Enhancing Realism for Digital Piano Players: A Perceptual Evaluation of Head-Tracked Binaural Audio

Chen P, Boren B. Enhancing Realism for Digital Piano Players: A Perceptual Evaluation of Head-Tracked Binaural Audio. In: Convention Paper. Audio Engineering Society; 2024. Paper 10199. Available from: https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=22702

@inproceedings{Chen2024_22702,
  author = {Chen, Pingkang and Boren, Braxton},
  title = {{Enhancing Realism for Digital Piano Players: A Perceptual Evaluation of Head-Tracked Binaural Audio}},
  note = {Paper 10199},
  year = {2024},
  month = sep,
  publisher = {Audio Engineering Society},
  url = {https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=22702}
}

TY  - CPAPER
TI  - Enhancing Realism for Digital Piano Players: A Perceptual Evaluation of Head-Tracked Binaural Audio
AU  - Chen, Pingkang
AU  - Boren, Braxton
M1  - Paper 10199
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/09/27
UR  - https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=22702
PB  - Audio Engineering Society
LA  - en
AB  - This paper outlines a process for achieving and perceptually evaluating a head-tracked binaural audio system designed to enhance realism for players of digital pianos. Using an Ambisonic microphone to sample an acoustic piano, followed by leveraging off-the-shelf equipment, the system allows players to experience changes in the sound field in real-time as they rotate their heads while wearing headphones under three degrees of freedom (3DoF). The evaluation criteria included spatial clarity, spectral clarity, envelopment, and preference. These criteria were assessed across three different listening systems: stereo speakers, stereo headphones, and head-tracked binaural audio. Results showed a strong preference for the head-tracked binaural audio system, with players noting significantly greater realism and immersion.
ER  -