PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LOCATION HAS BEEN CHANGED: DUE TO THE HIGH ATTENDANCE, WE ARE GOING TO RUN THE EVENT IN ROOM G103 (AND NO MORE IN ROOM F002)

Acoustics and sound environments and settings

From acoustics to psychoacoustics to management and control of sound broadcasting: acoustic wellbeing and sound reinforcement

This year’s AudioForum aims to investigate the concept of sound environments and settings: the relationship between quality sound broadcasting, architectural and environmental acoustics, the listening experience, acoustic wellbeing and related psychological implications.

Whether it is a voice or sounds and music, the proper and comfortable use of a sound stimulus is obtained by the sum of acoustic and electro-acoustic adjustments. A proper and comfortable listening environment, independently of the size or destination of use, is obtained by calibrating architectural and structural features with a well-designed sound installation that is properly installed and optimized, thanks in part to modern technologies and techniques of sound control. In this way, the listener will be able to appreciate both the sound content in and of itself and the positive experience of its usage. An experience that includes aspects of acoustic wellbeing, without leaving out psychological variables.The human auditory system processes sound before the visual one does, and at a deeper level, too. So much so that even a consciously imperceptible stimulus can influence peoples’ experience, perceptions and behavior in the background.

AudioForum@ISE 2019’s program was created to involve both professionals with technical training – sound designers, systems integrators, sound engineers, acoustic specialists, multimedia producers, etc. – and those coming from the world of architectural and environmental design – architects, consultants, engineers, etc. It may also be of interest to all those called to manage environments and spaces, such as the directors of hotels, schools and universities, public, sporting or cultural areas, etc.

The event will focus on the following subject areas:

- Production, broadcasting and perception of sound

- Sound environments and settings

- Design, control and management of sound diffusion for acoustic and environmental comfort

- Sound, experience, memory

AudioForum conference will take place at the RAI Amsterdam on 4th February, the day before ISE 2019. AudioForum@ISE is a unique event that will gather the pro audio and installation business communities, with the professionals involved in architectural design, to focus on sound design and sound experience.

Audio Forum at ISE is produced by long standing ISE media partner Connessioni: the 2019 edition of the full-day conference will be organised in collaboration with the Audio Engineering Society (AES). The event is open to all ISE attendees and is focused towards anyone interested in knowing more about the latest audio technologies, sound design and acoustical comfort.

The program

Starting from 9,30 a.m - Welcoming Coffee

10,00 - 10,15 - Introductions, AES Dutch Section Welcome to Delegates

10,15 - 11,00 - The perception of sound; from the physiology of the auditory system to psychological variables Speaker: Alfonso Belfiore, Electronic Music Professor and Coordinator of the Department of Music and New Technologies of the "Luigi Cherubini" Conservatory of Florence.

11,00 - 11,30 - Extraordinary Sound
The talk describes the perception of envelopment, and the physiology behind listener fatigue. Details are given on how to promote the former while avoiding the latter. From source audio to the fine listening experience, which includes intelligibility of speech and music with clarity. The presentation is facts-based and non-commercial. Speaker: Aki Mäkivirta, R&D Director, Genelec

11,30 - 12,00 - Coffee Break

12,00 - 12,30 - Acoustic Design for Broadcasting next Generation Audio A large number of sound sources in a room are truly manageable only with an adequate acoustics design properly integrated with the specific architecture under study. The Dolby Atmos Home Entertainment domestic perspective imply that the spaces devoted to contents production must be specifically re-established in agreement with the current Broadcasting audio technology specifications, as happened with new FOX facilities in Rome, which will be discussed in this presentation.
Speaker: Donato Masci, Acoustic Designer, Studio Sound Service

12,30 - 13,00 - “Negative Absorption", an economic electro acoustical solution to make corrections in a room
When a loudspeaker is connected to a microphone that is in the same (acoustic) room, that loudspeaker will behave, by definition, as negative absorption. In this presentation the theory, both physics as mathematics, is given as well as how to design and tune systems to create specific negative absorption by using commercially available components. Also examples are given where those systems have been applied. Speaker: Cees Mulder, Teacher in Acoustics and Faculty of Design Science of the University Antwep

13,00 - 14,00 - Lunch Break offered to delegates

14,00 - 14,30 - FIRphase: the RCF approach to digital filtering
FIR filters have become commonplace in professional audio due to their ability to control the loudspeaker phase response. RCF presents its own proprietary algorithm for the creation of special linear phase FIR filters: FIRphase is used in all RCF active loudspeakers and line arrays with the aim of a real high fidelity sound reproduction, perfect reconstruction of transients and substantial improvement of the sound dynamic.
Speaker: Andrea Capra, Electroacoustic Systems Engineer, R&D Engineering Department, RCF

14,30 - 15,00 - Audio Environments with multi source audio systems
The speaker will talk about his 40 years experience as a sound engineer. He will share his methodology, which is based not only on technical considerations, but also on the relationship with the performing artist and, above all, on how the audience will perceive the piece of art the musician is performing. Speaker: Frans Ockeloen, Teacher and AES Member, Dutch Section

15,00 - 15,30 - Acoustic Simulation Models, do we really need them?
For the last two decades the popularity and use of acoustic computer simulation models has increased, first to evaluate loudspeaker set-ups, later also to predict the acoustic behaviour of a room. The speaker will present a method in which real time acoustic design of architectural geometry is possible direct into the architects 3D model, with high accuracuracy.
Speaker: Cees Mulder, Teacher in Acoustics and Faculty of Design Science of the University Antwep

15,30 - 15,50 - From Technology to Application, practical introduction to the beam steering technology and directed sound Based on Kling & Freitag’s project of providing the ideal acoustic equipment for the Elbphilharmonie, we'll present the technical use of beam steering and the advantages of targeted sound emission, from the idea to concept and realization. Thereby, a focus will be on the acoustic analyses and the application of the VIDA L/C system in the Elbphilharmonie, which will uncover how beam steering technology is advantageous over conventional loudspeaker technologies e.g. line arrays and point sources. Speakers: André Bauer, Sales and application support high-end prof loudspeakers, Kling&Freitag, Christoph Wöhler, Senior Consultant for Education, Application support, Product Management, Marketing, Kling&Freitag.

15,50 - 16,30 Table discussions with the speakers

SPEAKERS:

André Bauer - Sales and application support high-end prof loudspeakers, Kling&FreitagIn He completed professional education as “Fachkraft für Veranstaltungstechnik” in 2017 with the Master title; as responsible for the audio division of the company his main goals were to analyze the acoustic challenges of each project in detail, being defined by the application itself and the spatial circumstances and acoustic properties of the scene to enable the optimal sound experience. Since 2018 he is responsible for the sales and application support of high-end professional loudspeakers of Kling & Freitag GmbH.

Alfonso Belfiore, Electronic Music Professor and Coordinator of the Department of Music and New Technologies of the "Luigi Cherubini" Conservatory of Florence Belfiore completed musical studies in piano, composition and conducting. Since 1977 he has devoted himself to research and experimentation in the field of new electronic and informatics technologies applied to music composition; he has taken part in multimedia projects developing, through the use of electronic and computer technology, complex interactions between gesture, sound, nature , image and word, deepening also the relationships between musical composition, combinatorial calculation and algorithmic processes. For several years he has carried out research as a collaborator of the National Research Council at the Department of Music Informatics in Pisa. From 1994 to 2000 he was invited to New York as a "visiting professor" at New York University, where he held meetings and workshops for electroacoustic musical composition.

Andrea Capra, Electroacoustic Systems Engineer, R&D Engineering Department, RCF
After graduating in Electronic Engineering, he started working in the acoustics and electroacoustics fields, first as a freelance consultant and then becoming Product Specialist at an important Italian distributor. At the same time he has been continuing his job as a Researcher at the University of Parma, in recording and reproduction of 3D sound fields, which lead to the development of a 32-capsule microphone system in collaboration with Rai (Italian broadcasting national company). Since 2013 he has been working in the R&D Engineering Department of RCF, where he deals with FIR filters and the development of the GLLs forecast software, and since 2018 he teaches Sound Technology and Musical Composition at the A. Boito Conservatory of Parma.
www.rcf.it

Donato Masci, Acoustic Designer, Studio Sound Service Donato Masci is an acoustic designer and consultant at Studio Sound Service in Florence (Italy). Alongside the main activity of professional audio facility design, he works in the field of acoustic correction for companies, conference rooms and working environments, but also for the assessment of the impact of noise emissions, in the case of musical activity. He cooperates with AES (Audio Engineering Society), and he is author of several articles and publications on sound diffusion and acoustics.

Aki Mäkivirta, R&D Director, Genelec
He has received Diploma Engineer, Licentiate of Science in Technology, and Doctor of Science in Technology degrees in electrical engineering from Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland, in 1985, 1989, and 1992, respectively. Prior to joining Genelec, he has held positions in the Medical Engineering Laboratory of Research Centre of Finland, and Nokia Corporation Research Center. He joined Genelec Oy in 1995, since 2012 in his present position. Aki Mäkivirta is a Fellow of the AES and a member of the Acoustical Society of Finland.
www.genelec.com

Cees Mulder, Teacher in Acoustics and Faculty of Design Science of the University Antwep
He studied electronics at the University of Applied Science in Utrecht, after which he followed the course Sound Balance at the Royal Conservatory, The Hague, and the post-academic course Acoustics at Antwerp. He has been professionally active in acoustics for over 25 years, worked for the Philips international project division and Dutch consultancies. Since 2006 he is a freelance consultant and since 2010 collaborates with Kahle Acoustics from Brussels, designing acoustics for performing arts venues as well as assisting in balancing orchestras. Since 2000 he is also a teacher in acoustics, since 2014 at the architecture department of the Faculty of Design Science of the University Antwerp.

Frans Ockeloen, Teacher and AES Member, Dutch Section
He started by passion, mixing his first band in 1977 and making his training with practice; since 1981 he worked as a professional for the major rental companies in the Netherlands. In 1993 he established IAB educational institute for live audio education, in 1997 he became Consultant for the Theater Advies in Amsterdam, and started to design sound systems for new build theatres. Since 2011 he has been teacher at Amsterdam school of Arts, Design & Technology, and at University of the Arts, Utrecht.

Christoph Wöhler - Senior Consultant for Education, Application support, Product Management, Marketing, Kling&Freitag He started career as an electronic engineer at Sennheiser Electronic, with deep insights into all kinds of analog and digital audio circuits and devices, and specializing in developing test equipment and measurement tools. In 2010 moved to Kling & Freitag, as responsible for the quality assurance and the service department; later he became technical manager, and with 2019 he started a new step as senior consultant, managing the fields of education, application support, product management and marketing.