Capture Method

This sets out the methodology used to capture a venue's acoustic identity and reproduce it inside a VR walkthrough. Every venue is processed through the same thirteen-stage pipeline, using a fixed equipment specification and a documented field procedure, so that results are consistent and comparable across all 22 venues in the project.

The Process

01Equipment Setup
02Venue Documentation
03Spatial Mapping
04Measurement Grid
05System Placement
06Calibration
07Impulse Response Capture
08Validation
09Multiple Venue States
10Dataset Assembly
11Data Preservation
12Digital Acoustic Twin
13VR Implementation

The Pipeline

Real Venue
↓
3D Scan / Digital Model
↓
Acoustic Measurement
↓
Multiple Spatial Impulse Responses
↓
Acoustic Dataset with XYZ Coordinates
↓
Unreal Engine Virtual Venue
↓
Virtual Sound Sources & Speakers
↓
Position-Dependent Spatial Reverb
↓
User Moves Through the VR Venue
↓
Acoustic Character Changes with Position

Equipment Specification

Measurement Microphone

An individually calibrated omnidirectional measurement microphone is used for every capture. Calibration is essential: it corrects for the microphone's own frequency response, ensuring the impulse response reflects the room, not the equipment.

Measurement Loudspeaker: Dodecahedron

A dodecahedron loudspeaker is used as the sound source. Its twelve-faced design produces sound in all directions equally — the industry standard for room acoustic measurement. A conventional speaker projects sound in one direction and biases the resulting measurement, while the dodecahedron's omnidirectional output ensures the impulse response captures the room's true acoustic behaviour rather than the character of the source. This is the same equipment specification used in professional room acoustics and sound insulation testing.

Audio Interface

A low-noise, 24-bit/96kHz audio interface with phantom power is used, providing sufficient resolution and dynamic range to capture a full reverberation decay without introducing electronic noise into the measurement.

Measurement Software

REW (Room EQ Wizard) is used to generate the logarithmic sine sweep, extract each impulse response, and calculate RT60, EDT, and ETC values directly from the captured decay.

Supporting Equipment

An acoustic calibrator, laser distance meter, microphone and speaker stands, XLR cabling, and a camera for photographic documentation complete the standard kit taken to every venue.

Data Integrity

Every measurement is logged against its source, receiver, and take number, with XYZ coordinates and distance recorded for both source and microphone. Raw audio is preserved untouched in a dedicated project folder structure, separate from processed files. Every venue's complete dataset is verified on site and backed up twice before the team leaves.