WHAM - Webcam Head-tracked AMbisonics

This paper describes the development and implementation of a real-time head-tracked auralisation platform using Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) decoded binaurally based on open-source and freely available web technologies without the need for specialist head-tracking hardware. An example implementation of this work can be found at https://brucewiggins.co.uk/WHAM/.N/

Mixed-order Ambisonics recording and playback for improving horizontal directionality

Planar (2D) and periphonic (3D) higher-order Ambisonics (HOA) systems are widely used to reproduce spatial properties of acoustic scenarios. Mixed-order Ambisonics (MOA) systems combine the benefit of higher order 2D systems, i.e. a high spatial resolution over a larger usable frequency bandwidth, with a lower order 3D system to reproduce elevated sound sources. In order to record MOA signals, the location of the microphones on a hard sphere were optimized to provide a robust MOA encoding. A detailed analysis of the encoding and decoding process showed that MOA can improve both the spatial resolution in the horizontal plane and the usable frequency bandwidth for playback as well as recording. Hence the described MOA scheme provides a promising method for improving the performance of current 3D sound reproduction systems.7 page(s

Evaluating the auralization of a small room in a virtual sound environment using objective room acoustic measures

To study human auditory perception in realistic environments, loudspeakerbased reproduction techniques have recently become state-of-the-art. To evaluate the accuracy of a simulation-based room auralization of a small room, objective measures were evaluated. In particular: - early-decay time (EDT) & reverberation time (T20, T30); - clarity (C7, C50, C80); - interaural cross-correlation (IACC); - speech transmission index (STI); - direct-to-reverberant ratio (DRR). Impulse responses (IRs) were measured in an IEC listening room. The room was then modeled in the room acoustics software ODEON, and the same objective measures were evaluated for auralized versions of the playback room. The auralizations were realized using higher-order ambisonics (HOA), mixed-order ambisonics (MOA), and a nearest-loudspeaker method (NL) and reproduced in a virtual sound environment

D6.2: Intermediate Standardisation and Dissemination Activity Report

This report documents the standardisation and dissemination activities performed by the ORPHEUS project consortium from December 2015 to February 2017

Spatial audio production for immersive fulldome projections

Fulldome is an immersive half-spherical video format utilized mainly in planetariums which is often combined with spatial audio playback. This combination on one hand offers new ways of perceiving sound in space and on the other hand helps enhancing fulldome productions with audiovisual synergy. However, audio production for fulldome video poses some technical and artistic challenges. Limited time slots and resources seldom allow to work on sound productions inside a planetarium directly. Likewise, the various spatial audio technologies provide the user with fairly different approaches to create, position and move sounds in space. This paper investigates three different approaches to create spatial audio content for fulldome productions in remote studios and to present them in a planetarium: object based proprietary Fraunhofer “SpatialSoundWave” (SSW) system, scene based Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA), and channel based production will be compared. Technical challenges and potentials of storytelling in spatial audio will be discussed