Spatial audio is employed more and more often in large-scale live music events. In events of this kind, loudspeakers can be widely spaced apart, which may result in large time differences of arrival between certain sources. These timing differences may in turn affect the perceived rhythmic quality of music, or groove, as the synchronization between instruments is modified. This paper presents the results of a perceptual experiment that investigated how different factors, such as the nature of the instrument or the musical genre, impact the perceived groove modification resulting from sound propagation time differences. The results indicate that different instruments can show more or less sensitivity to time shifts, even in the same musical excerpt. Based on these findings, we derive mixing and sound system design guidelines that aim at preserving an optimal musical quality for the majority of the audience.
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https://aes2.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=22367
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