Preliminary results of scattering surface modeling and perceptual aspects in wave-based acoustic simulations

The level of detail of a simulated model as well as the assignment of the materials acoustic properties have been largely debated and optimal guidelines have been determined based on the approximations of the scattering algorithm of the simulation tools. These aspects are of great importance when investigating the differences between geometrical-acoustic (GA) based and wave-based methods. To this aim the present study refers to objective and subjective evaluations of wave-based simulations (finite difference time domain method) in a shoebox concert hall, which has been previously studied through GA-based methods. Three models, that consider 1) reflective, 2) low scattering, and 3) high scattering conditions of one of the long lateral walls, have been simulated in order to determine the conventional acoustic parameters such as early decay time (EDT), reverberation time (T30), clarity (C80), definition (D50). GA-based and wave-based simulation results have been compared to measured data. Furthermore, a preliminary subjective investigation has been performed in order to determine the sensitivity of listeners to the surface diffusivity variations in different listening positions.