Academic Knowledge Archive

Acoustic Science & Audio Engineering Publications

Explore our comprehensive library of technical monographs, room acoustic design guides, and digital signal processing whitepapers published by the CONTORTED DA research team in Bergen.

Room acoustic optimization and bass traps

Room Acoustics • Paper #NO-2026-01

Principles of Small-Room Acoustic Optimization: Low-Frequency Resonance Control

In rectangular rooms with volumes below 100 m³, room modes dictate low-frequency response unevenness. This monograph compares velocity-based porous broadband absorbers with pressure-based tuned membrane traps, demonstrating that tuned diaphragmatic resonators placed at high-pressure corners achieve up to 300% greater absorption efficiency below 80 Hz.

Key Topics: Sabine vs Eyring • Helmholtz Resonators • Axial Mode Damping

Henrik Dahl
Lead Acoustic Physicist, CONTORTED DA

Spatial audio mixing and psychoacoustics

Psychoacoustics • Paper #NO-2026-02

Psychoacoustics of Binaural Sound and Spatial Immersion in Modern Audio Media

Spatial audio perception relies heavily on Interaural Time Differences (ITD) for frequencies below 1.5 kHz and Interaural Level Differences (ILD) for higher octaves. We investigate how individualized Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTF) eliminate front-back confusion and elevation ambiguity in headphone-rendered spatial audio environments.

Key Topics: HRTF Interpolation • Duplex Theory • Ambisonic B-Format

Eirik Solberg
Senior Audio Systems Architect, CONTORTED DA

Audio Engineering • Paper #NO-2026-03

Analog-to-Digital Mastering Chains: Harmonic Preservation in Archival Audio

Digitizing legacy multi-track analog magnetic tape requires strict attention to bias frequency remnants, head azimuth phase alignment, and transformer core saturation dynamics. This paper provides laboratory benchmarks comparing sigma-delta and multibit ladder quantization schemes during 24-bit/192 kHz archival captures.

Key Topics: Tape Hysteresis • Clock Jitter Phase Noise • Harmonic Distribution

Dr. Astrid Lind
Signal Processing Fellow, CONTORTED DA

Room Acoustics • Paper #NO-2026-04

Architectural Soundproofing: Wall Mass and Decoupling Systems for Studios

Achieving Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings above 65 in commercial studio design requires understanding the Mass-Air-Mass resonance frequency ($f_0$). This technical guide examines staggered-stud versus double-stud assemblies, damping compounds, and resilient channel failure points under heavy structural loads.

Key Topics: STC Benchmarks • Flanking Transmission • Damped Viscoelastic Polymers

Henrik Dahl
Lead Acoustic Physicist, CONTORTED DA

Broadcast loudness meters and LUFS analysis

Broadcasting Standards • Paper #NO-2026-05

Dynamic Range and Loudness Standards: The Evolution of LUFS in Broadcasting

The transition from peak-normalization to integrated loudness normalization (EBU R128 / ITU-R BS.1770) fundamentally altered the mastering landscape. We review K-weighting filter curves, Loudness Range (LRA) metrics, and inter-sample True-Peak overshoot prevention in modern digital distribution codecs.

Key Topics: EBU R128 (-23 LUFS) • Streaming Targets (-14 LUFS) • True-Peak Limiting

Eirik Solberg
Senior Audio Systems Architect, CONTORTED DA

Microphone polar patterns and phase acoustics

Audio Engineering • Paper #NO-2026-06

Microphone Polar Patterns and Room Reflections in Field Recordings

Field recording in reverberant Nordic architectural spaces requires a quantitative assessment of pressure versus pressure-gradient capsules. This monograph outlines mathematical phase cancellation models (comb filtering) resulting from boundary reflections and provides stereo pair geometry configurations (ORTF, Blumlein, MS).

Key Topics: Proximity Effect Physics • Polar Pattern Bleed • Time-of-Flight Offset

Dr. Astrid Lind
Signal Processing Fellow, CONTORTED DA