DESC 9115, 2014, LAB REPORT 2

SCHROEDER BASED REVERBERATOR WITH SIMULATED STEREO AMBIENCE

Marc D. Cruz (430566248)

Digital Audio Systems, DESC 9115, Semester 1 2014

Graduate Program in Audio and Acoustics
Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, The University of Sydney

Introduction

The proposed effect is a digital reverberator for mono input signals, and a stereo

ambience simulator at its outputs. Aimed at musicians and sound designers, the effect uses a

digital algorithm originally proposed by Manfred Schroeder in 1961. The effect is a response to

a market saturated with refined reverbs, and harkens back to the days of raw digital reverbs. The

purpose of this effect is not to create a conventional reverb, but rather use the imperfections that

stem from the Schroeder algorithm, and create original spatial soundscapes, that have a place in

the world of Sound Design. This report focuses on understanding the origins of the effect and

its implementation using the Max-Msp digital programming language.

Design

Schroeders initial design was composed of four parallel connected comb-filters and two

series connected all-pass filters. The basic idea was for the comb-filters to simulate the

reflections that occur between the walls within a concert hall. However, because the filters alone

lack a sufficient buildup of echoes needed for realistic diffuse reflections, they were fed into two

allpass filters which rectified the issue. According to todays standards, Schroeder's reverb is

considered poor in accuracy and rough sonically, often dubbed the lost reverberator, however,
 Fig 1. MaxMSP Reverberator Network

its design has recently come into a resurgence, not for its accuracy, but for its spatial identity.

While the reverberator is not accurate, when manipulated properly and coupled with additional

effects, it proves to be a very versatile sound design tool.

Figure 1 shows the reverberator network of the system. Within this effect there are eight

comb-filters with varying time delays ranging from 17.3 to 35. 9 ms. These comb-filters, upon

receiving their initial input signals, are subsequently summed together and fed into four allpass

filters, also with varying time delays (ranging from 3 to 11 ms).

Presentation Mode

Upon opening the patch in Presentation Mode, the user is greeted with a simple graphical

user interface (GUI), to operate the effect. The GUI is composed of an Open File button, which
opens up a dialog box that allows the user to fill the effects buffer with an audio file of their

choosing. In this demonstration the supplied audio file Gtr_Input_Dry.wav would be imported

this way. In addition there are four playback buttons that give the user a choice between playing

the audio file once or looping the file for realtime reverberation configuring. The LED light to

the right of the playback buttons turn on whenever the loop function is toggled. Above this area

are two slider controls that manipulate the feedback depth and the Wet, Dry balance of the

generated reverberation. At the bottom of the GUI, a simulated stereo ambience can be toggled

by pressing the Stereo Amb On/Off Button, which is also paired with a helpful LED light, to

alert the user when it is in effect. The On/Off switch beside it, performs a necessary reset of the

effect for transferring between both Mono and Simulated Stereo modes. Lastly, there are volume

controls, paired with LED metering to aid users in monitoring input levels.

FIG 2.
Patch Mode

There are five basic sections within the patch, four of which are derived from the three

inputs and one output of the my_monoverb sub-patch where the main reverberator is found.

The sub-patch shows a Max/Msp circuit representation of the reverberator network composed of

the eight comb-filters and four allpass filters. Figure 2 shows that each comb-filter fulfils the

Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) equation y(n) = (0.5*x[n]) +/-(0.5* y[n-1]), where x(n) is equal

to the current input and y(n-1) is equal to signal leaving the delay network and entering the

summing amp object +~.' This particular IIR comb-filter has a fixed frequency response, which

was created by adding a one-pole~ lowpass filter to the feedback path. Figure 3 shows the

allpass filter circuit which combines feedforward and feedback systems according to the

following equation: y(n) = (-g * x[n]) + x[n-D] + (g* y[n-D]), where the current output is equal

to the current input multiplied by the negative gain and the previous input. This is then added

Fig 3.
with the previous output and multiplied by the positive gain, allowing the negative scalar -g to

cancel out the comb filter effects of values D > 1.

Fig. 4 Reverberator Sub-Patch

Signal Flow

Figure 4 shows that the first input of each of the comb-filters receives signal from the

groove~ function outside of the sub-patch, which stores the opened audio file. This signal

passes through a *~ object which scales the amplitude. The second input receives information

from a loadmess object which dispenses an array of different fixed delay values, stored

specifically for each comb-filter. The final input receives signal from the feedback depth

controls outside the sub-patch. The signal then hits a clip object, which limits the feedback
parameters between 0. to 0.99. Anything surpassing these increments would start degrading the

system dramatically.

Upon receiving all aforementioned signals, each comb-filter feeds into a +~ object

which sums them together and subsequently sends them into the series configured allpass filters.

Afterwards the newly summed signal reaches an output and leaves the reverberator sub-patch.

The signal is then multiplied with the output of the sinusoidal generator cycle~ which receives

a scalar of messages from the slider control section of the patch delineating the wet attributes of

the effect. Consequently, the reverberated signal joins the original dry signal (which has also

been multiplied by a cycle~ object), at the exponentially scaling volume slider, which sums and

controls their amplitude. After leaving the volume slider, the signal is split three ways entering

both channel 1 and channel 2 of the ezdac~ digital to analogue converter object, and a sub-

patch which triggers the modulated delay effect.

Time Delay Modulation

The modulated delay sub-patch within the effect is specifically responsible for the

simulated stereo ambience. The effect is built upon decorrelation principles jettisoned by David

Griesinger. According to Griesinger, Mono reverberations sound poor because they do not

reproduce the spatial properties of a space adequately which requires a scattering of reflections

reaching each ear distinctively. One technique to simulate this ambience in a mono signal is by

adding a short time delay (generally 8 - 12 ms) and modulate it by a Low Frequency Oscillator

(LFO). The delayed reverberation when summed with the original signal, reproduces a

decorrelation effect that creates a temporal spread, creating a sense of envelopment and width.
 Figure 5, shows a cycle~ LFO object propagating a frequency of 2 and modulating a

tapin~, tapout~ system that delays the signal by 12 ms. In addition the modulation amplitude

Fig. 5

is scaled by 25% before reaching the delay system and its eventual output into the main patch.

Upon its output, the delayed signal reaches a gsswitch object, allowing an output to be selected

from two inputs, one of which is directed toward a toggle object and LED connected to the

Stereo Amb button, in charge of triggering the effect on and off. The output of the switch

object feeds into channel 2 of the ezdac object where it convolves with the original non delayed

signal and creates the decorrelated simulated stereo ambience.

Mono and Stereo Applications

At its present state this reverberator is specifically tailored for mono signals. However

stereo implementation would be relatively seamless, needing only for the initial reverberator sub-
patch to be doubled. In addition the spatiality of the effect can be experimented with, by varying

the delay times of the second reverberator, so it would be distinct from the first.

Evaluation and Further Development.

The effect created within this report does work successfully as a reverberator, based on

Schroeder's design. In addition, while subtle, a simulated stereo ambience is audibly

distinguishable when the effect is toggled. The overall sound of the reverb is raw and dirty

bordering on distortion, which makes the effect ripe for further customisation with additional

DSP parameters such as pitch shifting, EQ, phasing and flanging. In this retrospect the delay

modulation section of this effect should be expanded in future development to allow user

modification. Given the data supplied, I believe this effect would be a welcomed addition to the

already expansive cannon of digital reverberators.

References

I. Schroeder M, Logan B. Colorless artificial reverberation. IRE Trans Audio 1961;9(6):209

14.

II. Schroeder M. Natural sounding artificial reverberation. J Audio Eng Soc 1962;10(3):219
23.

III. Griesinger, D., 1986. SPACIOUSNESS AND LOCALIZATION IN LISTENING ROOMS -

HOW TO MAKE COINCIDENT RECORDINGS SOUND AS SPACIOUS AS SPACED
MICROPHONE ARRAYS. Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, [Online]. 34,
p255-268. Available at: http://www.davidgriesinger.com/spatialization_and_loc.doc
[Accessed 16 May 2014].
IV. Griesinger, D., (2000). How to use Electronic Reverberation to Add Depth and
Envelopment Without Reducing Clarity. In Tonmeister Conference. Hanover, Germany,
November, 2000. Hanover: AES. 1 - 28.

V. Gardner, W. G., 1992. The Virtual Acoustic Room. Master of Science. Cambridge,
Massachusetts: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.
VI. allpass~ Reference. 2014. allpass~ Reference. [ONLINE] Available at: http://
cycling74.com/docs/max5/refpages/msp-ref/allpass~.html. [Accessed 18 May 2014].

VII. MSP Tutorial 28: Delay Lines with Feedback. 2014. MSP Tutorial 28: Delay Lines with
Feedback. [ONLINE] Available at: http://cycling74.com/docs/max5/tutorials/msp-tut/
mspchapter28.html. [Accessed 18 May 2014].

VIII.MSP Tutorial 31: Comb Filter. 2014. MSP Tutorial 31: Comb Filter. [ONLINE] Available
at: http://cycling74.com/docs/max5/tutorials/msp-tut/mspchapter31.html. [Accessed 18 May
2014].

IX. MSP Tutorial 29: Flanging. 2014. MSP Tutorial 29: Flanging. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://cycling74.com/docs/max5/tutorials/msp-tut/mspchapter29.html. [Accessed 19 May
2014].