Binaural Rendering of Spherical Microphone Array Data

Many approaches for the capture and auralization of real acoustic spaces have been proposed over the past century. Limited spatial resolution on the capture side has typically been the factor that caused compromises in the achievable authenticity of the auralization. Recent advancements in the field of spherical microphone arrays provide new perspectives for both headphone-based and loudspeaker-based auralization. It has been shown that a bowling-ball-size spherical array of around 90 microphones allows for creating signals at the ears of the listener that are perceptually almost indistinguishable from the ear signals that arise in the original space. Head-tracked headphone auralization, i.e. playback that adapts to the instantaneous head orientation of the listener, has been shown to provide the best results. The present project extends previous research at Chalmers on this topic and closes the gap between laboratory conditions and real-world application by investigating the consequences and mitigation of practical constraints.