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Dose–response relationships of the sort pioneered by Schultz figure prominently in the current European noise regulation policy. A position paper developed by the Working Group on Dose‐effects (part of the EU Expert Network) reviewed a range of potential health effects, but decided that annoyance and sleep disturbance remain the most prevalent and sensitive effects of transportation noise exposure, and those for which the best data were available. A Position paper providing guidance on the dose–effect relations to be used for the assessment of numbers of people annoyed by noise from transportation sources (rail, road and air) may be found at http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/noise/home.htm This presentation explains the context in which the Paper was developed, outlines the process by which the dose–response relationships were derived and summarizes the key recommendations. Finally some observations are made as the Position Paper is being applied, and related future developments are discussed. The author acknowledges with deep gratitude the assistance of Dr. Henk Miedema of TNO in preparing this paper.

The following group of papers resulted from a special session entitled Speech Recognition and Perception from an Articulatory Point of View that was held during the spring 1994 meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Organization of the session began when Richard McGowan, Terry Nearey, and Juergen Schroeter invited speakers to give papers and critiques on the role of articulation in human perception and machine recognition. Presentations were invited from three speakers or groups of speakers who were representative of the three speech areas in the Society: production, perception, and processing. One talk was given by Bjorn Lindblom, another was given by John Ohala, and the third by Rick Rose, Juergen Schroeter, Mohan Sondhi, and Oded Ghitza. The invited critiquers for the Lindblom paper were Ken Stevens, Robert Remez, and Bishnu Atal; for the Rose et al. paper, Roger Moore, Joe Perkell, and Terry Nearey; and for the Ohala paper, Mary Beckman, Douglas O’Shaughnessy, and Carol Fowler. These people created a very interesting and provocative session. Robert Fox, associate editor of the speech perception section of the Journal, initiated publication of and edited the papers that appear here. Written versions of the invited papers are included here, as well as the critiques by Stevens, Remez, Nearey, Moore, and O’Shaughnessy. Because it was felt that Carol Fowler’s view of the importance of articulation in speech perception was not sufficiently aired in a short critique, she was asked to present her views in a longer paper.

In April 1975, the Illinois Institute of Technology called the author saying that some notebooks had been found that appeared to be those of Wallace Clement Sabine. It was thought previous to this find that Sabine had destroyed all of his notebooks and papers because none was found when Professor Theodore Lyman was collecting Sabine’s papers for publication. Those notebooks were studied, a paper was published [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 61, 355–365 (1977)], and they were deposited in the Harvard University Archives. Imagine the surprise when John Kopec called in early 1979, saying that at another location at the Riverbank Acoustical Laboratory, a pile of folders that contained some of Sabine’s consulting experiences had been discovered. John said that he had copied Sabine’s faded pages into typescript, and he invited the author to join with him in studying them and perhaps publishing a paper jointly with him. Discussed here is our work together and our publication of the results [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 69, 367–382 ...

Russell Johnson was one of the most active acoustical consultants involved with concert hall design. He was a Senior Consultant at Bolt Beranek and Newman in Cambridge before he founded Artec. Sabine’s interactions with Mr. Johnson will be featured. In 1975, the notebooks of Wallace Clement Sabine were discovered and in 1979 his consulting files were discovered. Both findings were reported [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 61, 629–639 (1977); J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 69, 1–6 (1981)]. By chance, Sabine’s personal papers were discovered recently and highlights from them will be presented with emphasis on his European activities from 1906 to 1917.

There are three sections for speech communication papers in JASA: production, perception, and processing and communication systems. In contrast to some other branches of acoustics, authors of speech‐related papers have a wide variety of journals to choose from, covering several different disciplines. Among these are journals in psychology, cognitive science, linguistics, phonetics, speech and hearing science, otorhinolaryngology, neurophysiology, human movement science, and signal processing. Speech papers also cover production and perception in different human languages. In addition, papers in speech deal with both normal and clinical aspects, e.g., voice and speech disorders, and the effects of hearing impairment on speech. Papers in speech production are also concerned with analyzing articulatory movements as well as the mathematical modeling of phonation and articulation. The presentation will focus on why JASA should be a top choice for authors of papers in speech communication. Criteria for the sele...

The typed script for a 12‐min technical talk is likely to occupy not more than five pages, double spaced, in elite type. Time may limit the presentation to six slides. Lettering on a figure for a slide should be 1/40 the height of the figure.

Rayleigh not only had a knack for skimming off the cream, but also for finding cream where others might have thought there was no cream to be found. His first substantial work of note, the 1870 memoir on resonance in the Philosophical Transactions, introduced a style and philosophy that is evident in many of his later works and that is worth emulating. In this paper, Rayleigh successfully bypassed the elegant but difficult to apply mathematics of Helmholtz's epochal 1860 paper, and substituted instead a few simple approximate concepts and produced some relatively simple formulas that could be compared with Sondhauss's experimental results on what we now call Helmholtz resonators. Other examples cited in the present paper are Rayleigh's theory of diffraction by orifices and slits, his analytical models for elastic shells, his discovery of adiabatic invariants in his 1902 “pressure of vibrations” paper, and his approach to modeling low‐frequency sound radiation from sources. Rayleigh's work and philosophy may have had a substantial influence, although perhaps not consciously recognized, on modern trends such as finite elements and matched asymptotic expansions. In addition to a thorough familiarity with basic physical concepts, a good intuitive feel for what was relevant, and an inherent love of simplicity, Rayleigh made extensive use of variational techniques as a framework for developing approximations. Hitherto they had been used primarily as a means for elegant expression of basic principles. Also noteworthy was Rayleigh's heavy use of similitude arguments. [Work supported by ONR.]

The high frequency translation losses in record reproduction which Professor Hunt has quoted from a former paper of mine apply only to soft plastic‐coated recording disks such as are used for instantaneous play‐back recording. They do not hold and are very much less on the relatively hard material of which commercial transcription records are pressed. The RCA reproducer was designed and primarily intended for use with these hard commercial pressings.With reference to the frequency characteristic which is to be adopted and which is being used for the new Orthocoustic broadcast transcription records and which Professor Hunt contends represents too much high frequency pre‐emphasis, let me say that this program was started solely with the idea of producing ultra‐high quality disks. It seems inconsistent that such a characteristic would be used if it resulted in objectionable distortion. The direct purpose in accenting the high frequency range in recording and attenuating it in reproduction is of course to red...

In the present editorial, the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal explains the processes by which manuscripts are handled when they are submitted for publication. Various categories of problem papers are described, and it is emphasized that the outcome of the review process is not always predictable. Metrics for measuring paper quality and journal quality are reviewed and discussed. Arguments are given to the effect that the quality of a paper and its chances of being selected for publication will be considerably improved if the authors adopt a philosophy of literate writing and collegial citing. The detailed meaning of these phrases is discussed with accompanying examples, including the case of a paper by J. J. Waterston, the publication of which was delayed for 47 years until the paper was rediscovered by Rayleigh.

The U.S. FDA and Joint Commission designated “alarm fatigue” the “#1 priority in healthcare technology” in 2011–2012, acknowledging that this acoustical problem results in hundreds of patient deaths and thousands of injuries. The healthcare facilities industry has been slow to recognize that “alarm fatigue” is partly a facility design issue: i.e., a cacophony of recurrent noises from myriad uncorrelated medical devices, set at maximum loudness, occurring in hard-walled, reverberant spaces (such as patient rooms, ORs, and ICUs) produce elevated stress, sleep impairment, disorientation, and dangerously irrational, potentially deadly behavior. “Alarm fatigue” has been addressed as a human factors problem elsewhere: e.g., nuclear plant control rooms (after Three-Mile Island) and aircraft cockpits. In healthcare, it is imperative to engage architects, designers, acoustical engineers facility engineering staffs, and clinicians, who represent the “first line of defense” as the medical device industry requires 5–10 years to implement solutions. The presenter co-led a delegation of 12 distinguished members of the acoustics profession to the national summit on “alarm fatigue,” Washington DC, 2011 and has co-authored peer-reviewed medical journal articles and a forthcoming FGI white paper on the subject. This presentation focuses on solutions, challenges, and the research roadmap needed to address “alarm fatigue.”

Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2002 relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise requires Member States to undertake strategic noise mapping. It also refers to legislation regarding access to the information from strategic noise maps, since it requires “that the strategic noise maps ... are made available and disseminated to the public in accordance with relevant Community legislation ... and in conformity with Annex IV ... to this Directive.” Under its terms of reference for 2007 the European Environment Agency's (EEA) Working Group on the Assessment of Exposure (WG‐AEN) was asked to produce a Position Paper containing the Group's ideas and suggestions on good practice and associated strategies for presenting noise mapping information to the public at local and national levels. Many of these ideas and suggestion were developed from the outcomes of a workshop held in London in October, 2006. The final draft of the Position Paper was completed in December, 2007. This conference paper and associated verbal presentation will provide an overview of the contents of the Position Paper and report on developments since December, 2007.

The Green Paper ‘‘Future Noise Policy’’ [COM(96) 540 final] identifies noise in the environment as one of the main environmental problems in Europe. It emphasizes the continuing need for legislative measures at the Community level concerning noise emission from various sources. In February 1998, the Commission adopted a proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to the noise emission by equipment used outdoors [COM(1998) 46 final, published in OJ No. C 124, 22.04.1998, p. 1]. It intends to simplify legislation, to contribute to the smooth functioning of the internal market, and to protect the health and well‐being of citizens by reducing the overall noise exposure. The proposal covers 55 types of equipment, all of which are to be marked with the guaranteed noise‐emission level; in addition, noise limits are laid down for 19 types of equipment (13 already covered by existing directives, 6 new ones). Noise limits are laid down in two stages (the first one eliminating most noisy equipment, the second one taking into account advanced technology). The requirements of the proposal are explained and the progress made in the Council and European Parliament is reported.

In 1996 the European Commission published a so‐called Green Paper in which proposals were done for a future EU policy on environmental noise. More than 450 institutions and individuals commented and on the basis of these the European Commission concluded that there is more than sufficient support for most of the proposals and started the process of the further development of the policy. Central elements in the policy are the harmonization of the noise indicators and the assessment methods in the European Union, the introduction of noise mapping and action plans for cities and member states, and information of the public and periodical EU action plans. Target setting will probably remain the responsibility of the Member States or local authorities. It is the aim that the coherence and quality of the EU policy on noise sources will improve. In 1998 working groups started with the development of indicators, dose‐effect relationships, computation and measurement methods, mapping procedures, and guidelines for...

Consider one voice, bandlimited in K different ways. A complete paired‐comparison schedule is presented to N listeners to obtain “similarity‐with‐respect‐to‐quality” judgments. From each listener's judgments, a “perceptual space” is determined and the question is: “Are there individual differences between these N perceptual spaces?” In order to answer this, we compare perceptual spaces, obtain some index of similarity, and determine a “points‐of‐view” space containing N points. Suppose this is a two‐space. Typically we now argue for differences on the basis of how the N points spread out on a sheet of graph paper, but a very real question is rarely considered. How big can the points‐of‐view space be? By introducing “random listeners” (random perceptual spaces), we can answer this question; and the results so far indicate that “real listeners” cluster so tightly in this “real‐plus‐random” space that no individual differences can be found for the “real listeners.” [This research was supported by the Office of Naval Research.]

This paper examines the tone-merging phenomenon in Hong Kong Cantonese. Both perception and production tasks were administered to 120 participants with ages ranging from 20 to 58 years. After considering the complicated interplay of perception and production confusion, the paper provides statistical evidence that three tonal contrasts have undergone merging in contemporary Hong Kong Cantonese. They are Full-merger T2 and T5, where contrast is collapsed in both perception and production; Partial-merger T3 and T6, where contrast is collapsed in production only; and Near-merger T4 and T6, where contrast is collapsed in perception but maintained in production.

In many applications, it is desirable to achieve a signal that is as close as possible to ideal white noise. One example is in the design of an artificial reverberator, whereby there is a need for its lossless prototype output from an impulse input to be perceptually white as much as possible. The Ljung-Box test, the Drouiche test, and the Wiener Entropy—also called the Spectral Flatness Measure—are three well-known methods for quantifying the similarity of a given signal to ideal white noise. In this paper, listening tests are conducted to measure the Just Noticeable Difference (JND) on the perception of white noise, which is the JND between ideal Gaussian white noise and noise with a specified deviation from the flat spectrum. This paper reports the JND values using one of these measures of whiteness, which is the Ljung-Box test. This paper finds considerable disagreement between the Ljung-Box test and the other two methods and shows that none of the methods is a significantly better predictor of listeners' perception of whiteness. This suggests a need for a whiteness test that is more closely correlated to human perception.In many applications, it is desirable to achieve a signal that is as close as possible to ideal white noise. One example is in the design of an artificial reverberator, whereby there is a need for its lossless prototype output from an impulse input to be perceptually white as much as possible. The Ljung-Box test, the Drouiche test, and the Wiener Entropy—also called the Spectral Flatness Measure—are three well-known methods for quantifying the similarity of a given signal to ideal white noise. In this paper, listening tests are conducted to measure the Just Noticeable Difference (JND) on the perception of white noise, which is the JND between ideal Gaussian white noise and noise with a specified deviation from the flat spectrum. This paper reports the JND values using one of these measures of whiteness, which is the Ljung-Box test. This paper finds considerable disagreement between the Ljung-Box test and the other two methods and shows that none of the methods is a significantly better predictor of listen...

In this paper, we present a novel system to practice lexical stress in L2 English learning with Amazon Alexa home assistant. The language learning for non-native English speakers mostly focuses on practicing correct grammar, extending language vocabulary, and improving pronunciation. The system proposed enables a person to practice lexical stress skills at home by having conversations with Alexa assistant. The system assesses student's abilities to enunciate words with a correct lexical stress and automatically selects the next words to practice. After a series of exercises, the system informs the student on the improvement. The main scientific contribution of the work presented is a deep learning model for automated assessment of lexical stress of non-native English speakers. The model is based on a transfer learning technique. First, we train the model to predict the location of a lexical stress on a syllable level using a large corpus of native English speech. Then, we tune the model with a limited amount of a non-native speech. A corpus of non-native English speech obtained from Polish speakers is incorporated into the training and testing of the model. It is shown that the system enables to create a vocabulary for a particular speaker interactively.In this paper, we present a novel system to practice lexical stress in L2 English learning with Amazon Alexa home assistant. The language learning for non-native English speakers mostly focuses on practicing correct grammar, extending language vocabulary, and improving pronunciation. The system proposed enables a person to practice lexical stress skills at home by having conversations with Alexa assistant. The system assesses student's abilities to enunciate words with a correct lexical stress and automatically selects the next words to practice. After a series of exercises, the system informs the student on the improvement. The main scientific contribution of the work presented is a deep learning model for automated assessment of lexical stress of non-native English speakers. The model is based on a transfer learning technique. First, we train the model to predict the location of a lexical stress on a syllable level using a large corpus of native English speech. Then, we tune the model with a limited amo...

This historical paper examines a pioneering theory of speech production and perception from the thirteenth century. Robert Grosseteste (c.1175—1253) was a celebrated medieval thinker, who developed an impressive corpus of treatises on the natural world. This paper looks at his treatise on sound and phonetics, De generatione sonorum [On the Generation of Sounds]. Through interdisciplinary analysis of the text, this paper finds a theory of vowel production and perception that is notably mathematical, with a formulation of vowel space rooted in combinatorics. Specifically, Grosseteste constructs a categorical space comprising three fundamental types of movements pertaining to the vocal apparatus: linear, circular, and dilational-constrictional; these correspond to similarity transformations of translation, rotation, and uniform scaling, respectively. That Grosseteste's space is categorical, and low-dimensional, is remarkable vis-a-vis current theories of phoneme perception. As well as his description of vowel space, Grosseteste also sets out a hypothetical framework of multisensory integration, uniting the production, perception, and representation in writing of vowels with a set of geometric figures associated with “mental images.” This has clear resonances with contemporary studies of motor facilitation during speech perception and audiovisual speech. This paper additionally provides an experimental foray, illustrating the coherence of mathematical and scientific thinking underpinning this early theory.

This paper explores the acoustic characteristics of the local Thai “Lae” reading, as opposed to the singing one. The so-called “Lae /laeae/” with the contents based on the local Thai culture has been the traditional Thai singing for centuries and has been enculturated only within the families of professional vocalists. In this paper, an acoustic study was conducted. Two professional Thai vocalists (one female and one male) were asked to read aloud and sing two Lae songs: the gac song (n = 236 syllables) and the song of the Mahasawat Canal (n = 272 syllables). There were a total of 2032 tokens (508 syllables X 2 speakers X 2 types). All the tokens were digitally recorded in a sound-proof room and acoustically analyzed in the Praat program. The results revealed that, in singing, the vowel duration and the final sonorants (if any) were two-three times longer; the vowels and diphthongs were lower (with higher F1); and the F0 levels for Thai tones were higher than the reading counterparts. Additionally, in vocalization, both female and male vocalists inserted extra syllables and glottalization while singing. It is hoped that this acoustic study will help glocalize and preserve the local Thai Lae singing.

This paper provides a travelogue through ten performing arts venues in the West that are architecturally or historically important. While nine found happiness, the tenth still struggles mightily with an inconvenient conundrum—an intractable juxtaposition of its acoustical challenges spread across its history, its geographic setting and its name. Where salient, measured data are presented for each along with highlights of the re-design challenges and their specific solutions, several of which were quite novel.This paper provides a travelogue through ten performing arts venues in the West that are architecturally or historically important. While nine found happiness, the tenth still struggles mightily with an inconvenient conundrum—an intractable juxtaposition of its acoustical challenges spread across its history, its geographic setting and its name. Where salient, measured data are presented for each along with highlights of the re-design challenges and their specific solutions, several of which were quite novel.

I came to know Ed Sullivan after submitting a paper on passive synthetic aperture sonar for publication in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. At that time, he was an Associate Editor of the journal. I knew of him, by reputation, of course. Only after the paper reviews came back did I get to know him, the person, the hard-core, old-school signal processor and physicist. At first, I simply tried to humor him to get the paper accepted for publication, figuring that quotes from a few of his papers sprinkled here and there would suffice. But after spending time expanding my knowledge of his work, I developed a deep appreciation for the foundation in signal processing he and colleagues had built. The published version of our paper was significantly improved as a result. This talk presents some of Ed Sullivan's results on model-based signal processing and its application to passive synthetic aperture sonar, along with some of our published results. Its main purpose, however, is to serve as a reminder that we all stand on the foundation built by those who have gone before. [Work supported by the Office of Naval Research.]

One of the most spectacular features of the sound of trumpets, trombones, and french horns is the way in which the spectral content evolves during a crescendo. The gentle rounded timbre which these instrument create when played very quietly becomes increasingly bright as the loudness increases, and at the fortissimo level the sound develops a snarling brilliance described as “brassy.” In 1980, Jim Beauchamp suggested that nonlinear sound propagation might play a role in this spectral enrichment, and in 1996, experiments by Mico Hirschberg, Joel Gilbert and colleagues confirmed that the cumulative effect of nonlinear distortion in a trombone could lead to shock wave formation. This paper reviews the experimental studies which have subsequently been undertaken to understand better the circumstances which lead to the theoretically infinite pressure gradient of a shock wave, and the way in which the wavefront evolves as it travels on to the bell and into the open space beyond.One of the most spectacular features of the sound of trumpets, trombones, and french horns is the way in which the spectral content evolves during a crescendo. The gentle rounded timbre which these instrument create when played very quietly becomes increasingly bright as the loudness increases, and at the fortissimo level the sound develops a snarling brilliance described as “brassy.” In 1980, Jim Beauchamp suggested that nonlinear sound propagation might play a role in this spectral enrichment, and in 1996, experiments by Mico Hirschberg, Joel Gilbert and colleagues confirmed that the cumulative effect of nonlinear distortion in a trombone could lead to shock wave formation. This paper reviews the experimental studies which have subsequently been undertaken to understand better the circumstances which lead to the theoretically infinite pressure gradient of a shock wave, and the way in which the wavefront evolves as it travels on to the bell and into the open space beyond.

This paper will be discussed some aspects to be considered in the contextual design of soundscapes in contrast with the classical acoustic design. Aspects as: perception in base of cultural background, perception as a multisensorial integration, attention versus boredom, expectation versus deception, soundscape versus landscape, real versus virtual, deterministic design versus design by compromise, isolation respect other spaces, complying of regulations, etc. Also, the need for an open mind approach in education of soundscape design will be discussed.This paper will be discussed some aspects to be considered in the contextual design of soundscapes in contrast with the classical acoustic design. Aspects as: perception in base of cultural background, perception as a multisensorial integration, attention versus boredom, expectation versus deception, soundscape versus landscape, real versus virtual, deterministic design versus design by compromise, isolation respect other spaces, complying of regulations, etc. Also, the need for an open mind approach in education of soundscape design will be discussed.

During the past centuries, Austria was a country of massive multistory apartment houses. Since the last decade of the last century, technical and legal developments led to experimental multistory buildings with lightweight construction as timber frame or cross laminated timber construction. During the following years, the proportion of lightweight constructions increased slightly. In Styria, a federal land in the south of Austria, it is usual to perform sample performance measurements also of the quality of subsidized apartment buildings upon competition. This paper shows some results of such quality measurements of airborne and impact sound insulation during the past two decades and discusses the performance of different constructions. Moreover, some results of “mikrozensus” surveys about noise pollution of the federal institution “Statistik Austria” are presented. The question arises, if the used descriptors as, e.g., the weighted sound reduction index Rw are still sufficient meaningful in every case or if there should be some additional information to avoid specific problematic construction solutions. Another way would be to provide rules for robust in detail. Some special cases and construction influences are shown exemplarily. For future development, it would be of interest to provide more information about sensitivity of construction measures in order to enhance the future sound insulation performance not only as a number but in reality.During the past centuries, Austria was a country of massive multistory apartment houses. Since the last decade of the last century, technical and legal developments led to experimental multistory buildings with lightweight construction as timber frame or cross laminated timber construction. During the following years, the proportion of lightweight constructions increased slightly. In Styria, a federal land in the south of Austria, it is usual to perform sample performance measurements also of the quality of subsidized apartment buildings upon competition. This paper shows some results of such quality measurements of airborne and impact sound insulation during the past two decades and discusses the performance of different constructions. Moreover, some results of “mikrozensus” surveys about noise pollution of the federal institution “Statistik Austria” are presented. The question arises, if the used descriptors as, e.g., the weighted sound reduction index Rw are still sufficient meaningful in every case or...

An ensemble of Thai classical instruments was first brought to UCLA by Dr. David Morton who taught in the Ethnomusicology Department. After he left UCLA, the instruments were disused for decades. In 2015, the author was hired to examine and restore the collection to a playable condition, and subsequently to re-establish the Music of Thailand ensemble class. With financial support from the Thai consulate and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, the course is now offered regularly and the instrument collection has expanded further. The oldest of the instruments at UCLA originated from the family of a prominent teacher and are highly regarded by their descendants and considered spiritually powerful. These connections were honored with a wai khruu (‘honoring the teachers’) ceremony held at UCLA featuring a professional ensemble of musicians from Thailand. In this paper, the author will introduce the classical instruments of Thailand, their basic construction and tuning, and the process of restoring the collection at UCLA.An ensemble of Thai classical instruments was first brought to UCLA by Dr. David Morton who taught in the Ethnomusicology Department. After he left UCLA, the instruments were disused for decades. In 2015, the author was hired to examine and restore the collection to a playable condition, and subsequently to re-establish the Music of Thailand ensemble class. With financial support from the Thai consulate and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, the course is now offered regularly and the instrument collection has expanded further. The oldest of the instruments at UCLA originated from the family of a prominent teacher and are highly regarded by their descendants and considered spiritually powerful. These connections were honored with a wai khruu (‘honoring the teachers’) ceremony held at UCLA featuring a professional ensemble of musicians from Thailand. In this paper, the author will introduce the classical instruments of Thailand, their basic construction and tuning, and the process of restoring the col...

Much evidence has accrued indicating that language experience from infancy shapes our categorization and discrimination of consonants and vowels, differentiating perception of native versus non-native speech contrasts. The Perceptual Assimilation (PAM: Best), Speech Learning (SLM: Flege), Native Language Magnet (NLM: Kuhl) and Second Language Linguistic Perception (L2LP: Escudero) models each offer theoretical accounts of this attunement but do not explicitly consider whether it begins with perceptual equivalence across all speech contrasts. Other findings suggest the initial perceptual playing field Is not level -- some contrasts are intrinsically easier than others to discriminate. This paper considers two theoretical accounts of this uneven initial state, the Natural Referent Vowel framework (NRV: Polka and Bohn) and the Articulatory Organ Hypothesis (AOH: Goldstein), in light of additional findings of discrimination biases. We will discuss how initial biases may interact with language experience to modulate perceptual attunment to the native language.Much evidence has accrued indicating that language experience from infancy shapes our categorization and discrimination of consonants and vowels, differentiating perception of native versus non-native speech contrasts. The Perceptual Assimilation (PAM: Best), Speech Learning (SLM: Flege), Native Language Magnet (NLM: Kuhl) and Second Language Linguistic Perception (L2LP: Escudero) models each offer theoretical accounts of this attunement but do not explicitly consider whether it begins with perceptual equivalence across all speech contrasts. Other findings suggest the initial perceptual playing field Is not level -- some contrasts are intrinsically easier than others to discriminate. This paper considers two theoretical accounts of this uneven initial state, the Natural Referent Vowel framework (NRV: Polka and Bohn) and the Articulatory Organ Hypothesis (AOH: Goldstein), in light of additional findings of discrimination biases. We will discuss how initial biases may interact with language experience to mo...

This paper presents research on a rule-based approach to designing creative acoustic diffuser arrays. A shape grammar-influenced design method is specified that uses shape rules to recursively design arrays of quadratic residue diffusers (QRD) in a way that is neither mechanical nor deterministic. Shape grammar-based generative systems have already been shown to be capable of being used in architecture and engineering to create languages of functional objects but have not yet been extended into the realm of acoustics. The grammar presented by this paper produces a QRD-based acoustic diffusion language that breaks habits in QRD deploying techniques, which is lacking outside of using known equations that give known forms. The grammar can include different design frequencies and open the possibilities of different and non-uniform, intentional diffusion treatment. This paper will specify and demonstrate the formation rules, and discuss on how in combination with material specifications, this design method can...

Architect Louis Sullivan’s mantra, Form follows function, is no better embedded in any subdiscipline of architecture than that of building acoustics, and this is especially true in the realm of performing arts. This paper describes several examples of performing arts spaces in which MCH involved architects, often rather directly, into acoustical design. These studies were characterized, not by computer-centric tools, but rather were often most effectively and intuitively realized through simple light models that informed optimal room shaping real-time, hand-on exercises with our clients. Some solutions, especially appreciated by architects, successfully invoked indigenous or traditional forms that lent themselves beautifully to excellent speech intelligibility, musical clarity, and envelopment. This paper will discuss projects with acoustically-effective forms drawn from Native American kivas and Taoism, to Moorish tessellated patterns, to geographic forms such as southwest canyons and quarries, and more—including even “hanging chads.”

The Southern Vowel Shift (SVS) historically occurred across the Southern U.S. (e.g., Labov et al., 1972; Feagin, 1986). Several recent studies document the retreat of the SVS in the urban South (Fridland, 1999; Prichard, 2010; Dodsworth and Kohn, 2012). However, Irons (2007) found the SVS advancing in rural Kentucky. Thus, Fridland notes the SVS might not be "a supra-regional norm," serving rather as "an ecological distinction within the South" (2012:187). As an ecological distinction, SVS features might reflect a speaker’s orientation toward differing ecologies. Thus, a speaker with a rural orientation might use more SVS features than a speaker who is less rurally oriented. The present paper investigates the SVS in rural speech examining three features: monophthongization of /aI/, rotation of /E/ and /e/, and rotation of /I/ and /i/. Data come from sociolinguistic interviews, reading passages, and words lists from 25 speakers from rural northeast Tennessee. Additionally, every participant completed a Rootedness Metric, a psychometric survey that quantifies place-based orientation. Results indicate that speakers exhibit SVS features, with reversals of the relative front vowel positions and monophthongization of /aI/ in all positions (cf. Irons, 2007). However, more rooted speakers exhibited the most advanced SVS features. Thus, the central difference of SVS features may not merely be "ecological," rather the speaker’s relationship to the differing regional ecologies.The Southern Vowel Shift (SVS) historically occurred across the Southern U.S. (e.g., Labov et al., 1972; Feagin, 1986). Several recent studies document the retreat of the SVS in the urban South (Fridland, 1999; Prichard, 2010; Dodsworth and Kohn, 2012). However, Irons (2007) found the SVS advancing in rural Kentucky. Thus, Fridland notes the SVS might not be "a supra-regional norm," serving rather as "an ecological distinction within the South" (2012:187). As an ecological distinction, SVS features might reflect a speaker’s orientation toward differing ecologies. Thus, a speaker with a rural orientation might use more SVS features than a speaker who is less rurally oriented. The present paper investigates the SVS in rural speech examining three features: monophthongization of /aI/, rotation of /E/ and /e/, and rotation of /I/ and /i/. Data come from sociolinguistic interviews, reading passages, and words lists from 25 speakers from rural northeast Tennessee. Additionally, every participant completed a Roo...

Writing an empirical paper can be a daunting process, particularly for students writing their first manuscript. This presentation will provide advice for helping students develop a structured and goal-oriented writing routine to aid in the publishing process. First, the mentor can help foster motivation to write by guiding the student to pursue research that is tethered to the student’s intrinsic interests but still within the domain of the mentor’s expertise. Second, writing goals need to be prioritized by the student in a specific, achievable, and time-bound manner. This prioritization can occur through creating a structured, weekly outline of writing-related goals, either with guidance from the mentor or through a peer support group. Setting aside regular, protected writing time can help form a habit out of writing and ensure it does not become pushed aside for other priorities. Lastly, -timely, thorough, and constructive feedback from the mentor can speed up the writing process while conveying to the student that their work is a priority of the mentor.Writing an empirical paper can be a daunting process, particularly for students writing their first manuscript. This presentation will provide advice for helping students develop a structured and goal-oriented writing routine to aid in the publishing process. First, the mentor can help foster motivation to write by guiding the student to pursue research that is tethered to the student’s intrinsic interests but still within the domain of the mentor’s expertise. Second, writing goals need to be prioritized by the student in a specific, achievable, and time-bound manner. This prioritization can occur through creating a structured, weekly outline of writing-related goals, either with guidance from the mentor or through a peer support group. Setting aside regular, protected writing time can help form a habit out of writing and ensure it does not become pushed aside for other priorities. Lastly, -timely, thorough, and constructive feedback from the mentor can speed up the writing process while conveying to the ...

This paper presentation continues progress of an active multiphase acoustical research project emphasizing implementation of prototypical concrete systems in multiuse spaces to transform unhealthy learning environments. Building upon research results shared during the December 2017 and November 2018 ASA paper presentations, various admixtures/additives are being explored as viable ingredients to develop concrete mixtures capable of decreasing excessive reverberation and flutter echo while increasing clarity and speech intelligibility. Faculty and students, working in both physical and digital realms with industry partners, are analyzing and validating consequences of manipulating materials for resultant acoustical criteria. The work presented here showcases research and development of how concrete can be processed, shaped, surfaced, and implemented into full-scale built form to provide scholarly merit applicable in/with similar spaces and/or functions.

This paper describes a biologically inspired approach for acoustically detecting and tracking small remotely piloted aircraft based on processing found in the insect visual system. Previous work has shown the insect visual system is excellent at enhancing and isolating signals in complex and noisy visual scenes. By constructing spectrograms of audio signals, we essentially converted audio data into images, which could then be processed in the same way as visual data sets. Traditional time-frequency analysis was used to characterise the signatures of remotely piloted aircraft observed by multiple sets of small microphone arrays located on the ground. A model based on multiple layers of non-linear dynamic adaptive components measured from responses of insect visual neurons was then applied to the observed spectrograms to enhance the related acoustic harmonics and suppress the unrelated noise. The result was crisp low-amplitude signal detection and classification of these difficult target sets. In contrast to traditional systems that operate uniformly across the entire spectrum—attempting to capture the world as faithfully as possible—the bio-inspired processing uses multiple time scales and operates independently on each time-frequency cell ("pixel"). This reveals unseen harmonics otherwise hidden by noise, thereby extending the maximum range at which even slow-moving, low amplitude targets are detected and tracked.This paper describes a biologically inspired approach for acoustically detecting and tracking small remotely piloted aircraft based on processing found in the insect visual system. Previous work has shown the insect visual system is excellent at enhancing and isolating signals in complex and noisy visual scenes. By constructing spectrograms of audio signals, we essentially converted audio data into images, which could then be processed in the same way as visual data sets. Traditional time-frequency analysis was used to characterise the signatures of remotely piloted aircraft observed by multiple sets of small microphone arrays located on the ground. A model based on multiple layers of non-linear dynamic adaptive components measured from responses of insect visual neurons was then applied to the observed spectrograms to enhance the related acoustic harmonics and suppress the unrelated noise. The result was crisp low-amplitude signal detection and classification of these difficult target sets. In contrast t...

Prior to 2018, the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) did little to support the Center for Hearing and Communication’s International Noise Awareness Day (INAD). Task Force 1 (TF1) members of the five-year ASA Strategic Plan determined that ASA must make a greater effort to support the INAD campaign to help raise public awareness of noise to meet our own strategic goals. For 2018, TF1 members organized and promoted activities that would not only increase noise awareness but would also encourage the public to interact with the ASA. These activities included taking sound level measurements using a mobile app, reading a Proceedings of the Meetings on Acoustics paper, watching a movie, and taking part in a live YouTube discussion with expert panelists. The success of these activities is measured in increased downloads, website traffic, followers, and subscribers. To continue ASA’s involvement with future INADs once the strategic plan ends, organizing was moved to the Technical Committee on Noise. This presentation will end with a summary of ASA INAD 2019, set to take place on Wednesday, 24 April 2019, as well as an update on future INAD plans.Prior to 2018, the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) did little to support the Center for Hearing and Communication’s International Noise Awareness Day (INAD). Task Force 1 (TF1) members of the five-year ASA Strategic Plan determined that ASA must make a greater effort to support the INAD campaign to help raise public awareness of noise to meet our own strategic goals. For 2018, TF1 members organized and promoted activities that would not only increase noise awareness but would also encourage the public to interact with the ASA. These activities included taking sound level measurements using a mobile app, reading a Proceedings of the Meetings on Acoustics paper, watching a movie, and taking part in a live YouTube discussion with expert panelists. The success of these activities is measured in increased downloads, website traffic, followers, and subscribers. To continue ASA’s involvement with future INADs once the strategic plan ends, organizing was moved to the Technical Committee on Noise. This present...

Speech perception is known to be influenced by listeners’ expectations of the speaker. This paper tests whether the demographic makeup of individuals’ communities can influence their perception of foreign sounds by influencing their expectations of the language. Using online experiments with participants from all across the U.S. and matched census data on the proportion of Spanish and other foreign language speakers in participants’ communities, this paper shows that the demo- graphic makeup of individuals’ communities influences their expectations of foreign languages to have an alveolar trill versus a tap (Experiment 1), as well as their consequent perception of these sounds (Experiment 2). Thus, the paper shows that while individuals’ expectations of foreign lan- guage to have a trill occasionally lead them to misperceive a tap in a foreign language as a trill, a higher proportion of non-trill language speakers in one’s community decreases this likelihood. These results show that individuals’ environment can influence their perception by shaping their linguistic expectations

In the 1970-1980's, a number of papers explored the role of the transitional and burst features in consonant-vowel context. These papers left unresolved the relative importance of these two acoustic cues. This research takes advantage of refined signal processing methods, allowing for the visualization and modification of acoustic details. This experiment explores the impact of modifying the strength of the acoustic burst feature on the recognition scores P(c)(SNR) (function of the signal-to-noise ratio), for four plosive sounds /ta, ka, da, ga/. These results show high correlations between the relative burst intensity and the scores P(c)(SNR). Based on this correlation, one must conclude that these bursts are the primary acoustic cues used for the identification of these four consonants. This is in contrast to previous experiments, which used less precise methods to manipulate speech, and observe complex relationships between the scores, bursts and transition cues. In cases where the burst feature is removed entirely, it is shown that naturally existing conflicting acoustic features dominate the score. These observations seem directly inconsistent with transition cues playing a role: if the transition cues were important, they would dominate over low-level conflicting burst cues. These limited results arguably rule out the concept of redundant cues.

This paper aims to propose a new audiovisual perceptual training with corrective feedback and compare the results of this training with those of audio only and audiovisual perceptual training. The results are compared in order to see which is more effective in improving the perception and production of English sounds by Korean learners. For this experiment, we selected 6 consonant pairs (i.e., /p-f/, /b-v/, /t-θ/, /l-r/, /s-ʃ/) and 4 vowel pairs (i.e., /i:-ɪ/, /ɛ-ae/, /ɑ:-ʌ/, /ɔ:-oʊ/), which are visually distinguishable from one another but often confused by Koreans. 20 subjects participated in audio only training (A group), 20 subjects in audiovisual training (AV group) and 25 subjects in audiovisual training with corrective feedback (CF group). 8 training sessions, each lasting about 40 minutes, were offered. All the groups showed a significant improvement in the perception of vowels and consonants (i.e., 5.4% and 3.4% improvements for the A group, 7.7% and 3.4% for the AV group, and 11.1% and 4.1% for the CF group). However, only A group showed a significant improvement in the production of vowels (i.e., 7.19% improvement) while only AV and CF groups showed a significant improvement in the production of consonants (i.e. 6.08% and 8.00% improvements for the AV and CF groups, respectively). This paper aims to propose a new audiovisual perceptual training with corrective feedback and compare the results of this training with those of audio only and audiovisual perceptual training. The results are compared in order to see which is more effective in improving the perception and production of English sounds by Korean learners. For this experiment, we selected 6 consonant pairs (i.e., /p-f/, /b-v/, /t-θ/, /l-r/, /s-ʃ/) and 4 vowel pairs (i.e., /i:-ɪ/, /ɛ-ae/, /ɑ:-ʌ/, /ɔ:-oʊ/), which are visually distinguishable from one another but often confused by Koreans. 20 subjects participated in audio only training (A group), 20 subjects in audiovisual training (AV group) and 25 subjects in audiovisual training with corrective feedback (CF group). 8 training sessions, each lasting about 40 minutes, were offered. All the groups showed a significant improvement in the perception of vowels and consonants (i.e., 5.4% and 3.4% improvements for the A group, 7.7% and 3.4% for the AV group, and 11.1% and 4.1% for t...

According to the legend, witches were women with magical knowledge that with the use of herbs cured illnesses and performed spells. In 1639, the book “De Nuce Maga Beneventana” described how the place where the “witches” gathered was an area south of the city of Benevento in South Italy in a long and narrow gorge. This valley with high rock walls was called the “stretto di Barba”. According to the legend, under a walnut tree in the “stretto di Barba”, the Longobards were used to perform sacred rituals. To make the rituals more effective, the sounds were amplified by the narrow gorge with flat and parallel rock walls where the sound reflections generated echoing effects. The aim of this paper is to investigate the soundscape of the “stretto di Barba” and to investigate if it has the acoustic characteristics that create echoes and to confirm the legends about the Longobards’ rituals. In situ measurements were carried out. Numerical simulations were carried out using the acoustic software Odeon. The paper shows that if a place where the Longobards carried out their rituals really existed, then the “stretto di Barba” had all the proper acoustic characteristics to create multiple sound reflections and echoes.According to the legend, witches were women with magical knowledge that with the use of herbs cured illnesses and performed spells. In 1639, the book “De Nuce Maga Beneventana” described how the place where the “witches” gathered was an area south of the city of Benevento in South Italy in a long and narrow gorge. This valley with high rock walls was called the “stretto di Barba”. According to the legend, under a walnut tree in the “stretto di Barba”, the Longobards were used to perform sacred rituals. To make the rituals more effective, the sounds were amplified by the narrow gorge with flat and parallel rock walls where the sound reflections generated echoing effects. The aim of this paper is to investigate the soundscape of the “stretto di Barba” and to investigate if it has the acoustic characteristics that create echoes and to confirm the legends about the Longobards’ rituals. In situ measurements were carried out. Numerical simulations were carried out using the acoustic software Odeon. The paper sh...

This paper presentation continues progress of an active multiphase acoustical research project emphasizing implementation of adaptive interactive acoustical responses in multiuse spaces to transform unhealthy learning environments. Building upon the December 2017 paper presentation, slotted and pocketed thin shell precast systems are being explored as a viable option to decrease excessive reverberation and flutter echo while increasing clarity and speech intelligibility within a multiuse space on campus. The project, launched Spring 2017, is spanning multiple phases and disciplines as faculty and students are analyzing and validating findings in both computer and physical form. Collected data will lead researchers to design applications for adaptive and resilient learning environments with minimized acoustical distractions and improved speech intelligibility. The work presented here defines prototypical concepts to inform final full-scale built form, providing scholarly merit applicable to similar spaces and/or functions. This paper presentation continues progress of an active multiphase acoustical research project emphasizing implementation of adaptive interactive acoustical responses in multiuse spaces to transform unhealthy learning environments. Building upon the December 2017 paper presentation, slotted and pocketed thin shell precast systems are being explored as a viable option to decrease excessive reverberation and flutter echo while increasing clarity and speech intelligibility within a multiuse space on campus. The project, launched Spring 2017, is spanning multiple phases and disciplines as faculty and students are analyzing and validating findings in both computer and physical form. Collected data will lead researchers to design applications for adaptive and resilient learning environments with minimized acoustical distractions and improved speech intelligibility. The work presented here defines prototypical concepts to inform final full-scale built form, providing scholarly merit applicable to similar spaces ...

This paper, presented in three parts, describes the role of Threshold Acoustics’ study and corrective treatments to Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, as a seminal project in the firm’s work. Elements of the study of and solutions developed to improve the hall have proven to be repetitive themes in our work, both in the renovation of other halls and in the design of new spaces. This initial paper describes the interactions with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the how the subjective concerns expressed by the orchestra led to unexpected conclusions regarding the overhead canopy and walls at the downstage edge. This portion of the presentation will focus on lessons learned for the interactions between the stage canopy weight, spatial density, and height and how these have informed subsequent design work.This paper, presented in three parts, describes the role of Threshold Acoustics’ study and corrective treatments to Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, as a seminal project in the firm’s work. Elements of the study of and solutions developed to improve the hall have proven to be repetitive themes in our work, both in the renovation of other halls and in the design of new spaces. This initial paper describes the interactions with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the how the subjective concerns expressed by the orchestra led to unexpected conclusions regarding the overhead canopy and walls at the downstage edge. This portion of the presentation will focus on lessons learned for the interactions between the stage canopy weight, spatial density, and height and how these have informed subsequent design work.

Marshall Day Acoustics has now completed and commissioned sixteen performing arts venues in China and has another sixteen in design or in construction. It seems an opportune time to reflect on the latest challenges, technically or otherwise and how we have successfully approached them. Projects have become bigger and more complex, yet clients’ expectations and requirement for certainty in the outcome have increased. The paper will include three recent examples. The 1,500-seat concert hall and 1,000-seat drama theatre of the Jiangsu Grand Theatre both required on-site design to ensure acoustic requirements were met, in time. The 2,000-seat Qingdao Grand Theatre achieved a very low reverberation time suitable for the use of multiple complex sound systems while maintaining the hard finish look desired by the client. This required both careful predictions and laboratory testing. Finally, the 2,040-seat opera house at Shaanxi Grand Theatre that was delivered in less than three years. Atypical materials and simple design principles were implemented to meet the project timeframe. These cases are examples of successful acoustic engineering and what can be achieved when applying first principles and sound science, backed by simulations, testing and experience.Marshall Day Acoustics has now completed and commissioned sixteen performing arts venues in China and has another sixteen in design or in construction. It seems an opportune time to reflect on the latest challenges, technically or otherwise and how we have successfully approached them. Projects have become bigger and more complex, yet clients’ expectations and requirement for certainty in the outcome have increased. The paper will include three recent examples. The 1,500-seat concert hall and 1,000-seat drama theatre of the Jiangsu Grand Theatre both required on-site design to ensure acoustic requirements were met, in time. The 2,000-seat Qingdao Grand Theatre achieved a very low reverberation time suitable for the use of multiple complex sound systems while maintaining the hard finish look desired by the client. This required both careful predictions and laboratory testing. Finally, the 2,040-seat opera house at Shaanxi Grand Theatre that was delivered in less than three years. Atypical materials and sim...

This presentation focuses on some of the many contributions of Murray Hodgson (1952–2017) concerning room-acoustic modeling. The concepts of sound field diffuseness and diffuse reflections have always been of major interest for Murray, his studies associating most of the time numerical modeling and measurements on scale models or real-scale rooms. His most cited paper [JASA 89, 1990] proposes to include diffuse surface reflections in ray-tracing simulations, and is a milestone in room acoustics prediction as most standard room-acoustic prediction softwares now include surface diffusivity. Another extensively cited paper [App. Ac. 49, 1996] discusses the applicability of diffuse field theory according to room shape and to absorption distribution and magnitude. The conclusions of this study are still greatly useful to researchers, students, and practitioners. Another important focus of Murray’s research has been the acoustics of « fitted » rooms (i.e., rooms containing many obstacles such as industrial workrooms, classrooms…), and was the topic of many of his papers. This presentation will review some contributions of Murray on this research topic.

In the third and final part of this multi-part paper, computer modeling will be described as a tool for presentation to client groups (often skilled listeners but not expert acousticians). Over the course of the Verizon Hall project, computer models were used to present visual illustrations that explained the acoustic concerns experienced by the orchestra. Starting with this project, Threshold began to develop computer models as tools to translate acoustic phenomena in ways that clients could understand visually and, over time, aurally. The development of customized computer modeling techniques has further supported communication with non-acousticians, and examples of these techniques will be presented.In the third and final part of this multi-part paper, computer modeling will be described as a tool for presentation to client groups (often skilled listeners but not expert acousticians). Over the course of the Verizon Hall project, computer models were used to present visual illustrations that explained the acoustic concerns experienced by the orchestra. Starting with this project, Threshold began to develop computer models as tools to translate acoustic phenomena in ways that clients could understand visually and, over time, aurally. The development of customized computer modeling techniques has further supported communication with non-acousticians, and examples of these techniques will be presented.

People commonly use words such as “find,” “hold,” “keep,” and “drop” to describe actions related to the musical beat. While such language implies that musical beats exist in an empirically observable, externalized way, musical beats exist only in our perception. This is most clearly evident when people of different cultures perceive different musical beats while listening to the same musical stimuli. At an early age, the ability to discriminate rhythms uncommon to one's surrounding culture declines steeply. However, it has also been shown that rhythmic training may slow or even reverse this decline. This paper explores this process from an ethnographic perspective, observing the way in which American schoolchildren engage with the different temporal dynamics and aesthetics they encounter as they participate in a multicultural music program across several inner-city schools in Southern California.People commonly use words such as “find,” “hold,” “keep,” and “drop” to describe actions related to the musical beat. While such language implies that musical beats exist in an empirically observable, externalized way, musical beats exist only in our perception. This is most clearly evident when people of different cultures perceive different musical beats while listening to the same musical stimuli. At an early age, the ability to discriminate rhythms uncommon to one's surrounding culture declines steeply. However, it has also been shown that rhythmic training may slow or even reverse this decline. This paper explores this process from an ethnographic perspective, observing the way in which American schoolchildren engage with the different temporal dynamics and aesthetics they encounter as they participate in a multicultural music program across several inner-city schools in Southern California.

Bilingual speakers are typically unbalanced in their vocabularies in each language, with each language’s lexicon being representative of the experiences and domains in which the bilingual uses that language. This can create a challenge in creating word lists for speech experiments, as the frequency counts from publicly available corpora do not represent the appropriate vocabulary domains. In this paper, we report on a word familiarity rating task in Cantonese and English that was designed to pretest stimuli in both languages to confirm the items were matched in familiarity for use in subsequent speech tasks. Participants fell into four different groups: Cantonese-English bilinguals who grew up in a Cantonese-dominant location, Cantonese-English bilinguals who grew up in an English-dominant location, North American English speakers with no Chinese language experience, and international English speakers with no Chinese language experience. All listeners were presented with blocks of Cantonese words/nonwords and English words/nonwords and were asked to rate the familiarity of each item. We compare these ratings across participant groups and in relation to corpora for each language to assess how the listener groups perform. We discuss these results in the context of designing stimuli lists that are appropriate for diverse, multilingual populations.Bilingual speakers are typically unbalanced in their vocabularies in each language, with each language’s lexicon being representative of the experiences and domains in which the bilingual uses that language. This can create a challenge in creating word lists for speech experiments, as the frequency counts from publicly available corpora do not represent the appropriate vocabulary domains. In this paper, we report on a word familiarity rating task in Cantonese and English that was designed to pretest stimuli in both languages to confirm the items were matched in familiarity for use in subsequent speech tasks. Participants fell into four different groups: Cantonese-English bilinguals who grew up in a Cantonese-dominant location, Cantonese-English bilinguals who grew up in an English-dominant location, North American English speakers with no Chinese language experience, and international English speakers with no Chinese language experience. All listeners were presented with blocks of Cantonese words/nonwords...

In this paper, accuracy for emotion recognition using low- level acoustic features is investigated. The aim of any speech emotion recognition system is to extract acoustic features that are representative of the emotional state of the speaker. Frequency formants, intensity, and pitch are the low-level features proposed for characterizing four different emotions, anger, happy, sadness, and neutral, using acoustic data. Low- level features describe the acoustic, prosodic, and spectral properties of the speech signal and limit the complexity of emotion recognition systems. An algorithm is designed for characterizing each emotion using the acoustic features. It has been proven that various aspects of a speaker’s physical and emotional state can be identified by speech alone. However, the accuracy of such analyses has not been optimized due to acoustic variabilities such as length and complexity of human speech utterance, gender, speaking styles and speech rate. It has also been found that speaker-dependent systems are more accurate in emotion recognition than that of speaker-independent systems. Since speech emotion recognition is relatively a newer field, the set of most powerful features which can distinguish different emotions is not defined; hence, examining the accuracy of emotion recognition using selected acoustical features is an important task.In this paper, accuracy for emotion recognition using low- level acoustic features is investigated. The aim of any speech emotion recognition system is to extract acoustic features that are representative of the emotional state of the speaker. Frequency formants, intensity, and pitch are the low-level features proposed for characterizing four different emotions, anger, happy, sadness, and neutral, using acoustic data. Low- level features describe the acoustic, prosodic, and spectral properties of the speech signal and limit the complexity of emotion recognition systems. An algorithm is designed for characterizing each emotion using the acoustic features. It has been proven that various aspects of a speaker’s physical and emotional state can be identified by speech alone. However, the accuracy of such analyses has not been optimized due to acoustic variabilities such as length and complexity of human speech utterance, gender, speaking styles and speech rate. It has also been found that speaker-dependent sy...

Transitional spaces, such as lobbies or atria, are largely forgotten spaces regarding room acoustics. These transitional spaces are widely used for presentations, meetings, and parties/gatherings. Lobbies and atria are often connected to hallways and adjacent office clusters, where sound can propagate to areas far away from the source. With the ever-increasing need for transitional spaces to also act as gathering spaces, it is important to begin a discussion of acoustical standards in transitional spaces. This paper discusses two case studies conducted by D.L. Adams Associates: (1) An atrium with a kitchen and dining area used for parties, gatherings, meetings, and throughout the day by employees; (2) an atrium with a commercial-grade kitchen at the center used for meetings, lunchtime, gatherings, and special events. This paper includes discussions of noise propagation, noise build up, reverberation time, and absorptive treatments within transitional spaces and how to make the spaces work acoustically, wh...

The sonic environment which both teachers and students are provided in a classroom is important for effective communication during the learning process. How to design and optimize for a classroom requires a study of its soundscape including the feedback of potential users on their perception of the sonic environment. This paper presents how virtual technology is used to characterize the classroom soundscape and how it is related to the reality.The sonic environment which both teachers and students are provided in a classroom is important for effective communication during the learning process. How to design and optimize for a classroom requires a study of its soundscape including the feedback of potential users on their perception of the sonic environment. This paper presents how virtual technology is used to characterize the classroom soundscape and how it is related to the reality.

This paper presents a novel method to unwrap phase ambiguity and an expert system to select the direct sound from several reflecting pulses in an USBL positioning system. Generally, in the crossed-shaped USBL array, unwrapping ambiguity in the long edge is based on the absence of ambiguity in the short edge, where the array spacing is less than half-wavelength. However, if the positioning system works at a high frequency, which results in the short-edge phase ambiguity, the classical method to unwrap long-edge ambiguity will fail. This paper proposes a sector searching method for this scenario. It utilizes all combinations of two edges to solve all possible target orientations, and takes the mode as the final result. Additionally, hydrophones receive multi-path reflections besides the direct sound in practical application. The expert system is particularly used for selecting the direct sound correctly, which seriously effects the positioning precision. It contains series of criteria to evaluate the quality of each pulse and considers the pulse with the best quality as the direct sound. Simulation and field experiment results prove that the proposed methods are feasible and can achieve good accuracy. Keywords: USBL; phase ambiguity; expert system; and direct sound.

Media reports in the United States and the United Kingdom have reported increasingly high sound levels in restaurants and bars over the past ten years, but accurate sound measurements are lacking. The Zagat survey found noise to be the second most common complaint among diners, barely behind poor service. This paper presents sound level measurements from more than 2250 restaurants and bars in New York City, using the novel SoundPrint smartphone app. The average sound level was found to be 78 dBA in restaurants and 81 dBA in bars. These sound levels do not allow ready conversation and pose a auditory health danger for noise-induced hearing loss and other non-auditory health issues. The reported sound levels by venue managers generally underestimated actual sound levels. Of interest are the findings that venues in certain neighborhoods and also of certain types of cuisine tend to be louder or quieter than others. The sound level values measured by the SoundPrint app have been tested against class 1 sound level meters and found to be reasonably close (within 1–2 dB). This report is a proof-of-concept study of crowd-sourced sound measurements, which can provide valuable data for the general public and health officials.Media reports in the United States and the United Kingdom have reported increasingly high sound levels in restaurants and bars over the past ten years, but accurate sound measurements are lacking. The Zagat survey found noise to be the second most common complaint among diners, barely behind poor service. This paper presents sound level measurements from more than 2250 restaurants and bars in New York City, using the novel SoundPrint smartphone app. The average sound level was found to be 78 dBA in restaurants and 81 dBA in bars. These sound levels do not allow ready conversation and pose a auditory health danger for noise-induced hearing loss and other non-auditory health issues. The reported sound levels by venue managers generally underestimated actual sound levels. Of interest are the findings that venues in certain neighborhoods and also of certain types of cuisine tend to be louder or quieter than others. The sound level values measured by the SoundPrint app have been tested against class 1 sound le...