Using Boundary Element-Based Near-field Acoustic Holography to Predict the Source Pressures and Sound Field of an Acoustic Guitar

(Near-field Acoustic Holography, Audio Production, Guitar) In recording studios, the placement of microphones to record an acoustic guitar is very much subjected to trial and error and audio engineer preference. In order to make more informed microphone placement decisions, Near-field Acoustic Holography is used to study the sound pressures of the guitar. This technique involves solving the integral formulation of the Helmholtz equation over the surface of the guitar. By measuring the acoustic pressures surrounding the guitar, an inverse problem can be solved to derive the pressures on the surface of the guitar. Then, the surface pressures are used to study the pressure propagations in the far-field. Using the superposition of waves principle, chords played on the guitar can be studied by summing the pressure waves of the three notes that make a chord. Studying the wave fields are then used to either validate current microphone techniques, or require new microphone placements and patterns. THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES USING BOUNDARY ELEMENT-BASED NEAR-FIELD ACOUSTIC HOLOGRAPHY TO PREDICT THE SOURCE PRESSURES AND SOUND FIELD OF AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR