Virtual Systems Engineering for Professional Audio Applications

This paper was produced for the 2019 NAFEMS World Congress in Quebec Canada

Resource Abstract

This presentation discusses simulations of audio system analysis over the audible frequency spectrum in professional audio applications. A unique splicing technique to merge low to mid frequency FEA with mid to high frequency ray tracing is introduced that results in full frequency band analysis at any listening point in a room. This enables a realistic prediction of the performance of the audio system on a fully virtual basis.



A description of the workflow for virtual product development based on the V-Model will be outlined. It starts with a description on (sub-) component level, i.e. a multiphysical model of an electrodynamic transducer (including compression drivers and nonlinearities in the mechanical, electrical and acoustical domain), that is then coupled to an acoustic enclosure (covering also ported cabinets for woofers for reproduction of low frequencies). The (sub-) system "transducer + cabinet = loudspeaker" is then simulated in a free field radiation condition as a single system (i.e. loudspeaker), and finally assembled to an array of several loudspeakers mounted together, called a line array.



This line array of loudspeakers is then simulated in a listening room (a concert hall for musical presentations). To cover the whole audible frequency response, FEA as well as ray tracing is being coupled, and eventually a room impulse response at arbitrary locations in the listening space is calculated.



Additionally, through auralization a realistic simulation of the audio system playing into the sound field, including also spatial attributes, may be realized. This requires the inclusion of spatial effects from head and torso, as given by means of head related transfer functions based on a semi-analytical approach. Finally, a virtual tuning process is discussed that provides access to modify and enhance the audio system for optimized performance in the listening space in a fully virtual domain without having access to the real domain/system by using advanced signal processing techniques for equalization and delay and gain settings for each active channel.