R&D Stories: How Virtual Product Development Improves the Quality of Consumer and Pro Audio Products

This article addresses how modern methods of acoustical virtual product development make it possible to assess and optimize quality and performance problems throughout the entire product development process. Using a combination of modeling, simulation, and measurement tools, everything can be analyzed in-depth before building the physical product, the two authors explain. This article was originally published in audioXpress, September 2020.

Danish company Odeon A/S, the pioneer of ray tracing and hybrid models that combine particle and ray tracing used to simulate and measure room acoustics, announced a new version of its ODEON Room Acoustics software. Introducing several important enhancements and new features the new version 16 is now available in four different application editions. Improved Reflectogram and 3D reflection-paths, improved Decay Curve, improved sweep-measurement tool, 3D Matrix, and support of ambisonic measurements are among the highlights.

Mvoid Technologies GmbH, the German company specializing in virtual audio product development, has released the latest Mvoid Methodology version 2.3. Mvoid Acoustical Virtual Product Development methods use a combination of physical and acoustical modeling, simulation and measurement software, combined with virtual reality and 3D visualization and binaural auralization tools for Automotive, and Professional Audio applications.

The Waves Maxx suite of audio and voice modules with Waves Nx 3D audio already enhances the sound experience on millions of laptops, tablets, smartphones, smart speakers, headphones, and is available on SoCs from the world's foremost chip makers. Now, with the new Waves Nx Speakers audio technology, any music, movie, or game expands into 3D, delivering a 3D audio experience on laptops, tablets, 2-in-1s, and more without subwoofers or special formats.

The October 2019 edition of audioXpress closely reflects the highly diverse and exciting areas of innovation in the audio industry. There’s a Market Update on Audio Installation, one of the highest growth and most innovative segments in the audio industry, and our report of the 2019 Midwest Audiofest Speaker Design Competition, followed by a review of Bob Cordell’s 2nd Edition book on Designing Audio Power Amplifiers, and an important insight on modern Class-D amplification. We also review the DPA d:vice MMA-A Digital Audio Interface, explain the potential of true 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) audio experiences, how Auralization allows building virtual acoustic models, and so much more!

From March to August 2014, in its Sound Control column dedicated to acoustics, Richard Honeycutt reviewed and wrote a series of articles on the evolution of predictive acoustics and acoustical modeling software, including a review of some of the available tools. This fourth article in the series discusses Enhanced Acoustic Simulator for Engineers (EASE), an engineering design and analysis software for optimizing acoustics. This article was originally published in audioXpress, June 2014.

From March to August 2014, in its Sound Control column dedicated to acoustics, Richard Honeycutt reviewed and wrote a series of articles on the evolution of predictive acoustics and acoustical modeling software, including a review of some of the available tools. This third article in the series discusses CATT-Acoustic, a software for room acoustics prediction, auralization, studio stereo, and surround reverberation, and one of the leading modeling programs for architectural acoustics. This article was originally published in audioXpress, May 2014.

From March to August 2014, in its Sound Control column dedicated to acoustics, Richard Honeycutt reviewed and wrote a series of articles on the evolution of predictive acoustics and acoustical modeling software, including a review of some of the available tools. This second article in the series focused on one of those available tools: Bose Modeler. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2014.

From March to August 2014, in his Sound Control column dedicated to acoustics, Richard Honeycutt reviewed and wrote a series of articles on the evolution of predictive acoustics and acoustical modeling software, including a review of some of the available tools. This first article in the series revisits Sabine’s reverberation time equation, all the way to the use of impulse responses and ray-tracing and convolution auralization techniques using modern computers. This article was originally published in audioXpress, March 2014.