Building a real-time convolution system for assessing vocal health of teachers

Due to prevalent vocal health issues in teachers, the acoustics of K-12 classrooms has become a common topic of study in acoustics. One way to understand the impact of a classroom’s acoustics on speech is through real-time convolution of speech with a binaural room impulse response (BRIR). This is done by having a talker seated in an anechoic chamber and their vocal effort can be assessed while using the real-time convolution system to simulate the acoustics of a variety of classroom conditions. Keeping the talker in one physical space provides more control over the testing environment. A system that can successfully execute convolution in real-time requires parameters to be fine-tuned, an optimized algorithm, and appropriate hardware. Current efforts and lessons learned during the development of this system are shared. Goals for a finished real-time convolution system include specific testing to determine the effects of background noise and reverberation on a teacher’s vocal effort.