound event, on the psychoacoustical features of the human ear as well as on the psychological aspects of men. The subjectively felt noise quality depends not only on the A‐weighted sound‐pressure level, but also on other psychoacoustical parameters such as loudness, roughness, sharpness, etc. The known methods for the prediction of the spatial A‐weighted SPL distribution in dependence on the propagation are not suitable to predict psychoacoustic parameters in an adequate way. Especially, the roughness prov...

Relationship between environmental noise, sound quality, soundscape

The term “Environmental Noise” is well known for many years. Its characteristic is often described by parameters like A-weighted SPL, Lden, Lday, Levening, Lnight. These parameters can be measured and calculated. In the field of “Sound Quality” psychoacoustic parameters are additionally used like loudness, sharpness, roughness and others, which can be measured but not calculated for a complex sound field. On an international level a standard is available only for the loudness of stationary sounds so far. The “relatively” young term “soundscape” will be standardized in ISO 12913-1. Moreover, as it considers human perception including cognitive aspects, context and interaction it goes beyond physics and psychoacoustics. It involves a concept, where environmental noise is not reduced to an averaged quantity evoking only unpleasantness feelings estimated by statistical probabilities, but understanding noise as a valuable resource, which can be purposefully utilized. In spite of recent progresses in the standa...

Explorative sound evaluation

Exposure group description of sound based on AISP (exploration of associated imaginations on sound perception) is a powerful tool in sound quality evaluation. Used in a public research project it was stated that AISP needs further adaptation for automotive use. The present study was intended as a first approach refining the method for industrial application regarding the evaluation of an appropriate test design. The study was carried out using a driving simulator and a car, both with changeable acoustic properties. Verbal evaluations by the driving test individuals and the sound were recorded. Later on an open interview with the driver was carried out based upon given commentaries. The verbal data were analyzed through a qualitative approach. By means of this data the car with changeable acoustic properties driven on road was identified as most appropriate for sound evaluation of car interior sounds. The verbal data analysis and the physical analysis of the sounds gave valuable hints for troubleshooting a...

The acoustical diary as an innovative tool in soundscape evaluation

A new field study evaluating soundscapes investigates closely the reactions of traffic noise with a particular regard to the street surface. The combination of methods with different sensibilities for the subject’s process of perceiving and evaluating noise in such ambiences is necessary for a reliable and valid analysis and interpretation of data. Acoustic measurements are carried out in critical segments of the street as well as in the respective apartments of the inhabitants, which are questioned in narrative interviews. The acoustic measurements are taken simultaneously in the apartment and on the street. Apartments were selected which issue into the street; outside measurements are performed in front of the buildings on the sidewalk. During the interviews in the apartments the occurring noises are registered by noisebook. As a rule the measurement spot within the apartment is the area in which the interviewed person mostly resides, when he/she takes repose. Further analysis points out the importance of an extended evaluation with an acoustical diary which combines technical and sociological measurement procedures. Performance of the entire data collection process and first results will be discussed.

Applicability of measurement procedures in soundscape context—Experiences and recommendations

In the context of the ISO/TC 43/SC 1/WG 54, different aspects of soundscape will be subject to standardization. Besides a standardized soundscape definition, understanding and terminology, minimum reporting requirements for measuring soundscapes including measurement uncertainties are currently discussed and will be subject to standardization later. All in all, a wide range of measurement procedures is applied for measuring, describing, documenting, and analyzing soundscapes. However, several aspects of and conditions for measurements are still unclear, which limits the comparability and compatibility of soundscape investigations. It is evident that a common basis of measurement procedures is needed to bring forward current standardization efforts. Consequently, it is very important to share experiences and knowledge about measurement procedures and their general applicability in soundscape context. A thorough discussion about the data quality achieved by certain measurement procedures is inevitable as we...

What will be the influence of e-mobility on soundscape?

The increasing electrification of the powertrain after 125 years of continuous development of the internal combustion engine will not only lead to a sound pressure level reduction of vehicle exterior noises but to a complete change of sound quality. With this expected development road traffic noise affected persons hope for quiet cities and a better quality of life. The creation and successful preservation of quiet zones in cities and to avoid harmful effects of noise exposure are special focuses in European noise policy. However, different surveys have shown the increased risk of accidents for pedestrians and cyclists with respect to collisions with quiet vehicles, which caused a lively discussion about acoustical warning systems for the prevention of crashes. But it is obvious, that major conflicts between quietness and safety arise. Consequently, to address this issue, on the one hand sustainable concepts must be developed for the successful avoidance of accidents and on the other hand the general traf...

Perception of roughness of time-variant sounds

Besides loudness, other psychoacoustic parameters like sharpness and roughness are important for sound quality evaluation. Sharpness considers the relationship between the loudness of high frequency components and total loudness, and roughness evaluates modulation characteristics. While loudness of stationary sounds has been standardized for decades, standards for sharpness of stationary sounds and for loudness of time-varying sounds have been published in 2009 (DIN 45692:2009-08) and 2010 (DIN 45631/A1:2010-03), respectively. In addition, there are several roughness models available, performing more or less well for synthetic and selected technical signals. Currently, a roughness standard is under discussion in a DIN working group. In recent listening tests, the subjects showed consistent overall roughness evaluation of synthetic signals but heterogeneous judgments concerning the more complex technical sounds containing distinct rough components. The results of the listening test will be discussed and co...

The acoustical design of vehicles: A new tool for benchmarking and target sound

Evaluating sound quality leads to difficulties. Conventional tests neglect the context‐sensitivity of human perception evaluation; they only reflect artificial realities which do not correspond with perceptual authenticity. Since the subjective evaluation is influenced by different modifiers, it is necessary to extend methods in order to be able to survey and represent various objective variables as well as subjective variables sufficiently. It is known that experiments in laboratories only constitute artificial realities and disregard important parameters like context, relevance, or external validity. The test design lacks the consideration of the usual interaction between the self‐stimulated sound and the driver as well as the context, in which the driver experiences and evaluates the perceived sound. A 3‐D sound simulation system (H3S) has been developed for the realistic reproduction of airborne sound in driving simulators. Mobile H3S is capable of simulating a vehicle soundscape—consisting of engine ...

Sound quality in environment: ‘‘Psychoacoustic mapping.’’

The annoyance due to noise in the environment is often predicted by analysis software which calculates the A‐weighted sound pressure level distribution depending on the sound sources and on the sound propagation caused by them. The actual subjective perceived noise annoyance of the environment does not only depend on the A‐weighted sound pressure level, but also on the so‐called sound quality along with other parameters like the aspects of a soundscape. The question regarding noise annoyance cannot be predicted by the A‐weighted sound pressure level alone. The sound quality perceived by the human hearing depends on, among other things, loudness, roughness and sharpness. The previously known methods for the prediction of the spatial A‐weighted sound pressure level distribution based on the propagation are not suitable to predict psycho‐acoustic parameters in an adequate way. Especially the roughness caused by modulation or the sharpness generated by the contribution of high frequency sound energy at variou...