Physics of audio

3D sound

3D Audio

BYRON ALFONSO PÉREZ-GUTIÉRREZ

Virtual Reality Center

Universidad Militar Nueva Granada
byron.perez@unimilitar.edu.co

February 2017

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio
3D sound

Outline I

1 Physics of audio

2 3D sound
Audio hardware
Software

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio
3D sound

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary:

Hearing (noun)
1 the process, function, or power of perceiving sound;
specifically: the special sense by which noises and tones are
received as stimuli

Ear (noun)
1 The characteristic vertebrate organ of hearing and equilibrium
consisting in the typical mammal of a sound-collecting outer
ear separated by the tympanic membrane from a
sound-transmitting middle ear that in turn is separated from a
sensory inner ear by membranous fenestrae.
2 any of various organs (as of a fish) capable of detecting
vibratory motion

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio
3D sound

Sound (In physics)

Is a vibration that propagates as a typically audible mechanical
wave of pressure and displacement, through a transmission medium
such as air or water.

Sound (In physiology and psychology)

Is the reception of such waves and their perception by the brain.

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio
3D sound

Sound propagation

When a disturbance of air particles happens a series of waves

spread out from the source in all directions. Those waveforms are
composed of cycles of compressed air molecules and decompressed
air molecules. These waves will eventually lose their energy and
settle back to a resting state unless disturbed again.

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio
3D sound

Sound is a wave that results from vibration in a medium from one

location to another. As any other wave sound is introduced by a
vibration and so the particles move back and forth with a frequency,
which is expressed in Hertz: 1 Hertz = 1 vibration/second.

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio
3D sound

The human hearing system is capable of detecting frequencies

between 20 Hz and 20.000 Hz. Outside these ranges, below 20 Hz
we have infrasound and above 20.000 Hz we have ultrasound and
they are not audible by the human ear.

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio
3D sound

Sound intensity can be measured in two forms, either by

Intensity = Energy /(time + Area) or by Intensity = Power /Area,
expressed in W /m2 . This means that sound loses intensity over
distance. In terms of intensity the human ear can detect
1 ∗ 10−12 W /m2 , however, since the range of intensities is so large
it is measured on powers of 10, hence the decibel scale.
Source Intensity Intensity Level # of Times Greater Than TOH
Threshold of Hearing (TOH) 1 ∗ 10−12 W /m2 0 dB 100
Rustling Leaves 1 ∗ 10−11 W /m2 10 dB 101
Whisper 1 ∗ 10−10 W /m2 20 dB 102
Normal Conversation 1 ∗ 10−6 W /m2 60 dB 106
Busy Street Traffic 1 ∗ 10−5 W /m2 70 dB 107
Vacuum Cleaner 1 ∗ 10−4 W /m2 80 dB 108
Large Orchestra 6.3 ∗ 10−3 W /m2 98 dB 109 .8
Walkman at Maximum Level 1 ∗ 10−2 W /m2 100 dB 101 0
Front Rows of Rock Concert 1 ∗ 10−1 W /m2 110 dB 101 1
Threshold of Pain 1 ∗ 101 W /m2 130 dB 101 3
Military Jet Takeoff 1 ∗ 102 W /m2 140 dB 101 4
Instant Perforation of Eardrum 1 ∗ 102 W /m2 160 dB 101 6

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio
3D sound

Sound is affected by the mean that transport it, whereas is solid,

liquid or gas affecting either its inertial properties or its elastics
properties. This results in various speeds for sound and at normal
atmospheric in dry air is approximately 331m/s + (0.6m/s/c) ∗ T ,
where T is the temperature.

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

3D sound comes from the interest to provide more immersive

experiences within several scenarios, initially sound was recorded
with one microphone and reproduced with one speaker, this was
known as monophonics sound, however, in 1881 telephone headsets
where used with various microphones to record and transmit sound
through two channels, giving birth to stereo and binaural sound.

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Stereo: record multiple sources with two microphones and

plays it in two speakers, in this method the listener catches
everything in the environment, being able to distinct sounds
from left or right
Binaural: the system allows recording information similarly as
it is heard by the ears, this is why a dummy foam head is used,
in this case, the microphones are placed at a distance similar to
the one found between the ears and into the foam ear canals,
the result is that the listener can identify not only left or right
sounds but also an estimation from where it was coming.

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

3D Audio

Sound displays are computer

interfaces that provide synthetic
sound feedback to the user
interacting with the virtual world.
The sound can be monoaural
(both ears hear the same sound)
or binaural (each ear hears a
different sound).

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

3D Audio

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Human Hearing Model

Polar coordinate system – azimuth, elevation, distance (range);

Azimuth cues;
Elevation cues;
Effect of pinna (outer ear);
HRTF - Human Related Transfer Function

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Human Related Transfer Function

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Effect of pinna filtering of sound

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

3D sound localization

Put microphones in
dummy heads;
Played localized sound
and measured signal;
Determined the
HRTF;
Worked on first
circuitry;

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Convolvotron

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Audio hardware

In terms of hardware there is also the alternative of recording with

multiple microphones and also reproducing them in multiple
speakers, such application can be found in movies and
entertainment cinemas.

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Stereo speakers and 2.1

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Surround speakers 5.1

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Surround speakers 7.1

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Sound cards - Creative Soundblaster

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

External sound cards

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Headphones

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

5.1 Headphones

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Virtual 5.1 Headphones

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Temporal bone headphones

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Software libraries for 3D audio

OpenAL - https://www.openal.org
Is a cross-platform 3D audio API appropriate for use with gaming
applications and many other types of audio applications. The
library models a collection of audio sources moving in a 3D space
that are heard by a single listener somewhere in that space.

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Software libraries for 3D audio

Yse - http://www.attr-x.net/yse/
Is a C++ audio library. It runs on Windows, Linux, MacOS,
Android and iOS. 3D & 2D sound, pitch control, doppler shift.

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Lokki, T., Savioja, L., Väänänen, R., Huopaniemi, J., & Takala, T.
(2002). Creating interactive virtual auditory environments. IEEE
Computer Graphics and Applications, 22(4), 49-57.
http://audio.rightmark.org/products/rm3ds.shtml https:
//www.princeton.edu/3D3A/PureStereo/Pure_Stereo.html

Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio

 Physics of audio Audio hardware
3D sound Software

Questions?

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Byron Alfonso Pérez-Gutiérrez 3D Audio