Comparing Virtual Source Configurations for Pipe Organ Auralization

Elliot K Canfield-Dafilou (1) , Brian F. G. Katz (1)

1 IJLRDA-LAM - Lutheries - Acoustique - Musique

It is challenging to study the sound of a pipe organ without considering both the large size of the instrument and the acoustics of the room where the organ is located. The present work investigates how to realistically auralize dry organ recordings in a room acoustic model. Musical excerpts were recorded with a number of microphones positioned within the buffets of a large organ in order to capture the "dry" sound of the organ. Simultaneously, the music was also recorded with a binaural head positioned in the nave of the church. The dry organ recordings were then auralized from the same listener perspective using a calibrated geometric acoustic model of the church with various virtual source configurations, ranging in complexity from a single source at the center of the instrument to a virtual source position for each recorded microphone track. A listening test was performed to evaluate the realism and plausibility of the auralizations. The results yield suggestions for simulating the sound of a pipe organ in a geometric acoustic model, having broad implications for the planning of new pipe organs and for studying historic organs located in cultural heritage sites.

Domains: Sound [cs.SD]; Acoustics [physics.class-ph]

Elliot K Canfield-Dafilou, Brian F. G. Katz. Comparing Virtual Source Configurations for Pipe Organ Auralization. Proceedings AES Conv 155, Audio Eng Society, Oct 2023, New York, United States. pp.159:1-9. ⟨hal-04306196⟩