Low frequency spatialization in electroacoustic music and performance: composition meets perception

The article takes the perspectives of an electro-acoustic musician and an auditory psychologist to consider detection of localization and movement of low frequency sounds in reverberant performance environments. The considerable literature on low frequency localization perception in free field, non-reverberant environments is contrasted with the sparser work on reverberant spaces. A difference of opinion about reverberant environments has developed between on the one hand, audio engineers and many musicians (broadly believing that low frequency localization capacities are essentially negligible), and on the other, psychoacousticians (broadly believing those capacities are limited but significant). An exploratory auditory psychology experiment is presented which supports the view that detection of both localization and movement in low frequency sounds in ecological performance studio conditions is good. This supports the growing enthusiasm of electroacoustic musicians for sound performance using several sub-woofers.