Communication acoustics: spatial sound and psychoacoustics
![Aalto University / Communication acoustics / photo: Ville Pulkki](/sites/g/files/flghsv161/files/styles/1_6_567w_354h_n/public/2019-08/akustiikka.jpg?h=ca4693cd&itok=TsXnd0Si)
Our projects are gathered around spatial sound. We have developed, and are still developing, new reproduction methods for spatial sound taking into account the time-frequency-space resolution of the human hearing. These methods are applicable to multi-channel loudspeaker layouts, headphones, and binaural hearing aids. Additionally, we are currently developing new types of non-linear beam-forming algorithms.
To enable the research of perceptually optimised spatial audio methods, we have to know more about the perceptual spatial hearing mechanisms of humans. We study these mechanisms with listening tests and model the brain mechanism devoted to spatial auditory perception. In this context, we are very interested in the perception of spatially complex sound scenes and the binaural perception of timbre.
Furthermore, we research acoustical measurement techniques for spatial sound. Here, the head-related acoustics are of vital importance in spatial hearing research, and we work on new modelling and measurement tools to understand the acoustical effects near the head and in the ear canals.
For this purpose, we must also inspect proper acoustical sources in measurements. Our current topic is the suitability of laser-induced shock waves as massless point sources. They can be applied to acoustical room measurements, and the technique is currently in active development.
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no 240453. The starting independent research project Technologies and Psychophysics of Spatial Sound (TEPESS) funded by European Research Council runs within the Communication acoustics team.
Group members
![Ville Pulkki](https://acris.aalto.fi/ws/portalfiles/portal/3072860/1058060_x_512.jpg)
![Stefan Albert Wirler](https://acris.aalto.fi/ws/portalfiles/portal/147708868/stefan_5.jpg)
Latest publications
Investigating sound-field reproduction methods as perceived by bilateral hearing aid users and normal-hearing listeners
Dynamic late reverberation rendering using the common-slope model
Compression of Higher-Order Ambisonic Signals using Directional Audio Coding
Predicting the effect of headphones on the time to localize a target in an auditory-guided visual search task
The impact of head-worn devices in an auditory-aided visual search task
Toward a Standard Listener-Independent HRTF to Facilitate Long-Term Adaptation
Underwater soundfield visualisation using directionally constrained acoustic parameters
Using optimal mass transport in bearing-time records for underwater target localization and tracking
Location as Supervision for Weakly Supervised Multi-Channel Source Separation of Machine Sounds
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