AES E-Library

Transfer-Function Measurement with Sweeps

Transfer-function measurements using sweeps as excitation signals rather than pseudo-noise signals show significantly higher immunity against distortion and time variance. Capturing binaural room impulse responses for high-quality auralization purposes requires a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) greater that 90 dB, which is unattainable with maximum-length sequence (MLS) measurements because of loudspeaker nonlinearity, but it is fairly easy to reach with sweeps due to the possibility of complete rejection of harmonic distortion. Before investigating the differences and practical problems of measurements with MLS and sweeps and arguing why sweeps are the preferable choice for the majority of measurement tasks, the existing methods of obtaining transfer functions are reviewed. The continual need to use preemphasized excitation signals in acoustical measurements is also addressed. A method to create sweeps with arbitrary spectral contents, but constant orprescribed frequency-dependent temporal envelope, is presented. Finally, the possibility of simultaneously analyzing transfer functions and harmonics is investigated.

Authors: Müller, Swen; Massarani, Paulo
Affiliation: Acoustic Testing Laboratory, INMETRO, Xerdm, Duque de Caxias (RJ), Brazil
JAES Volume 49 Issue 6 pp. 443-471; June 2001 Import into BibTeX

Click to purchase paper or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!

This paper costs $20 for non-members, $5 for AES members and is free for E-Library subscribers.

Learn more about the AES E-Library

E-Library Location: (CD aes18)   /jrnl2001/2001/2001443.pdf

Start a discussion about this paper!