Sound design in virtual reality concert experiences using a wave field synthesis approach

In this paper we propose an experiment that evaluates the influence of audience noise on the feeling of presence and the perceived quality in a virtual reality concert experience delivered using Wave Field Synthesis. A 360 degree video of a live rock concert from a local band was recorded. Single sound sources from the stage and the PA system were recorded, as well as the audience noise, and impulse responses of the concert venue. The audience noise was implemented in the production phase. A comparative study compared an experience with and without audience noise. In a between subject experiment with 30 participants we found that audience noise does not have a significant impact on presence. However, qualitative evaluations show that the naturalness of the sonic experience delivered through wavefield synthesis had a positive impact on the participants.