AES Rome 2013
Tutorial T11
Monday, May 6, 11:30 — 13:00 (Sala Foscolo)
T11 - Optimizing and Measuring the Speech Intelligibility of Sound Systems
Presenters:Ben Kok, SCENA acoustic consultants - Uden, The Netherlands
Peter Mapp, Peter Mapp Associates - Colchester, Essex, UK
Abstract:
Intelligibility is the most important parameter of any sound system—albeit a high-quality, theater sound reinforcement system, a church, or an emergency PA system operating deep underground in a road tunnel or an information system at an airport or rail station. The tutorial will discuss how to design intelligible sound systems for both sound reinforcement and emergency systems use. It will show how reverberation and noise and other acoustic characteristics of a building or space can affect speech and sound system intelligibility. We will also show how the choice and positioning of loudspeakers can have a significant impact on the potential intelligibility. The techniques will be illustrated with case histories and practical examples. Measurement of the potential intelligibility performance of a sound system will also be covered along with the equipment needed and the practical issues that need to be dealt with.
