The objective evaluation of speech intelligibility of sound systems using the Speech Transmission Index (STI) is nowadays common practice. This paper discusses various aspects of optimizing intelligibility of sound systems for public spaces as driven by regulatory standards and client requirements. New workflows, utilizing acoustic modelling software and targeted towards the optimization of the STI, are showcased. Parameters such as predicted loudspeaker coverage, reflections, signal and noise levels, and corresponding spectra are considered. Special emphasis is put on the investigation of the effects of signal and noise masking. Results from real-world examples reveal a strong correlation between STI predictions and measurements.

Authors: Feistel, Stefan; Ponteggia, Daniele
Affiliations: AFMG Technologies GmbH, Berlin, Germany; Studio Ponteggia, Terni, Italy(See document for exact affiliation information.)
AES Conference: AES 2024 International Conference on Acoustics & Sound Reinforcement (January 2024)
Paper Number: 2
Publication Date: January 23, 2024 Import into BibTeX
Subject: Acoustics & Sound Reinforcment
Permalink: https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=22372

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