Impact of structural parameters on the auditory perception of musical sounds in closed spaces: An experimental study

This study attempts to investigate the impact of structural parameters (volume, shape, and the wall absorption coefficient) in closed space on the auditory perception of three different musical sound types. With binaural audibility technology and room impulse response measurement (RIR), this paper first verifies the reliability of using ODEON software in simulating simplified closed-space auditory scenes. Then, 96 music binaural signals produced in eight simulated closed spaces with different structural parameters are synthesized. Finally, auditory perception experiment is conducted on the synthesized binaural signals by using pair comparison method, and variance analysis is also made on the experimental results. It is concluded that (1) a hemispherical cabin with a small volume and large wall sound absorption coefficient is most suitable for playing a single instrument, such as the flute or violin, and (2) a cabin with large volume is suitable for playing multiple instruments music such as symphony, but the walls should not be totally reflective. The experimental scheme and results of current study provide guidance for designing the inner structure of the concert hall to achieve preferable auditory perception in practice.