CAREER: Importance of Late-Sound-Field Properties and Listener Envelopment to Room Acoustic Quality and Design

本教师早期职业发展（Career）计划的整体研究目标是探讨表演艺术场所的后期声场声学与感知整体音质（OAQ）之间的关系。后声场声学对听众包围感（LEV）的感知尤其重要，即沉浸在声场中的感觉。然而，目前还没有普遍接受的LEV测量方法。该项目的具体目标是：A)开发一种可量化的LEV测量方法，B)探索这种新的LEV测量方法在不同大小的礼堂中是如何变化的，以及C)确定LEV和其他已建立的室内声学特征对OAQ的相对重要性。这项研究将采用两种方法的结合：模拟声场和由人类受试者评估的双耳录音，以及在美国和欧洲9个不同大小和OAQ的音乐厅中获得的实验测量结果。这项工作的结果将为声学设计和研究界提供一种精确的方法来测量LEV，并将确定与公认的室内声学测量相比，LEV对OAQ的相对重要性。这些结果将允许更有效地设计音乐表演场地，并减少昂贵的装修需求。该项目将增加参与室内声学研究的美国学生的数量，并将在主要的本科院校提供研究机会。这些机会将提高本科学生，特别是女生的教育体验质量，也将促进他们的专业发展。小学生将接触到声音的话题，以及女性榜样，与康涅狄格科学中心的外展计划相结合。此外，将与美国声学学会合作，为中学生科学教育创建独立的声学实验和学习工具包。该奖项由国际科学与工程办公室的欧洲和美洲项目以及工程理事会内的土木、机械和制造创新部门的动力系统提供支持。

The overall research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project is to investigate the relationship between late-sound-field acoustics and perceived overall acoustic quality (OAQ) in performing arts venues. Late-sound-field acoustics are particularly important to the perception of listener envelopment (LEV), the sense of being immersed in the sound field. However, no universally accepted measure of LEV currently exists. The specific objectives of this project are to: A) Develop a quantifiable measure of LEV, B) Explore how this new LEV measure varies for auditoriums of different sizes, and C) Determine the relative significance of LEV and other established room acoustics characteristics to OAQ. The research will employ a combination of two methods: simulated sound-fields and binaural recordings evaluated by human subjects, and experimental measurements obtained in a total of nine American and European concert halls with varying size and OAQ.The results of this work will provide the acoustical design and research community with an accurate methodology to measure LEV and will determine the relative importance of LEV to OAQ, as compared to well-accepted room acoustics measures. These results will allow for more efficient design of music performance venues and reduce the need for costly renovations. This project will increase the number of US students participating in room acoustics research and will provide research opportunities at a primarily undergraduate institution. These opportunities will improve the quality of the educational experience of undergraduate students, particularly females, and will also promote their professional development. Grade-school students will be exposed to the topic of sound, as well as a female role-model, in conjunction with the Connecticut Science Center's outreach program. In addition, self-contained acoustics experimental and learning kits will be created in collaboration with the Acoustical Society of America for middle-school student science education.Support for the award is being provided by the Office of International Science and Engineering's Europe and the America programs and the Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation Division's Dynamical Systems within the Directorate for Engineering.