Philip W. Robinson

On the subtraction method for in-situ reflection and diffusion coefficient measurements

The subtraction method is a technique critical to several important acoustic measurements. It involves subtracting a reference measurement including only direct sound from one with direct sound and a reflection, to isolate the reflection. The process is very sensitive to environmental conditions, such as changes in temperature, air movement, and microphone positioning. These variations cause small time differences between the reference and reflection measurements, which prevent complete subtraction of the direct sound; the residual direct sound then pollutes analysis of the isolated reflection. This work evaluates methods to compensate for differences to achieve minimal interference from the residual direct sound.

Bayesian characterization of multiple-slope sound energy decays in coupled-volume systemsa)

Due to recent developments in concert hall design, there is an increasing interest in the analysis of sound energy decays consisting of multiple exponential decay rates. It has been considered challenging to estimate parameters associated with double-rate (slope) decay characteristics, and even more challenging when the coupled-volume systems contain more than two decay processes. To meet the need of characterizing energy decays of multiple decay processes, this work investigates coupled-volume systems using acoustic scale-models of three coupled rooms. Two Bayesian formulations are compared using the experimentally measured sound energy decay data. A fully parameterized Bayesian formulation has been found to be capable of characterization of multiple-slope decays beyond the single-slope and double-slope energy decays. Within the Bayesian framework using this fully parameterized formulation, an in-depth analysis of likelihood distributions over multiple-dimensional decay parameter space motivates the use of Bayesian information criterion, an efficient approach to solving Bayesian model selection problems that are suitable for estimating the number of exponential decays. The analysis methods are then applied to a geometric-acoustics simulation of a conceptual concert hall. Sound energy decays more complicated than single-slope and double-slope nature, such as triple-slope decays have been identified and characterized.

Concert halls with strong lateral reflections enhance musical dynamics

Significance The concert hall conveys orchestral sound to the listener through acoustic reflections from directions defined by the room geometry. When sound arrives from the sides of the head, binaural hearing emphasizes the same frequencies produced by higher orchestral-playing dynamics, thus enhancing perceived dynamic range. Many studies on room acoustics acknowledge the importance of such lateral reflections, but their contribution to the dynamic responsiveness of the hall has not yet been understood. Because dynamic expression is such a critical part of symphonic music, this phenomenon helps to explain the established success of shoebox-type concert halls. One of the most thrilling cultural experiences is to hear live symphony-orchestra music build up from a whispering passage to a monumental fortissimo. The impact of such a crescendo has been thought to depend only on the musicians’ skill, but here we show that interactions between the concert-hall acoustics and listeners’ hearing also play a major role in musical dynamics. These interactions contribute to the shoebox-type concert hall’s established success, but little prior research has been devoted to dynamic expression in this three-part transmission chain as a complete system. More forceful orchestral playing disproportionately excites high frequency harmonics more than those near the note’s fundamental. This effect results in not only more sound energy, but also a different tone color. The concert hall transmits this sound, and the room geometry defines from which directions acoustic reflections arrive at the listener. Binaural directional hearing emphasizes high frequencies more when sound arrives from the sides of the head rather than from the median plane. Simultaneously, these same frequencies are emphasized by higher orchestral-playing dynamics. When the room geometry provides reflections from these directions, the perceived dynamic range is enhanced. Current room-acoustic evaluation methods assume linear behavior and thus neglect this effect. The hypothesis presented here is that the auditory excitation by reflections is emphasized with an orchestra forte most in concert halls with strong lateral reflections. The enhanced dynamic range provides an explanation for the success of rectangularly shaped concert-hall geometry.

The role of diffusive architectural surfaces on auditory spatial discrimination in performance venues

In musical or theatrical performance, some venues allow listeners to individually localize and segregate individual performers, while others produce a well blended ensemble sound. The room acoustic conditions that make this possible, and the psycho-acoustic effects at work are not fully understood. This research utilizes auralizations from measured and simulated performance venues to investigate spatial discrimination of multiple acoustic sources in rooms. Signals were generated from measurements taken in a small theater, and listeners in the audience area were asked to distinguish pairs of speech sources on stage with various spatial separations. This experiment was repeated with the proscenium splay walls treated to be flat, diffusive, or absorptive. Similar experiments were conducted in a simulated hall, utilizing 11 early reflections with various characteristics, and measured late reverberation. The experiments reveal that discriminating the lateral arrangement of two sources is possible at narrower separation angles when reflections come from flat or absorptive rather than diffusive surfaces.

Concert hall geometry optimization with parametric modeling tools and wave-based acoustic simulations

Advances in computational capacity made available through graphics processing unit (GPU) processing and developments in parametrically driven design tools are creating new possibilities for acoustic design and analysis. In particular, wave-based numerical simulations are becoming more tractable, and geometry manipulations, which were once cumbersome manual work, can now be automated. A case study of concert hall section profile optimization is presented. Using RHINOCEROS software with the GRASSHOPPER parametric modeling plugin, geometries were automatically generated based on a few parameters, then evaluated using Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) numerical simulations using GPU processing in MATLAB. The results from each iteration are used to inform a global optimization algorithm that conducts an intelligent search of the parameter space to find a solution in as few iterations as possible. The optimization is based on a stochastic model of the multidimensional objective function. The objective function is iteratively sampled and a simplified Bayesian approach is used for finding the set of parameters which is most likely to improve the current estimate of the global minimum at each iteration. With this method, curved and linear iterations of the sidewalls and under-balcony surfaces of a concert hall section were investigated. The objective was to deliver the most early energy, in the most uniform distribution, from multiple sources to multiple receiver positions.

Echo thresholds for reflections from acoustically diffusive architectural surfaces

When sound reflects from an irregular architectural surface, it spreads spatially and temporally. Extensive research has been devoted to prediction and measurement of diffusion, but less has focused on its perceptual effects. This paper examines the effect of temporal diffusion on echo threshold. There are several notable differences between the waveform of a reflection identical to the direct sound and one from an architectural surface. The onset and offset are damped and the energy is spread in time; hence, the reflection response has a lower peak amplitude, and is decorrelated from the direct sound. The perceptual consequences of these differences are previously undocumented. Echo threshold tests are conducted with speech and music signals, using direct sound and a simulated reflection that is either identical to the direct sound or has various degrees of diffusion. Results indicate that for a speech signal, diffuse reflections are less easily detectable as a separate auditory event than specular reflections of the same total energy. For a music signal, no differences are observed between the echo thresholds for reflections with and without temporal diffusion. Additionally, echo thresholds are found to be shorter for speech than for music, and shorter for spatialized than for diotic presentation of signals.

Acoustic visualizations using surface mapping

Sound visualizations have been an integral part of room acoustics studies for more than a century. As acoustic measurement techniques and knowledge of hearing evolve, acousticians need more intuitive ways to represent increasingly complex data. Microphone array processing now allows accurate measurement of spatio-temporal acoustic properties. However, the multidimensional data can be a challenge to display coherently. This letter details a method of mapping visual representations of acoustic reflections from a receiver position to the surfaces from which the reflections originated. The resulting animations are presented as a spatial acoustic analysis tool.

The effect of diffuse reflections on spatial discrimination in a simulated concert hall

This letter presents results from a study on diffusive architectural surfaces and auditory perception. Spatial discrimination of multiple sources is investigated in a simulated performance venue with various diffusive surface treatments. Simulations were generated with closely spaced sound sources on the stage of a concert hall and a listener in the audience area. Subjects were asked to distinguish signals in which pairs of simultaneous talkers were presented at various lateral separations, in halls with flat or diffusive surfaces. The experiments reveal that discriminating differences in the lateral arrangement of sources is possible at narrower separation angles when reflections come from flat rather than diffusive surfaces.

Design, construction, and evaluation of a 1:8 scale model binaural manikin

Many experiments in architectural acoustics require presenting listeners with simulations of different rooms to compare. Acoustic scale modeling is a feasible means to create accurate simulations of many rooms at reasonable cost. A critical component in a scale model room simulation is a receiver that properly emulates a human receiver. For this purpose, a scale model artificial head has been constructed and tested. This paper presents the design and construction methods used, proper equalization procedures, and measurements of its response. A headphone listening experiment examining sound externalization with various reflection conditions is presented that demonstrates its use for psycho-acoustic testing.

Comment on “Optimum absorption and aperture parameters for realistic coupled volume spaces determined from computational analysis and subjective testing results” [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 127, 223–232 (2010)]

A recent paper [D. T. Bradley and L. M. Wang, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 127, 223-232 (2010)] has reported inconsistencies between the results of two different approaches for characterizing non-exponential decays in coupled-volume systems. This letter aims to expose the origin of these inconsistencies, which are due to a limitation in the methodology utilized for the analysis presented in the paper referenced above.