Analysis using binaural auditory model and experiment on the timbre of Ambisonics recording and reproduction

A scheme of analyzing the timbre in spatial sound by using binaural auditory model is proposed and the Ambisonics is taken as an example for analysis. Ambisonics is a series of spatial sound system based on physical sound field reconstruction. The errors and timbre colorations in the final reconstructed sound field depend on the spatial aliasing errors on both the recording and reproducing stages of Ambisonics. The binaural loudness level spectra in Ambisonics reconstruction are calculated by using revised Moore's loudness model and then compared with the results of real sound source, so as to evaluate the timbre coloration in Ambisonics quantitatively. The results indicate that, in the case of ideal recording signals, the high-frequency limit and radius of region without perceived timbre coloration increase with the order of Ambisonics. On the other hand, in the case of recording by microphone array, providing that the high-frequency limit of microphone array exceeds that of sound field reconstruction, array recording influences little on the binaural loudness level spectra and thus timbre in final reproduction. Based on the binaural auditory model analysis, a scheme for optimizing design of Ambisonics recording and reproduction is also suggested. The subjective experiment yields consistent results with those of binaural model, thus verified the effectiveness of the model analysis.