Inpainting of long audio segments with similarity graphs

We present a novel method for the compensation of long duration data loss in audio signals, in particular music. The concealment of such signal defects is based on a graph that encodes signal structure in terms of time-persistent spectral similarity. A suitable candidate segment for the substitution of the lost content is proposed by an intuitive optimization scheme and smoothly inserted into the gap, i.e. the lost or distorted signal region. Extensive listening tests show that the proposed algorithm provides highly promising results when applied to a variety of real-world music signals

Computational models for listener-specific predictions of spatial audio quality

International audienceMillions of people use headphones every day for listening to music, watching movies, or communicating with others. Nevertheless, sounds presented via headphones are usually perceived inside the head instead of being localized at a naturally external position. Besides externalization and localization, spatial hearing also involves perceptual attributes like apparent source width, listener envelopment, and the ability to segregate sounds. The acoustic basis for spatial hearing is described by the listener-specific head-related transfer functions (HRTFs, Møller et al., 1995). Binaural virtual acoustics based on listener-specific HRTFs can create sounds presented via headphones being indistinguishable from natural sounds (Langendijk and Bronkhorst, 2000). In this talk, we will focus on the dimensions of sound localization that are particularly sensitive to listener-specific HRTFs, that is, along sagittal planes (i.e., vertical planes being orthogonal to the interaural axis) and near distances (sound externalization/internalization). We will discuss recent findings from binaural virtual acoustics and models aiming at predicting sound externalization (Hassager et al., 2016) and localization in sagittal planes (Baumgartner et al., 2014) considering the listener’s HRTFs. Sagittal-plane localization seems to be well understood and its model can already now reliably predict the localization performance in many listening situations (e.g., Marelli et al., 2015; Baumgartner and Majdak, 2015). In contrast, more investigation is required in order to better understand and create a valid model of sound externalization (Baumgartner et al., 2017). We aim to shed light onto the diversity of cues causing degraded sound externalization with spectral distortions by conducting a model-based meta-analysis of psychoacoustic studies. As potential cues we consider monaural and interaural spectral-shapes, spectral and temporal fluctuations of interaural level differences, interaural coherences, and broadband inconsistencies between interaural time and level differences in a highly comparable template-based modeling framework. Mere differences in sound pressure level between target and reference stimuli were used as a control cue. Our investigations revealed that the monaural spectral-shapes and the strengths of time-intensity trading are potent cues to explain previous results under anechoic conditions. However, future experiments will be required to unveil the actual essence of these cues.ReferencesBaumgartner, R., Majdak, P. (2015): Modeling Localization of Amplitude-Panned Virtual Sources in Sagittal Planes, in: Journal of Audio Engineering Society 63, 562-569.Baumgartner, R., Majdak, P., and Laback, B. (2014). “Modeling sound-source localization in sagittal planes for human listeners,” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 136, 791–802.Baumgartner, R., Reed, D. K., Tóth, B., Best, V., Majdak, P., Colburn, H. S., and Shinn-Cunningham, B. (2017). “Asymmetries in behavioral and neural responses to spectral cues demonstrate the generality of auditory looming bias,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114, 9743–9748.Hassager, H. G., Gran, F., and Dau, T. (2016). “The role of spectral detail in the binaural transfer function on perceived externalization in a reverberant environment,” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 139, 2992–3000.Langendijk, E. H., and Bronkhorst, A. W. (2000). “Fidelity of three-dimensional-sound reproduction using a virtual auditory display,” J Acoust Soc Am 107, 528–37.Marelli, D., Baumgartner, R., and Majdak, P. (2015). “Efficient Approximation of Head-Related Transfer Functions in Subbands for Accurate Sound Localization,” IEEE Transactions on Audio, Speech, and Language Processing 23, 1130–1143.Møller, H., Sørensen, M. F., Hammershøi, D., and Jensen, C. B. (1995). “Head-related transfer functions of human subjects,” J Audio Eng Soc 43, 300–321

Turystyka zrównoważona na obszarach przyrodniczo cennych: strategie i implementacja

Przedstawione w artykule rozważania ogniskują się wokół zagadnień związanych z implementacją założeń koncepcji rozwoju zrównoważonego w odniesieniu do obszarów przyrodniczo cennych, pełniących funkcje turystyczne. W kręgu zainteresowań badawczych znalazły się dwa kraje: Finlandia oraz Stany Zjednoczone Ameryki Północnej. Ze względu na dużą różnorodność wynikającą zarówno z uwarunkowań przyrodniczych, geograficznych, przestrzennych jak i organizacyjnych czy politycznych – prezentowany katalog rozwiązań praktycznych zawiera obszerny zestaw inicjatyw, które realizują w praktyce założenia rozwoju zrównoważonego. Wśród nich wymienić można zarówno działania wynikające z realizacji ogólnonarodowych projektów jak i inicjatywy realizowane na poziomie stowarzyszeń lokalnych. Prezentowane rozwiązania uwidaczniają, że założenia rozwoju zrównoważonego stanowią źródło cennych inspiracji dla działań praktycznych, a sama koncepcja nie ogranicza się jedynie do warstwy dyskursywnej i teoretycznej

Pre-emptively managing overtourism by promoting rural tourism in low-density areas: lessons from Madeira

Overtourism refers not only to situations in which carrying capacity levels have been exceeded, but also to those in which tourists and residents share negative feelings of discomfort and other emotions, loss of quality of life and unpleasant experiences in their activities of daily life. The growing number of places struggling with the problem of overtourism suggests that brand new approaches are required to minimize the effects of excessive tourism. However, the impacts of overtourism are place-specific and a one-size-fits-all approach is inappropriate. Many destinations still have a considerable margin to manoeuvre but are nonetheless heading towards increasingly unsustainable levels of tourists per square kilometer. Such regions have time to take some pre emptive measures based on principles of sustainable development using greener and energy-saving technologies. Over the past few decades, degrowth has arisen as an unorthodox approach based on principles of fairness and social and environmental justice. In certain areas, such as island economies, the economic dynamics remain largely dependent on the tourism sector, which forces the local actors to think and act differently. In this study, we analyze the strategies employed by Madeira to counter the negative effects of oversaturation in a pre-emptive way. The findings of this case study, based on the data at the county level, are enhanced by a panel data analysis of a number of relevant explanatory variables explaining the dispersion of tourists to the rural hinterland. The results suggest that the development of the rural hinterland has proven capable of exerting a progressively positive influence well beyond the borders of the rural hinterland by accommodating a growing share of the increasing numbers of tourists welcomed in the region in the 2002–2019 period, at the expense of the main capital city. This study confirms the importance and potential of the development of the rural hinterland to tackle overtourism in the main tourism areas. In terms of recommendations, it is suggested that local operators and policy-makers must develop efforts to research new ways to adopt energy-saving projects and develop tourisms products that incorporate eco-friendly behaviors.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Overtourism: the Impact of tourism on Madeira’s social and economic environment

The main goal of the analyses presented in the article is to identify the phenomena and consequences concomitant with the phenomenon of overtourism in the economic (with particular emphasis on energy) and social dimensions, regarding the Portuguese island of Madeira. The starting point for considerations includes a review of the issues that define the theoretical framework of “excessive tourism”, as well as a discussion of the most important determinants of the socio-economic development of Madeira. Then, the results of own research are presented, including the original analysis of existing data on electricity production, population growth and the number of overnight stays, as well as the results of a survey conducted in April 20211 , among both permanent residents and tourists visiting the island. The obtained results indicate, among others, that for each increase in the number of overnight stays by 1%, the production of electricity increases by 0.597%; and for every 1% increase in the number of inhabitants, there is a 5.617% increase in electricity production. At the same time, the data on the number of inhabitants indicates a population growth rate close to zero, and thus a higher level of consumption will come from the tourist sector. Based on the results of the survey, key problem areas have been identified (including, for example, issues related to the sense of local identity, security or relations between tourists and residents). The volume of tourist traffic has also been assessed, and a number of reflections and recommendations have been formulated to limit the negative effects of “excessive tourism”.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Modern Acquisition of Personalised Head-Related Transfer Functions: An Overview

Head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) describe the spatial filtering of acoustic signals by a listener’s anatomy. With the increase of computational power, HRTFs are nowadays more and more used for the spatialised headphone playback of 3D sounds, thus enabling personalised binaural audio playback. HRTFs are traditionally measured acoustically and various measurement systems have been set up worldwide. Despite the trend to develop more user-friendly systems and as an alternative to the most expensive and rather elaborate measurements, HRTFs can also be numerically calculated, provided an accurate representation of the 3D geometry of head and ears exists. While under optimal conditions, it is possible to generate said 3D geometries even from 2D photos of a listener, the geometry acquisition is still a subject of research. In this chapter, we review the requirements and state-of-the-art methods for obtaining personalised HRTFs, focusing on the recent advances in numerical HRTF calculation