Plenary Lecture
On the Measurements of Head-Related Transfer Function in Architectural Acoustics
Professor Lamberto Tronchin
DIN - CIARM
University of Bologna
Italy
E-mail: Lamberto.tronchin@unibo.it
Abstract: The Binaural spatial sound rendering, as well as the measurements of binaural Impulse responses, represent a fundamental topic during the evaluation of 3D audio in architectural acoustics. The proper measurements and modeling of the Head-Related Transfer Functions are an important step for the virtualisation of the acoustics of concert halls, auditorium and theatre, normally realized by means of Stereo-Dipole methods.
This plenary lecture considers the methods actually available to properly measure the HRTFs in anechoic room and shows the new methods recently developed in order to adapt the standard HRTFs to a single, individual subject. Starting from the realization of a geodetic sphere, the measurements allow personalizing the results to a specific subject, considering and analyzing the morphologic characteristics of the pinna. In this way, a customized set of HRTFs will be realized, for a better, personalized, enhanced listening experience. During the plenary some example of measurements will be described and some practical application will be illustrated.
Brief Biography of the Speaker: Dr Lamberto Tronchin is Associate Professor in Environmental Physics from the University of Bologna and is recognised internationally as a leading authority on the subject of sound and acoustics. A pianist himself, with a diploma in piano from the Conservatory of Reggio Emilia, Dr Tronchin's principal area of research has been musical acoustics, room acoustics and signal processing. He is Associate Editor of the Journal of AES, and the author of more than 200 papers and was Chair of the Musical Acoustics Group of the Italian Association of Acoustics from 2000 to 2008. Dr Tronchin is a member of the Scientific Committee of the CIARM, the Inter- University Centre of Acoustics and Musical research, has chaired sessions of architectural and musical acoustics during several international symposiums, been a referee for a number of International journals and is Chair of Organising and Scientific Committees of IACMA (International Advanced Course on Musical Acoustics).
He was a visiting researcher at the University of Kobe in Japan, a visiting professor at the University of Graz in Austria and Special honored International Guest at the International Workshop, ‘Analysis, Synthesis and Perception of Music Signals', at Jadavpur University of Kolkata, India in 2005. He has chaired the International Advanced Course on Musical Acoustics (IACMA), organised with the European Association of Acoustics, which was held in Bologna, in 2005. Since 2008 he gave plenary lectures at International Congresses on Acoustics in Vancouver, Prague, Bucharest, Santander, Kos, Malta, Paris, Cambridge (UK), Salerno, Geneve. He designed theatres and other buildings, as acoustic consultant, in collaboration with several Architects, among them Richard Meier and Paolo Portoghesi.