AES Berlin 2017
Engineering Brief EB09
Tuesday, May 23, 14:30 — 15:45 (Salon 2+3 Rome)
EB09 - Spatial Audio, Listening Tests, Systems
Scott G. Norcross (Chair)
EB09-01 Object-Based Audio in Large Scale Live Sound Reinforcement Controlled by Motion Tracking
Jakob Bergner (Presenting Author), Mario Seideneck (Author), Christoph Sladeczek (Author)
This work shows a detailed application of an optical tracking system to control the positioning of sound sources in an object-based audio reproduction system for live sound reinforcement. This need is brought up by live performances with moving actors like operas, musicals or spoken theater. With state-of-the-art object-based audio reproduction systems it is possible to distribute virtual sound sources for improved sound localization within the audience area. To cope with applications of high complexity automated auxiliary systems like motion tracking provide valuable control data and thus enhance the usability of such systems. The presented approach shows a solution with focus on interfaces between systems and devices.
Engineering Brief 349
EB09-02 A Basic Study of the Upmix Method for 22.2 Multichannel Sound
Toru Kamekawa (Presenting Author), Atsushi Marui (Author)
The upmix technique to 22.2 multichannel sound from 9 channel, 5 channel, and 3 channel IRs (impulse responses) were studied. The two upmix techniques were used. One is the IRs made from the original IRs converted to phase randomized signals with the same time envelope to original signal and the other is the IRs obtained by simply adding signals of adjacent channels. The experimental stimuli were obtained from these impulse responses convolved to the sound of a xylophone and a female voice recorded in an anechoic room. From the results, there is a tendency of different impression between these two methods, and it is suggested that the phase randomized method may be effective with the case using from less channels.
Engineering Brief 350
EB09-03 The Dawn of Audiophile Quality Audio on Your Smartphone
Stefan Gustavsson (Presenting Author)
The mobile phone has become the primary device for personal music and multimedia consumption. This increases the focus on audio quality, especially when listening through headphones, providing impetus for a transition from mobile audio being a low quality, best effort music player to one that can be compared to dedicated high audio quality playback systems. The task of delivering audiophile quality music to mobile phone users provides a unique challenge requiring extremely low power. The latest, highly integrated audio solutions for smartphone chipsets use technologies, architectures, and algorithms that can deliver HIFI audio while still providing attractive power consumption and cost. With this fast improvement in mobile phone audio the system level design and testing methodologies need to keep up.
Engineering Brief 351
EB09-04 Practical Loudness Measurement and Management for Immersive Audio
Scott G. Norcross (Presenting Author), Sachin Nanda (Author), Marvin Pribadi (Author)
Loudness management is an essential and often mandatory aspect for content providers and broadcasters. Regional requirements/guidelines based on Recommendation ITU-R BS.1770 form the basis for the loudness practice in broadcasting. It has recently been revised to support new immersive-channel formats, but not explicitly for object-based audio formats. Object-based audio is currently being delivered over-the-top (OTT) and loudness management must be addressed to meet requirements and provide a good user experience. These new audio formats allow the content to be played back over a larger range of playback configurations, which has the potential for loudness variations. This brief describes loudness measurement and management for currently deployed object-based delivery and shows how legacy playback of this content meets the current broadcasting recommendations.
Engineering Brief 352
EB09-05 An Analog Audio Sensor Board for Microcontrollers
Colin Zyskowski (Presenting Author), Mauricio de Oliveira (Author)
This paper presents work on the Audio Sensor Board (ASB), a circuit board designed to serve as an analog interface between audio signals and the digital/analog inputs of common micro-controllers. The ASB allows for low-level manipulation of audio signals so that those signals can be easily used as control parameters, in essence creating a two-channel analog/digital sensor for sound sources. In this paper we layout the various functions of the board, its design, and describe practical purposes for which it has successfully been used.
Engineering Brief 353