Binaural room impulse response database acquired from a variable acoustics classroom

Abstract

Room measurements were conducted in a variable acoustics classroom mockup space (epod) at Armstrong World Industries in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. Binaural room impulse responses were measured in the epod using a head and torso simulator. Five reverberation time (RT) scenarios were achieved with various combinations of absorptive wall panels and acoustical ceiling tile. These provided a range of mid-frequency RTs from 0.4 to 1.1 seconds. Three of the five RT scenarios were achieved using two different material configurations to also consider material location effects. For each of the eight material configurations, two student-teacher orientations were tested. One orientation had all desks facing the front of the room across the long dimension of the space, while the other had all furniture facing the front of the room along the short dimension of the space. Binaural impulse responses were measured at nine student positions in the longitudinal orientation and ten student positions in the transverse orientation, both using two teacher positions. This database of 252 binaural impulse responses from a variable acoustics classroom provides realistic test cases rather than simulations. These are being used for acoustic investigations on various topics including effects of classroom furniture orientation or acoustic material arrangements. © 2013 Acoustical Society of America.