An analysis of spatial impulse response measurements and their ability to validate spatial features within acoustic models

Conventional impulse response measurements are commonly used to validate omnidirectional metrics within ODEON models. ODEON models can also provide further analysis of the spatial properties of the space. However, the spatial properties of a model cannot be validated using exclusively conventional measuring techniques. Instead, spatial impulse response measurements must be performed to properly validate the spatial components of an ODEON model. Conventional impulse and spatial impulse response measurements performed at the Recital Hall in the Strauss Performing Arts Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha were used to create and validate acoustic metrics of an ODEON model of the same space. These spatial impulse response measurements contained visualizations of directional energy over time to assess reflections. ODEON produces several graphics comparable to those produced by the measurements. Across both visualization results, early reflections are nearly identical. However, at late energy reflections, larger discrepancies arise. This is likely due to either ODEON, the spatial measurement processing software, or the ambisonics microphone used to capture the spatial measurements. The accuracy of early energy data across both methods allows spatial impulse response measurements to be used in acoustic design, as a method of validating acoustic models or examining changes in real-world reflections.