Evaluation of room acoustic qualities and defects by use of auralization

Auralizations generated by room acoustic computer modeling programs may be used as a tool for evaluation of acoustic qualities and defects, some of which are not easily detected by objective measures. Examples include reverberance, flutter echoes, perceived room size and distance, apparent source width, listener envelopment, and sound propagation in coupled rooms. In order to reach a sufficiently high level of realism in auralizations for such room acoustic applications it is necessary that all parts of the simulation chain are modeled with sufficient accuracy. In particular it is found that the modeling of source directivity and the late room reflections (the reverberation tail) need careful consideration in order to achieve reliable and realistic sounding results. However, when implemented in the software the application for practical use can be simple and quick. PACS Subject Classification number(s): 43.55.Ka