Nonexponential sound decay in concert halls

The paper presents acoustic measurement results for two concert halls in which nonexponential sound decay is observed. Quantitative estimates are given for how the obtained decay laws differ from exponential. Problems are discussed that arise when using reverberation time to assess the quality of room acoustics with nonexponential sound decay.     

音乐厅音质设计中响度评价参量的讨论

强感级(G,dB)是评价音乐厅音质设计中重要客观参量之一,它由厅内声级按标准声源的声功率级归一化得出。我们不仅考察厅内的总强感级G,还得分别考虑其早期声和后期声的G_早和G_后,因为它们的成因和主观效果是不同的。近年从主观试验结果中获得一个意外发现,即最低频段的G_低值与中频G_中值之比,将是决定厅内低音感的主要因素,而不是过去所说的低频和中频混响时间之比。10年前,人们认为环绕感LEV只由到达听者耳际的侧向声能所决定,如今则了解到后期总声能G_后这一因素也很重要。并提出由G和侧向比值LF来估算LFV的新公式,便于设计考虑。本文对音乐厅最佳G值作了讨论。近年的一个重要发现是,音乐厅内听者响度判断主要由混响声决定,或认为因视听综合心理效应使听者的响度判断与离舞台距离几乎无关,或两者兼具。后者涉及视觉信息输入影响听觉响度体验,即所谓多维感知综合效果的心理学问题。近年有人认为G参量不能直接反映音乐厅内听众听到的绝对声压级为由,提出以音乐片段中乐队齐奏强音标志段声级L_pf作为评价音乐厅响度的新物理指标。作者对此作了全面评析,说明其存在问题和不可行性。     

Subjective preference tests for sound fields in concert halls simulated by the aid of a computer

In the context of optimal acoustic design of concert halls, preference tests for simulated sound fields with various combinations of early discrete reflections and subsequent reverberation were conducted and the results compared with objective parameters. The results show that lateral early reflections which yield a small value of the interaural cross correlation give more preferred judgments than do non-lateral ones. The most preferred initial time delay (or scale factor for the dimensions of concert halls) can be determined by the long-time autocorrelation function of a music motif and by the total amplitude of both early reflections and the subsequent reverberation. As a comprehensive design concept, an “overall preference” for listeners is introduced here from the preference results.     

Sound strength and reverberation time in small concert halls

Sound strength and reverberation time measurements have been carried out in six small concert halls in Cambridge, UK. The sound strength G is a measure of the physical sound level in a concert hall and is closely related to the subjective sensation of loudness. It compares integrated impulse responses at a point in the measured room with that measured at ten metres distance in the free field.The aim of the measurements is to investigate the acoustic characteristics of the halls concerning sound strength and reverberation time. Furthermore the effect of the variable acoustics in the halls on these parameters is discussed in this paper. Especially for bigger ensembles it is often desirable to reduce the sound level in a small concert hall. The measurement results show that for a fixed hall volume, this can primarily be achieved by decreasing the reverberation time in the hall. However, with regard to the sound quality of a hall and the recommended reverberation times for chamber music, reverberation time cannot be reduced by an arbitrary extent. Therefore reverberation time and strength have to be balanced very carefully in order to obtain sufficient reverberation whilst at the same time avoiding excessive loudness. Finally the measured strength levels are compared to values derived from traditional and revised theory [Barron M, Lee L-J. Energy relations in concert auditoriums. J Acoust Soc Am 1988;84(2):618-28] on strength calculations in order to assess the accuracy of the theory for small chamber music halls. Possible reasons for the low measured strength levels observed are discussed with reference to related design features and objective acoustic parameters.     

Monaural and binaural parameters of Rudolfinum concert halls in Prague

Objective parameters for the evaluation of the Rudolfinum concert hall in Prague, Czech Republic are the focus of the present article. The measured results for Reverberation parameters, Energy parameters, Intelligibility parameters, and Spatial parameters of the building’s two halls are presented and discussed including a comparison with recommended values or theory, as well as several unique architectural and acoustical qualities of the halls. The early lateral energy fraction parameter is measured by the intensity probe method discussed in the supplement. The performance is verified by tests in anechoic and reverberant rooms.     

The cross-correlation of signals and spatial impression in surround sound reproduction

The relationship between the cross-correlation coefficients of feeding signals and auditory spatial impression（ASI） which are created by the left,right,left surround and right surround loudspeakers in 5.1 channel surround sound system is investigated by psychoacoustic experiments.The results show that for reproducing by the front left-right or left-right surround loudspeakers pair,the auditory source width（ASW） can be broadened by controlling the crosscorrelation coefficients of feeding signals to some extent.The quantitative relationships between ASW and the cross-correlation coefficients is frequency dependent.For reproducing by a pair of lateral loudspeakers,however,ASW can not be changed by controlling the cross-correlation coefficients of feeding signals.For reproducing by the front and surround loudspeakers pairs simultaneously and for pink noises and octave noises with central frequencies no more than 1kHz,a strong sense of listener envelopment（LEV） can be obtained by controlling the crosscorrelation coefficients of feeding signals properly.For the octave band noises with central frequencies at 2 kHz and 4 kHz,however,LEV can not be obtained by controlling the crosscorrelation coefficients of feeding signals.Further theoretical calculations and measurements show that there is no unique relationship between the inter-aural cross-correlation（IACC） and the ASW in 5.1 channels surround sound reproduction,which may be due to the algorithms of IACC calculation.Further experimental verifications are needed to investigate the applicability of IACC for evaluating ASI.The present results will be helpful to the actual surround sound programming recording and evaluation.     

Distribution of selected monaural acoustical parameters in concert halls

Acoustical parameters calculated from impulse responses are often used to evaluate the characteristics of concert halls. Representative parameters are listed in the Annex of ISO 3382 and the methods of calculation and the minimum number of measurement positions are explained in detail. However, a method for selecting measurement positions is not discussed clearly, because there are wide variations in the characteristics of sound fields. This report provides basic data to solve this problem using spatial distribution characteristics of parameters in halls. Three large-scale measurement campaigns were conducted in which impulse responses were measured at 1427, 180, and 511 locations. Relatively large differences in the obtained parameters compared with well-known difference limens suggest that determining the distributions of parameter values is important. Contour maps are therefore used to display the distributions along with mean values.     

座位数在音乐厅和歌剧院计算中的作用

在对Leo Beranek著《音乐厅和歌剧院》一书中所提供的80余所音乐厅和歌剧院声学参数的测定结果数据分析的基础上,经过简单的数学处理和简化,提出一些个人见解:强度因子G和座位数N的关系;对于N小于和等于2000的音乐厅,空场早期衰变时间EDT等于空场混响时间。文中给出在N＜ 2000的情形下空场EDT的计算。座椅数是决定厅堂容积的出发点,由此做出两个厅堂的初步设计实例。     

环绕声重放中通路信号相关性与听觉空间印象

通过心理声学实验研究了5.1通路环绕声重放中前方左、右,以及左环绕、右环绕四个扬声器通路信号相关性与听觉空间印象之间的关系。结果表明,对前方左、右扬声器重放或左环绕、右环绕扬声器重放,都可以通过控制通路信号的相关系数在一定程度上改变前方或后方声像的宽度。对不同频率范围的信号,声像宽度与通路信号的相关系数之间的定量关系有所不同。但对一对侧向扬声器重放,基本上不能通过控制通路信号相关系数来改变声像的宽度,并且声像宽度很窄。对于前方和环绕两对扬声器同时重放,对粉红噪声和中心频率不大于1 kHz的倍频程信号,适当控制各扬声器对通路信号的相关系数可以获得较强的包围感;但是对中心频率为2 kHz和4 kHz的倍频程信号则无法获得包围感。进一步的理论计算和实验测量结果表明,重放声像宽度和双耳听觉互相关系数(IACC)并没有唯一对应的关系,这可能和IACC的计算方法有关。对于IACC的计算方法和适用性还需要进一步的实验验证。本文的结果将有助于实际的环绕声节目制作和评价。     

Taking account of loudness constancy for the loudness criterion for concert halls

One of the surprises from analysis of results of an objective and subjective study of British concert halls (1988 Acustica 66, 1–14) was that the subjective judgement of loudness in concert halls is influenced not only by sound level but also by the source–receiver distance. This response implies that the same sound level is judged louder at positions further from the orchestra platform. Whereas level decreases with distance in actual halls, loudness is judged more-or-less independent of position in average halls (except at positions close to the platform and seats overhung by balconies). As an observation it ties in with evidence from experimental psychologists for loudness constancy throughout a space. The sound strength G is the sound level in an auditorium normalised to the sound power level of the source; the traditional criterion of acceptability for level is that G ? 0 dB. The paper proposes that, on the basis of subjective evidence and objective behaviour in auditoria, the criterion for G should not be a unique value of G but rather a function of source–receiver distance.     

Estimating the mixing time of concert halls using the eXtensible Fourier Transform

In room acoustics, we measure room impulse responses (RIRs) in order to fully describe the hall. RIRs are composed of a succession of arrivals (i.e., some sound rays which have undergone one or more reflections on their way from the source to the receiver). We propose the eXtensible Fourier Transform (XFT) in order to investigate the time evolution of spectral components of RIRs. The phase evolution versus time allows to estimate the mixing time, which is defined as the time it takes for initially adjacent sound rays to spread uniformly across the room. After presenting some properties of the XFT, we show why one must compensate the natural energy decay of the RIR in order to obtain stationary signals. We estimate mixing times for a set of experimental RIRs and several that are synthesized using a stochastic model. Then, we estimate the dependance of mixing time upon the source/receiver distance in all these RIRs. Results are consistent up to the lack of reproducibility of the sound sources, but are strongly dependent on some parameters used for computing the XFT. We finally discuss the relevance of the name mixing time with respect to the theory and in regard to the time we estimate, that we propose to call cross-over time.     

运用神经网络推算音乐厅满场混响时间

混响时间是厅堂音质评价中的一个重要客观参量。本文提出了运用神经网络由空场混响时间推算满场混响时间的新方法。与其它方法比较,该方法有相当的预测精度。在此基础上,本文进一步分析了音乐厅中座椅类型和座椅数量对满场混响时间的影响,并对满场条件下座椅的吸声增量进行了讨论。     

Relation of acoustical parameters with and without audiences in concert halls and a simple method for simulating the occupied state

Five acoustical parameters-reverberation time RT, early decay time EDT, clarity C80, strength G, and interaural cross-correlation coefficient IACC-were measured using identical procedures with and without audiences in six concert and opera halls. Reverberation times without audiences were measured in 15 additional halls using the same measuring techniques as for the six halls above, but for full occupancy the data were taken from musical stop chords at symphonic concerts. This paper shows that in all halls (1) the occupied RT can be predicted from the unoccupied RT using a linear regression equation, y = a - b exp(x), within acceptable limits, at low- and mid-frequencies. It is also shown for the six halls that (2) occupied C80's are predicted accurately from unoccupied values by the newly proposed equation; (3) G's with and without audiences are highly correlated by a first degree linear regression equation; and (4) IACCs have nearly the same value in both occupied and unoccupied halls. As a separate subject, the successful use of a cloth covering for seats in a concert or opera hall to simulate the occupied condition has been developed.     

Loudness perception of low tones undergoing partial masking by higher tones in orchestral music in concert halls

Objective acoustical parameters for halls are often measured in 1-octave bands with mid-frequencies from 125 to 4000 Hz. In reality, the frequency range of musical instruments is much wider than that, and the fundamentals of the lower notes of bass instruments are contained in 31.5 or 63?Hz bands. Overtones of fundamentals in these bands fall in 125?Hz band. This report presents subjective experiments designed to determine to what extent the overtones in 125?Hz band and higher bands influence the loudness sensation of the components in 63?Hz band. In the experiments, the 125?Hz and higher components of the musical tone are used to act as a masker against the lower component used as a maskee. The threshold of the difference between G(125?Hz) and G(lower band) that just enables one to hear the fundamental tones in the lower band is determined. Masked loudness of 63?Hz sinusoidal tone caused by partial masking noise with higher frequencies was determined based on a similar procedure to the masked loudness-matching function. The result indicates that the difference in loudness of low tone will not be noticeable even if G changed by ±2.5 to ±3?dB, at least when there are other accompanying instruments.     

On the influence of spatial correlations on sound propagation in concentrated solutions of rigid particles

In a previous paper [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 121, 3386-3387 (2007)], a self-consistent effective medium theory has been used to account for hydrodynamic interactions between neighboring rigid particles, which considerably affect the sound propagation in concentrated solutions. However, spatial correlations were completely left out in this model. They correspond to the fact that the presence of one particle at a given position locally affects the location of the other ones. In the present work, the importance of such correlations is demonstrated within a certain frequency range and particle concentration. For that purpose, spatial correlations are integrated in our two-phase formulation by using a closure scheme similar to the one introduced by Spelt et al. ['Attenuation of sound in concentrated suspensions theory and experiments," J. Fluid Mech. 430, 51-86 (2001)]. Then, the effect is shown through a careful comparison of the results obtained with this model, the ones obtained with different self-consistent approximations and the experiments performed by Hipp et al. ["Acoustical characterization of concentrated suspensions and emulsions. 2. Experimental validation," Langmuir, 18, 391-404 (2002)]. With the present formulation, an excellent agreement is reached for all frequencies (within the limit of the long wavelength regime) and for concentrations up to 30% without any adjustable parameter.     

厅堂声学测量中不同激励声源的比较

基於脉冲响应积分的音乐厅和剧院观众厅声学特性的测量目前有三种使用不同激励声源的测试方法:人工脉冲声源、伪随机噪声序列(MLS)、以及用正弦扫频信号。这些技术各有其优缺点,在实际应用中为了方便根据具体情况选择不同的激励声源,通过在一个音乐厅现场的实测数据比较丁三种声源的实测结果,发现对混响时间测量三种不同的激励声源给出的结果基本一致,但是对明晰度和一些其他的指标,脉冲声源给出的结果与用MLS和扫频信号给出的结果有较明显的差别。对实际中如何选择具体的技术也做了建议。     

Objective and subjective analysis of effects of listening angle on crosstalk cancellation in spatial sound reproduction

A comprehensive study was conducted to explore the effects of listening angle on crosstalk cancellation in spatial sound reproduction using two-channel stereo systems. The intention is to establish a sustainable configuration of crosstalk cancellation system (CCS) that best reconciles the separation performance and the robustness against lateral head movement, not only in theory but also in practice. Although crosstalk can in principle be suppressed using multichannel inverse filters, the CCS does not lend itself very well to practical application owing to the fact that the sweet spot is being so small. Among the parameters of loudspeaker deployment, span angle is a crucial factor that has a profound impact on the separation performance and sweet spot robustness achievable by the CCS. This paper seeks to pinpoint, from a more comprehensive perspective, the optimal listening angle that best reconciles the robustness and performance of the CCS. Two kinds of definitions of sweet spot are employed for assessment of robustness. In addition to the point source model, head related transfer functions (HRTF) are employed as the plant models in the simulation to emulate more practical localization scenarios such as the high-frequency head shadowing effect. Three span angles including 10, 60, and 120 deg are then compared via objective and subjective experiments. The Friedman test is applied to analyze the data of subjective experiments. The results indicate that not only the CCS performance but also the panning effect and head shadowing will dictate the overall performance and robustness. The 120-deg arrangement performs comparably well as the standard 60-deg arrangement, but is much better than the 10-deg arrangement.