Spatial Localization of Digital Sound in Scientific Experiment and Practice

Abstract

Localization of sound in space is an important component of auditory perception, which is involved in the selection of various sound streams, the perception of speech in noise, and the organization of auditory images. Research over the past century has shown that sound localization is achieved through: differences in the intensity and time delay of sound waves arriving at different ears; spectral distortions arising from the anatomical features of the structure of the auricles, head, torso; dynamic cues (listener head movements), etc. However, some scientific and methodological issues (primarily related to the perception of natural sounds and the ecological validity of studies) have not been resolved. The development of digital audio techniques also leads to the emergence of new areas of research, including the processing of sound for the transmission of spatial information in headphones (which is solved using the head related transfer function — HRTF) and the creation of auditory interfaces. The tasks facing researchers in these areas are to improve the perception of spatial information (by manipulating the characteristics of the sound, prompts or training) and the creation of such sound events that can be perceived as object-related, i.e., inextricably linked with the purpose of the operator's activity. The methodology of the perceived quality of events, which makes it possible to distinguish which properties of the auditory image become the most important in human activity and which physical properties of the event they correspond to, can help in solving the tasks set and increasing the ecological validity of research.