Modeling a system for musical auralization using Wave Field Synthesis

Seeking the practical application of the theory of Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) in music, a research aimed at modeling a sound system capable of creating spatial sound images with the use of this technique was made. Unlike most other techniques for sound projection that work with a small, localized listening area, WFS allows projecting the sounds of each sound source - such as musical instruments and voices - at different points within the hearing space, in a region that can cover almost the entire area comprised by this space, depending on the amount of installed speakers. The development of a modular structured code for WFS was based on the patch-oriented platform Pure Data (Pd), and on the AUDIENCE auralization system developed at USP, and it is integrable as a tool for interactive sound spatialization. The solution employs dynamic patches and a modular architecture, allowing code flexibility and maintainability, with advantages compared to other existing software, particularly in the installation, operation and to handle a large number of sound sources and speakers. For this system special speakers with features that facilitate its use in musical applications were also developed. (AU)