Investigations of Incorporating Source Directivity Into Room Acoustics Computer Models to Improve Auralizations
Michelle C. Vigeant · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 2008
Room acoustics computer modeling and auralizations are useful tools when designing or modifying acoustically sensitive spaces. In this dissertation, the input parameter of source directivity has been studied in great detail to determine, first, its effect in room acoustics computer models and, second, how to better incorporate the directional source characteristics to improve auralizations. The room acoustics computer model was initially validated in terms of accurately incorporating the input source directivity. The next study demonstrated that using directional sources over an omnidirectional source in room acoustics computer models produces significant differences both in terms of calculated room acoustics parameters and auralizations. A recently proposed technique for creating auralizations using multichannel anechoic recordings has been examined with numerous subjective studies, applied to both solo instruments and an orchestra. Through these studies, this process was shown to be effective in terms of improving the realism and source width of the auralizations in a number of cases and also modeling different source orientations. In addition, this approach was applied to modeling an entire orchestra with individual sources, in three different configurations, for the first time. This method shows great promise as a new technique for auralizing both solo instruments and an entire orchestra. [Copies may be obtained from Michelle Vigeant, [email protected]]