Sonic Crystals, Arts and Environments

The article is discussing the sonic crystals, which are involved in artistic and environmental structures, from sculptures to sound barriers, from music to the auralization of sound fields

Modeling Sparsely Reflecting Outdoor Acoustic Scenes using the Waveguide Web

Computer games and virtual reality require digital reverberation algorithms, which can simulate a broad range of acoustic spaces, including locations in the open air. Additionally, the detailed simulation of environmental sound is an area of significant interest due to the propagation of noise pollution over distances and its related impact on well-being, particularly in urban spaces. This paper introduces the waveguide web digital reverberator design for modeling the acoustics of sparsely reflecting outdoor environments; a design that is, in part, an extension of the scattering delay network reverberator. The design of the algorithm is based on a set of digital waveguides connected by scattering junctions at nodes that represent the reflection points of the environment under study. The structure of the proposed reverberator allows for accurate reproduction of reflections between discrete reflection points. Approximation errors are caused when the assumption of point-like nodes does not hold true. Three example cases are presented comparing waveguide web simulated impulse responses for a traditional shoebox room, a forest scenario, and an urban courtyard, with impulse responses created using other simulation methods or from real-world measurements. The waveguide web algorithm can better enable the acoustic simulation of outdoor spaces and so contribute toward sound design for virtual reality applications, gaming, and auralization, with a particular focus on acoustic design for the urban environment

Electrophysiologic assessment of (central) auditory processing disorder in children with non-syndromic cleft lip and/or palate

Session 5aPP - Psychological and Physiological Acoustics: Auditory Function, Mechanisms, and Models (Poster Session)Cleft of the lip and/or palate is a common congenital craniofacial malformation worldwide, particularly non-syndromic cleft lip and/or palate (NSCL/P). Though middle ear deficits in this population have been universally noted in numerous studies, other auditory problems including inner ear deficits or cortical dysfunction are rarely reported. A higher prevalence of educational problems has been noted in children with NSCL/P compared to craniofacially normal children. These high level cognitive difficulties cannot be entirely attributed to peripheral hearing loss. Recently it has been suggested that children with NSCLP may be more prone to abnormalities in the auditory cortex. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether school age children with (NSCL/P) have a higher prevalence of indications of (central) auditory processing disorder [(C)APD] compared to normal age matched controls when assessed using auditory event-related potential (ERP) techniques. School children (6 to 15 years) with NSCL/P and normal controls with matched age and gender were recruited. Auditory ERP recordings included auditory brainstem response and late event-related potentials, including the P1-N1-P2 complex and P300 waveforms. Initial findings from the present study are presented and their implications for further research in this area —and clinical intervention—are outlined. © 2012 Acoustical Society of Americapublished_or_final_versio