An omni-directional sound source for impulse response measurements and auralization

The measurement of impulse responses is a common practice to study the acoustic properties of theatres, since by this technique most of the roomacoustical parameters can be easily obtained. Moreover in the auralization process, the IR is an essential data. The current standard for acoustical measurements in performance spaces (ISO 3382-1) indicates that the sound source used in situ shall be as omnidirectional as possible, and the allowed band deviations are reported. The commercial dodecahedric sources can fulfil these limits thanks to the use of twelve radiating membranes. On the other hand they seem not the best solution to simulate an ideal point source, especially for auralization purposes this can be a disadvantage. This work presents the experimental development of a new sound source designed especially for measuring impulse responses in reverberant rooms, like opera, concert halls or worship spaces. The new source minimizes the radiating membranes though keeping suitable direct...