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Springer Handbook of Systematic Musicology pp 329–347Cite as

Wave Field Synthesis

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Abstract

Wave field synthesis enables acoustic control in a listening area by systematic regulation of loudspeaker signals on its boundary. This chapter starts with an overview including the history of wave field synthesis and some exemplary installations. Next, the theoretic fundamentals of wave field synthesis are detailed. Technical implementations demand drastic simplifications of the theoretical core, which come along with restrictions of the acoustic control as well as with synthesis errors. Simplifications, resulting synthesis errors as well as the working principles of compensation methods and their effects on the wave field are extensively discussed. Finally, the current state of research and development is addressed.

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Abbreviations

3-D:

three-dimensional

DirAC:

directional audio coding

HOA:

higher-order ambisonics

K–H:

Kirchhoff–Helmholtz

MAP:

multiactuator panel

OPSI:

optimized phantom source imaging

PA:

public address

SFS:

sound field synthesis

WFS:

wave field synthesis

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  1. Institute of Systematic Musicology, University of Hamburg, Neue Rabenstr. 13, 20354, Hamburg, Germany

    Tim Ziemer

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  1. Institute of Systematic Musicology, University of Hamburg, Neue Rabenstr. 13, 20354, Hamburg, Germany

    Rolf Bader

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Ziemer, T. (2018). Wave Field Synthesis. In: Bader, R. (eds) Springer Handbook of Systematic Musicology. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-55004-5_18

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