Spatial sound reproduction for the prediction of machine acoustics - A case study

In the recent decades the requirements for sounds created by machines have been significantly increased, such as controlling noise radiation or producing brand sounds. Thus, techniques to predict and assess the sound emission of machines, including the spatial properties of the sound field, become more and more important. Different physical/mathematical models exist to estimate the radiated sound of machines. Combining these models with a spatially correct sound reproduction system can lead to improvements in acoustical prototyping. Wave field synthesis (WFS) is a spatial sound reproduction technique which uses an array of loudspeakers for the physical creation of a virtual source sound field. Besides the support of multiple users over an extended listening area, recent approaches allow the synthesis of complex sound fields such as those radiated by directional sources. This paper presents a case study on the re-synthesis of a sound field emitted by a machine using WFS. For this purpose, the directional sound field of a specific mechanical device, called pick- And-place unit, has been measured, analyzed, and is then reproduced using a loudspeaker array. Starting from the derivation of a loudspeaker driving function, we describe a workflow for capturing, processing, and reproduction of the measured sound field. Copyright