AES Draws World R&D Community for Sound Field Control Conference

Registration is now open for the first Audio Engineering Society (AES) international conference on sound field control, slated to take place at the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, September 2-4, 2013. Held within a short distance of London's major international airports, this conference aims to bring together engineers and perceptual scientists from around the world to share their research in this fast-moving field, and to discuss the numerous interactions between acoustics, signal processing, psychoacoustics, and auditory cognition.

Inviting the world R&D community to attend the conference, chair Francis Rumsey said, "This is an unmissable event for anyone involved in the active control of sound fields, whether as a researcher, developer, or practitioner. This is going to be a major theme of audio product development and design over the next ten years, and the personalization or customization of sound fields using audio technology is becoming a really big deal. We've accepted over 40 contributions, including a number of invited presentations from the leading minds on beam forming, arrays, sound zones, spatial issues, perception, and signal processing, and there'll be some fascinating workshops and demos for people to experience the issues first-hand."

Three keynote lectures from leading experts go hand-in-hand with live demonstrations and workshops on the interface between perception and engineering in this fast-moving research field. Keynotes include professor Steve Elliott of the ISVR in Southampton, UK, who will give an introductory tutorial on "Active Control of Sound Fields;" professor Armin Kohlrausch of Philips Group Innovation and Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands, on "Evaluation of Spatial Sound Fields -- How Far Can We get with Perceptual Models?"; and Dr. Frank Melchior, head of audio research, BBC, UK, to discuss "Creative Sound Field Control."

Sound field control enables the active management of audio delivered in an acoustical environment. Sophisticated signal processing and reproduction tools increasingly enable the engineer to tailor the sound field for specific applications, occupancy, or listeners' requirements. This can include the creation of independent sound zones in listening spaces, the active control of noise, personal communication systems, the electroacoustic manipulation of auditorium acoustics, and the generation of complex spatial sound fields using multi-channel audio systems.

View the preliminary program at the URL below and make your travel plans now to visit the UK in early September. Low-cost accommodations have been arranged in high-quality ensuite university rooms for conference delegates. Find out more and register for the event at the conference website below.