1. Shane Myrbeck
Senior Consultant | Acoustics + Audiovisual
Also: Composer, Sound Artist
Immersive Audio Environments
Acoustic Rendering + Spatial Composition in the Arup SoundLab

2. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Multisensory Environments
The Built Environment is Always a Multi Sensory Experience
Design Palette:
Visual Sketches + Renderings
Tactile Material Samples
Aural ???

3. Arup?

4. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Arup is:
• 10,000+ engineers, designers, planners and consultants
• 90+ networked offices in 37 countries
• Founded on the principle of “total architecture”
• Trust ownership structure – employees are the only shareholders

5. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Acoustics, Audiovisual, Theatre
Room Acoustics + Theatre Design Audiovisual Systems
MEP Noise and Vibration Environmental Noise
Multimedia Art
Venue Masterplanning

6. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Our clients are never
acoustics experts,
but are all
experienced listeners
(…because everyone is an
experienced listener)
Artists
Architects
Developers/Owners
Artistic/executive directors

7. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Acoustic Paradox
“The term ‘soundscape’ indicates how the environment is understood by those living within it. Indeed,
the individual listener within a soundscape is part of a dynamic system of information exchange.”
(Barry Truax, Acoustic Communication)
We all “know” sound, but it can be difficult to discuss what we hear

8. Communicating Acoustics

9. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Fairly easy to explain…

10. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
More difficult to explain…
Low frequency waves
(~55’-5’)
High frequency waves
(~6”-1/2”)
Mid frequency waves
(~5’-6”)

11. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
How we analyze rooms (read: too much to explain to a non-acoustician)

12. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Reverberation Time (RT60)
Noise Criteria Curves
Structureborne Noise
Decibel
Sound Transmission Class(STC)
Absorption Coefficients
Diffusion
Acoustic Criteria

13. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Reverberation Time (RT60)
Noise Criteria Curves
Structureborne Noise
Decibel
Sound Transmission Class(STC)
Absorption Coefficients
Diffusion
Acoustic Criteria – Construction Documents

14. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
…but will it sound good?

15. Arup SoundLab

16. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Arup SoundLab SF

17. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
3D Computer Models Immersive Soundscapes New Audio Environments
Arup SoundLab is a space for listening to…

18. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Notes on Spatial Hearing
The real world always gives us 3D audio!
Localization:
1) Listener's ability to identify the location or origin of a detected
sound in distance and direction
2) Acoustical engineering methods to simulate the placement of an
auditory cue in a virtual 3D space.
Spatial Impression: “How a subject, presented with a sound field,
spontaneously arrives at a concept of the type and size of an actual or
simulated space.”
Blauert, J. (1983). Spatial Hearing (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA).

19. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Rayleigh’s Duplex Theory of Localization (1907)
At low frequencies (<~800Hz):
ITD – Interaural Time Difference (Phase)
Dimensions of the head (~21cm) are smaller than ½ wavelength, so
sound doesn’t “see” the head
At high frequencies (>~800Hz):
ILD – Interaural Level Difference
Dimensions of the head are greater than the wavelength, so the head
obstructs sound

20. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Reference Planes (Blauert 1983)

21. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Ambisonics
- Decomposes a soundfield into spherical harmonics
- Defines a 3D soundfield, rather than specific loudspeaker
signals (independent of specific loudspeaker layout)
- Well defined capture, modeling and panning methodologies
- Originally implemented as 1st order, but always meant to be
extensible (systems now up to 5th order)

22. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Ambisonics
- Signals are encoded (recorded or panned)
and then decoded to a specific
loudspeaker array
- “The decoder’s task is to create the best
perceptual impression possible that the
sound field is being reproduced
accurately”
– Aaron Heller + Eric Benjamin, LAC 2012
- Different decoders for low/high
frequencies (ITD, ILD)
- Decoding is well defined for regular
arrays (platonic solids).
- Unfortunately very few regular arrays are practical
in real rooms!
B= [WXYZ]
p = [loudspeaker signals]
C = [re-encoding matrix]

24. Impulse
Response
t
Impulse
t
Impulse
Response
Anechoic
Music
Listen
in
SoundLab
t
Real
Room
or
Computer
Model

25. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Concert Hall Comparison
Musikvereinssaal, Vienna - 1700
Bridgewater Hall, England - 2400
Walt Disney Hall, Los Angeles- 2300

26. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Benchmarking

27. Design

28. 20° Model 10° Model 0° Model
Architectural Design Decisions – Greek National Opera (Renzo Piano)

29. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Sound Isolation in Historic Buildings – SFOpera (Mark Cavagnero Associates)

30. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Wood Floating Floor Option
Concrete Floating Floor Option
-4 dB -8 dB
-6 dB -10 dB
1A 1B
2A 2B
At 125 Hz
Sound Isolation in Historic Buildings – SFOpera (Mark Cavagnero Associates)

31. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Acoustic Wayfinding for the Blind – Chris Downey

32. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
§ Healthcare
§ Infrastructure
§ Workplaces
…and so on

33. New Audio Environments

34. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Good Fences Make Good Neighborhoods – 5th + Mission

35. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Sonic Shadows by Bill Fontana - SFMOMA

36. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Exploratorium

37. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Metal Machine Trio (Lou Reed + John Zorn) – Cal. State Long Beach Museum

38. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Instrument from Seer - Cal Academy of Sciences, The Lab, Arup SoundLab

39. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
§ Thank you
-arup.com
-shanemyrbeck.com

40. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Sent Forth – Ft Mason

41. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
§ Binaural/Transaural
- Reproduce signal at listener’s ear precisely as it
would be naturally (two channels!)
- Drawbacks: difficult to obtain or generalize HRTFs, users must
wear headphones or remain very still
Methods of Producing Immersive Audio
§ Wave Field Synthesis
- Reconstruct physical wavefront based on
Hyugen’s principle
- Drawbacks: laterally dominated, massive channel count, source
material difficult to obtain
§ Vector/Distance Based Amplitude Panning
- Modifications of traditional panning laws to create
immersive space
- Drawbacks: no defined means of recording source material,
soundfield not isotropic

42. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Low-Energy Buildings
Exposed Concrete
Operable Windows
Low-noise HVAC

43. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Kaiser Permanente – Small Hospitals, Big Ideas

44. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
©QAPhotos/RLE
©Herzog&DeMeuron
Shell structures
M&E
Civil
Cost management
Architecture
Bridges
Highways
Computer analysis
Geotechnics
Research & development
Transport planning
Wind
Building Controls
Industrialized construction
Restoration and refurbishment
Structural pathology
Materials technology
Project planning
Offshore engineering
Fire safety
Industrial facilities
Energy
Maritime
Water
Composites
Project creation
Audio visual
Value management
Product design
Manufacturing
Prototype testing
Airport masterplanning
Railways
Logistics
Acoustics
Vehicle design and styling
Transaction advice
Venue consultancy
Stadium operations
Railway systems
Risk consultancy
Security consultancy
Business continuity planning
Visualization
Sustainability
Arup, Globally
• 10,000+ engineers, designers, planners and consultants
• 90+ networked offices in 37 countries
• Founded on the principle of “total architecture”
• Trust ownership structure – employees are the only shareholders

45. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Infrastructure

46. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Existing Venue
Analysis Tools – 3DIRs

47. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
“Best venue ever”
CCA Acoustics Lecture, April 11, 2013
Analysis Tools – 3DIRs

48. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Modeled Renovation
CCA Acoustics Lecture, April 11, 2013
Analysis Tools – 3DIRs

49. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Analysis Tools - Grasshopper

50. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Analysis Tools - Grasshopper

51. Swissnex: Music, Sound and Emotion Conference, May 17, 2013
Analysis Tools - Grasshopper