Investigation of performance of acoustic arrays for equalization in a reverberant environment

This paper considers the performance of multichannel sound equalization in reverberant environments. Such a system could be used, for example, in hands-free communication devices or virtual audio systems. Using results from statistical room acoustics, we derive a theoretical expression that predicts the degradation in performance of an ideal equalization system as the sound source moves from its nominal position. This provides bounds on the performance that one could expect to achieve when using an equalization system in an actual room. We then use computer simulations to investigate the effect of physical parameters such as the relative positions of the source and the receivers, as well as effects of different design parameters. Based on these investigations, we provide design guidelines on how to maximize the robustness of a multichannel acoustic equalization system.