Modeling Sparsely Reflecting Outdoor Acoustic Scenes using the Waveguide Web

TY - JOUR

T1 - Modeling Sparsely Reflecting Outdoor Acoustic Scenes using the Waveguide Web

AU - Stevens, Francis Kit Murfin

AU - Murphy, Damian Thomas

AU - Savioja, Lauri

AU - Välimäki, Vesa

N1 - © 2017 IEEE. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details

PY - 2017/8/1

Y1 - 2017/8/1

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - acoustic propagation

KW - acoustic signal processing

KW - Acoustics

KW - IIR digital filters

KW - numerical simulation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85028388829&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1109/TASLP.2017.2699424

DO - 10.1109/TASLP.2017.2699424

M3 - Article

SN - 1558-7916

VL - 25

SP - 1566

EP - 1578

JO - IEEE Transactions On Audio Speech And Language Processing

JF - IEEE Transactions On Audio Speech And Language Processing

IS - 8

M1 - 7918519

ER -