ICSA 2017 4th International Conference
on Spatial Audio | September 7th to 10th, 2017, Graz, Austria #vdticsa
Reproducing diffuse sound fields such as reverberation, audience
noise or rain using loudspeakers is an important part of creating
surrounding and enveloping spatial audio. This paper presents the
results of two listening tests that investigate how the inter-channel
correlation between loudspeakers affects the perceived diffuseness.
In the first experiment inter-channel cross-correlation coefficient
(ICC) was varied for pink noise stimuli reproduced using 4 different
loudspeaker layouts and at two listening positions. In a second
experiment, 1/3 octave noise stimuli were investigated in a similar
manner using variable ICC and two listening positions. The ICC was
found to have a large effect on the perceived diffuseness in both
experiments and for all frequency bands (125 Hz, 1 kHz and 8 kHz)
where correlation between loudspeakers would reduce the perceived
diffuseness. Although frequency was found to be a significant factor,
the ICC and listener position had larger effects with although moving
off-centre only reduced the perceived diffuseness when fewer
loudspeakers were used. Off-centre appears more robust to small
amounts of correlation between loudspeakers as the loudspeakers
signals no longer arrived at the listener at the same time.
