Practice spatial audio vocabulary: binaural audio, audio spatialization, head-related transfer function (HRTF), 3D audio source positioning, reverb in spatial context, and distance-based audio.
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What is 'binaural audio' in spatial computing?
Binaural audio uses psychoacoustic cues — level differences, timing differences, and spectral shaping — to create the illusion of 3D sound through standard headphones. It makes sounds appear to come from in front, behind, above, or at specific distances.
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What is a 'head-related transfer function (HRTF)'?
The HRTF is a set of filters derived from how sound waves are modified by the shape of a listener's ears, head, and shoulders before reaching the eardrums. Applying HRTF to audio creates convincing 3D localization through headphones.
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In a VR application, 'the audio source follows the 3D object.' What does this mean technically?
Audio source following means the game engine continuously updates the 3D position of an audio emitter to match a virtual object's world position. The spatial audio renderer then applies HRTF or panning/distance cues to make the sound appear to come from that location.
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What role does 'reverb' play in spatial audio for XR environments?
Reverb is critical for presence in XR: a small, hard-walled room sounds different from a large concert hall. Spatially correct reverb (matching the virtual environment's geometry and materials) makes the audio feel physically consistent with the visual scene, deepening immersion.
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What does it mean when 'the sound is positioned at 2 meters in front of the user' in a spatial audio system?
Positioning a sound at 2 meters in the spatial audio system means applying the correct HRTF for a frontal direction combined with distance-based attenuation (inverse square law) and air absorption filtering — creating the perceptual illusion of a sound source at that specific 3D location.