scholarly journals Archaeoacoustic Examination of Lazarica Church

Acoustics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 423-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zorana Đorđević ◽  
Dragan Novković ◽  
Uroš Andrić
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Sound Field ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
Central Dome ◽  
Acoustic Effect ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Medieval Church ◽  
Transmission Index ◽  
Speech Transmission

The acoustic analysis provides additional information on building tradition and related indoor practice that includes sound, thus deepening our understanding of architectural heritage. In this paper, the sound field of the Orthodox medieval church Lazarica (Kruševac city, Serbia) is examined. Lazarica is a representative of Morava architectural style, developed in the final period of the Serbian medieval state, when also the chanting art thrived, proving the importance of the aural environment in Serbian churches. The church plan is a combination of a traditional inscribed cross and a triconch. After the in situ measurement of acoustic impulse response using EASERA software, we built a computer model in the acoustic simulation software EASE and calibrated it accordingly. Following the parameters (reverberation time (T30), early decay time (EDT) and speech transmission index (STI)), we examined the acoustic effect of the space occupancy, central dome and the iconostasis. In all the cases, no significant deviation between T30 and EDT parameter was observed, which indicates uniform sound energy decay. Closing the dome with a flat ceiling did not show any significant impact on T30, but it lowered speech intelligibility. The height of iconostasis showed no significant influence on the acoustics of Lazarica church.

Speech Intelligibility Parameters for Evaluating the Perception of Background Noise in Open-Plan Office Users: A Case Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Serrano Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
Background Noise ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Physical Factors ◽  
Space Design ◽  
Transmission Index ◽  
Open Plan ◽  
Design Characteristics

This document presents a case study of acoustic analysis in an open-plan office. Since Mexico does not have a standard for evaluating acoustic conditions in offices, it is relevant to compare different acoustic evaluation methods used for open-plan offices. According to several studies, one of the main acoustic characteristics for open-plan office spaces is speech intelligibility. Therefore, the purpose of this document is to compare psychoacoustic parameters to evaluate speech intelligibility in open-plan offices. We analyzed physical factors as reverberation and speech clarity in different office points, as well as semantic factors based on subjective methods with standardized values of the quality of speech intelligibility. The study was carried out under real open-plan office conditions in a library in a university in northern Mexico. The study factors of interest were type of sound, sound source, and location of the listener, with Reverberation Time (RT), Speech Transmission Index (STI) and Loss of consonant articulation (%ALCons) as the measures of impact on intelligibility. This case study provides additional evidence of the relationship between intelligibility and the position of sound sources; also, it was noted that location of listeners influenced analyzed intelligibility parameters. On the other hand, this case study offers information concerning to use psychoacoustic parameters for subjective classification of quality of the speech intelligibility to evaluate how is background noise perceived in open-plan office users. However, it is noteworthy that this study represents a single office with its own interior and space design characteristics.

Binaural speech-to-noise loudness ratio at the speech reception threshold in vehicles

2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-179
Author(s):  
Nilolina Samardzic ◽  
Brian C.J. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
New Method ◽  
Traditional Methods ◽  
Speech Reception ◽  
Typical Error ◽  
Transmission Index ◽  
Speech Transmission ◽  
Articulation Index ◽  
Speech Intelligibility Index ◽  
Binaural Listening

Traditional methods for predicting the intelligibility of speech in the presence of noise inside a vehicle, such as the Articulation Index (AI), the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII), and the Speech Transmission Index (STI), are not accurate, probably because they do not take binaural listening into account; the signals reaching the two ears can differ markedly depending on the positions of the talker and listener. We propose a new method for predicting the intelligibility of speech in a vehicle, based on the ratio of the binaural loudness of the speech to the binaural loudness of the noise, each calculated using the method specified in ISO 532-2 (2017). The method was found to give accurate predictions of the speech reception threshold (SRT) measured under a variety of conditions and for different positions of the talker and listener in a car. The typical error in the predicted SRT was 1.3 dB, which is markedly smaller than estimated using the SII and STI (2.0 dB and 2.1 dB, respectively).

The Effect of Source Location, Posture and Language on Speech Intelligibility in Goan Churches

2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Menino A. S. M. P. Tavares ◽  
S. Rajagopalan ◽  
Satish J. Sharma ◽  
António P. O. Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
English Language ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Source Location ◽  
Transmission Index ◽  
Speech Transmission ◽  
Catholic Churches ◽  
Predictive Relationship ◽  
The Church ◽  
Made In

The results presented here are based on field measurements carried out in six Catholic churches (Goa, India). Rapid Speech Transmission Index ( RASTI) and Subjective Speech Intelligibility ( SSI) measurements were made in four different seating zones of a church for three speech source locations (altar, pulpit, high altar), two languages (English, Konkani) and two postures (standing, sitting). The effects of language and postures were not significant. The altar location and the sanctuary of the church were preferable for speech intelligibility. Although the altar location showed better averages than the other speech source locations, the best predictive relationship between RASTI and SSI was the exponential growth of RASTI for the high altar source location with SSI for the English language.

Further Validation of the Speech Transmission Index (STI)

1987 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry E. Humes ◽  
Stephen Boney ◽  
Faith Loven
Keyword(s):  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Background Noise ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Sound Field ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Transmission Index ◽  
Speech Transmission ◽  
Binaural Listening ◽  
Prospective Analyses

The present article further evaluates the accuracy of speech-recognition predictions made according to two forms of the Speech Transmission Index (STI) for normal-hearing listeners. The first portion of this article describes the application of the modified Speech Transmission Index (mSTI) to an extensive set of speech-recognition data. Performance of normal-hearing listeners on a nonsense-syllable recognition task in 216 conditions involving different speech levels, background noise levels, reverberation times and filter passbands was found to be monotonically related to the mSTI. The second portion of this article describes a retrospective and prospective analysis of an extended sound-field version of the STI, referred to here as STI x . This extended STI considers many of the variables relevant to sound-field speech recognition, some of which are not incorporated in the mSTI. These variables include: (a) reverberation time; (b) speech level; (e) noise level; (d) talker-to-listener distance; (e) directivity of the speech source; and (f) directivity of the listener (eg., monaural vs. binaural listening). For both the retrospective and prospective analyses, speech-recognition was found to vary monotonically with STI x .

The Use of Virtual Reflectors to Improve Speech Intelligibility in Open Stage Auditoria

1998 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. El-Zeky ◽  
D.J. Oldham
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Potential Problem ◽  
Computer Modelling ◽  
Conventional Technique ◽  
Energy Fraction ◽  
Human Speech ◽  
Suitable Parameter ◽  
Transmission Index ◽  
Speech Transmission ◽  
Reflecting Surfaces

A potential problem encountered with open stage auditoria is poor speech intelligibility arising from the directional nature of human speech sources. The conventional technique of employing large overhead reflecting surfaces to ensure a large early energy fraction to improve intelligibility is shown to be unsuitable in this situation. The use of Virtual Reflectors consisting of microphones and loudspeakers symmetrically located relative to the stage is proposed as a possible solution to the problems of open stage auditoria. It is suggested that the Speech Transmission Index is a suitable parameter for assessing the performance of Virtual Reflectors when in use and that computer modelling could provide a suitable method for investigating the action of Virtual Reflectors.

scholarly journals Acoustic Sensing Analytics Applied to Speech in Reverberation Conditions

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (18) ◽  
pp. 6320
Author(s):  
Piotr Odya ◽  
Jozef Kotus ◽  
Adam Kurowski ◽  
Bozena Kostek
Keyword(s):  
Speech Processing ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Transmission Index ◽  
Speech Transmission ◽  
Natural Remedies ◽  
Polish Language ◽  
Processing Control ◽  
Acoustic Environments ◽  
Acoustic Conditions

The paper aims to discuss a case study of sensing analytics and technology in acoustics when applied to reverberation conditions. Reverberation is one of the issues that makes speech in indoor spaces challenging to understand. This problem is particularly critical in large spaces with few absorbing or diffusing surfaces. One of the natural remedies to improve speech intelligibility in such conditions may be achieved through speaking slowly. It is possible to use algorithms that reduce the rate of speech (RoS) in real time. Therefore, the study aims to find recommended values of RoS in the context of STI (speech transmission index) in different acoustic environments. In the experiments, speech intelligibility for six impulse responses recorded in spaces with different STIs is investigated using a sentence test (for the Polish language). Fifteen subjects with normal hearing participated in these tests. The results of the analytical analysis enabled us to propose a curve specifying the maximum RoS values translating into understandable speech under given acoustic conditions. This curve can be used in speech processing control technology as well as compressive reverse acoustic sensing.

scholarly journals Aspects regarding the acoustics of a lecture hall

2019 ◽  
Vol XXII (2) ◽  
pp. 268-275
Author(s):  
Pazara T.
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Lecture Hall ◽  
Naval Academy ◽  
Reverberation Time ◽  
Acoustical Parameters ◽  
Transmission Index ◽  
Speech Transmission ◽  
Virtual Simulations ◽  
Teaching Conditions

In a lecture hall it is vital to assure proper teaching conditions meaning that the information from the speaker/teacher must be received correctly by the listeners. Speech intelligibility is the main objective when a lecture hall is evaluated. In this paper, the authors discuss the importance of the acoustics of a lecture hall and the influence of various parameters over speech transmission from the speaker – the professors to the listeners – the students. The number of acoustical parameters is very large, but Speech Transmission Index (STI) and Reverberation Time (RT) are commonly used to evaluate the acoustics of a teaching room. Other parameters like room geometry and seat placement have great influence in speech intelligibility. As an example, a lecture hall of 120 seats from Naval Academy „Mircea cel Batran“ is investigated using virtual simulations with ODEON software. The results of the simulations are discussed and some remarks are made regarding the current condition of the lecture hall.

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