Fundamentals of Communication Acoustics

Dr. Michael Vorländer has served as Professor and Director of the Institute for Hearing Technology and Acoustics at RWTH Aachen University since 1996. After completing his doctorate in Aachen in 1989 with research on room acoustical computer simulation, he has made significant contributions to various fields of acoustics, including psychoacoustics, electro-acoustics, and architectural acoustics. His research focuses on auralization and acoustic virtual reality, with applications in psychoacoustics, room and building acoustics, automotive, and environmental noise control. He has held prestigious positions as President of both the European Acoustics Association and the International Commission for Acoustics. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to acoustics research, he was awarded the Rayleigh Medal from the Institute of Acoustics in 2021. Under his leadership, the institute has expanded its focus on hearing research and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Dr. Gerhard Müller serves as Professor and Head of the Chair of Structural Mechanics at Technical University Munich, while also holding the position of Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs since 2014. After completing his doctorate in 1989 and habilitation in 1993 at TUM, he spent twelve years leading an engineering company specializing in sound, vibration, and air pollution control. His research focuses on structural dynamics and vibroacoustics, particularly wave propagation, room and building acoustics, and numerical simulation of vibroacoustic problems in civil and mechanical engineering. As former President of the European Association for Structural Dynamics and Chairman of the Education Committee in the Bavarian Chamber of Engineers, he has significantly influenced the field of structural dynamics. His work combines theoretical approaches with practical applications, making him a respected figure in both academic and professional engineering circles.

Dr. Jens Ahrens serves as Associate Professor of Audio Technology at Chalmers University of Technology, leading the Audio Technology research group in the Division of Applied Acoustics. His expertise centers on spatial sound presentation and capture using loudspeaker and microphone arrays, with particular focus on sound field synthesis and auralization. After receiving his doctorate from TU Berlin in 2010, he gained valuable experience at Microsoft Research, Stanford University's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics, and TU Berlin before joining Chalmers in 2016. He has authored numerous influential publications, including "Analytic Methods of Sound Field Synthesis" and groundbreaking work on wave field synthesis theory. His current research includes projects on auralization of simulated sound fields, 3D audio capture, and the development of the SoundScape Renderer. He teaches various courses in the Sound and Vibration program at Chalmers while serving as an associate editor for several prestigious IEEE journals in audio and signal processing.

Professor Dr.-Ing. Bernhard U. Seeber is a distinguished expert in audio signal processing and hearing research at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Born in 1973, he combines experimental and theoretical approaches to investigate sound processing in the human ear, applying these insights to improve hearing aids and audio systems. His academic journey includes both his first degree and doctorate in electrical engineering from TUM, completed with highest honors (summa cum laude) in 2003. His career path includes significant positions at the University of California at Berkeley (2003-2006) and the MRC Institute of Hearing Research in Nottingham (2007-2012), where he led groundbreaking research on directional hearing and sound perception in complex environments. Since joining TUM in 2012, he has focused on signal processing for hearing aids and cochlear implants, binaural psychoacoustics, and virtual acoustical reality. His excellence in the field has been recognized through numerous awards, including the Lothar Cremer Award from the German Acoustical Society and an Emmy Noether Fellowship from DFG. Currently, he teaches core courses including Audio Communication, where he covers comprehensive topics from acoustic fundamentals to advanced psychoacoustics.

Professor Dr.-Ing. Janina Fels is a distinguished researcher in hearing technology and acoustics, serving as the director of the Chair and Institute for Hearing Technology and Acoustics at RWTH Aachen University since 2020. Her academic journey began at RWTH Aachen, where she earned her diploma in Electrical Engineering with a focus on Communications Engineering in 2002, followed by a PhD completed with highest honors (summa cum laude) in 2008. Her career progression includes valuable experience as a post-doctoral researcher at the Technical University of Denmark and Widex, followed by roles as Senior Engineer and Assistant Professor at RWTH Aachen. As coordinator of the DFG priority program AUDICTIVE, she leads groundbreaking research in auditory cognition in interactive virtual environments. Her innovative work spans classroom acoustics, binaural technology, spatial audio, and psychoacoustics, with particular emphasis on understanding sound perception in complex acoustic environments. Her expertise has been recognized through membership in prestigious organizations, including the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and her role as DFG Review Board member for Acoustics. Currently, she leads cutting-edge research in virtual reality applications for acoustic testing and the development of advanced technical systems for realistic hearing experiments