ABSTRACT
Immersion refers acoustically to sounds as coming from all directions around a listener, which normally is an inevitable consequence of natural human listening in an air medium. Although acoustically a sound can reach a listener from multiple surrounding directions, its spatial characteristics may be judged as unrealistic, static or constrained. Spatial audio techniques, particularly three-dimensional (3D) audio, can provide an immersive experience because virtual sound sources and sound reflections can be made to appear from anywhere in space around a listener. This chapter introduces a listener to the physiological, psychoacoustic and acoustic bases of these sensations. It presents an overview of the role of auditory processes and psychoacoustic data relevant to the execution of successful spatial audio techniques for providing listeners with many types of immersive experiences. The chapter explains different challenges to different fields of expertise and practice, including the audio engineer, sound designer and digital signal processing effects designer.
