HMLAB is working with “The study group of the Technology on the deep sense”. The study group endeavors to discover necessary physical factors and characteristics for a high-fidelity-reproduction of very high quality deep music playing and artistic media. During the studies they want to come closer to how one want to have communication beyond time and space, that is, “Communication Lab. on Deep sense”.
HMLAB develops high quality Audio-Visual Systems which implement the discovered research results and sell them.
We have accomplished a big project aiming the “Merge of Engineering and Arts” (JSPS-RFTE 97P00601, 1997-2001), which is Multimedia of program for the promotion of scientific research with a view to creating intellectual resources of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
To develop further and to return successful results to the general public, we have started HM LAB (High Quality Media Laboratory) which is a venture company starting from JAIST (Japan Advanced Institute of Technology).
In 2014, we have changed the organization; The research is by “The study group of the Technology on the deep sense”, and HMLAB supports it.
1. Introduction
In
the case of sound, when we listen to a reproduction of a great music
playing by an electric sound apparatus, we hope real and deep
admiration in our mind. To arouse deep “admiration” in one’s mind,
“penetration into one's mind” will arise as a body sensation and the
brain stem should be attacked. Thus, we will Break “a new Electro sound
Field” because a conventional Audio is not able to prepare such a
circumstance.
2. A New Sound Quality measure -An assessment system based on adjectives-
Up
to now, the electrically reproduced sound quality is usually evaluated
by some specific electric characteristics such as a frequency bandwidth
or a total of harmonic distortion. However, as well known, such
measures scarcely reflect a true sound quality. Then the development of
“high quality Audio” seems to be stopped.
Our brand new idea is to
use adjectives to evaluate “deep admiration” because human express
one’s admiration by adjectives. Subjective adjectives are not used but
perceptible adjectives are used, because perceptible adjectives are
objective, and the degree of sensitivity is a factor in the evaluation.
Moreover if we use perceptible adjectives, other dependences on an
individual evaluator’s impression is not explicitly addressed.
After
long term researches, we have gotten important two principal components
of whole adjective, in the case of the sound quality of high definition
music.
The deterioration of sound quality is principally by
affecting subtle impressions such as “floating atmosphere in the
air-like resonance” (n *) and “chest penetrating impression” (n**).
“Floating atmosphere in the air-like resonance” and “chest penetrating
impression” are two of the principal components of an assessment system
based on adjectives, used for an evaluation of high quality sound. (as to (n *) and (n**) see footnotes of TOP.)
“ The two key assessment phrases are recognized as
representatives of the psychophysical adjectives usually used in
experiments to find unknown physical factors and characteristics where
a measuring instrument is a person who can understand and evaluate (n*)
and (n**).
3. How to develop an apparatus of true sound quality using the assessment system based on adjectives.
Many preliminary assessment experiments to evaluate the sound quality show us that the following method is ideal;
(1) find resources that contain the impression of (n*) and (n**).
(2) prepare evaluators who can understand and evaluate (n*) and (n**).
(3)
experiments are as follows. For instance, in a case that new capacitor
is changed in an amplifier or a CD player, the assessment test is
accomplished using the ITU-R 7-grade comparison scale, where the
reference sound is as reproduced using standard (unimproved) equipment.
4. A new model of Perception of Deep Sense of Sound and the foundation of New Theory of Electro Sound Reproduction
Our hypotheses are as follows. New model should be added to the conventional model of only the eardrum are;
(1)
Human feels not only the power of a sound but the wave front (which is
the first transient of a tone signal) highly sensitive. This transient
is directly transmitted to the basement membrane and to the brain. And
arouse deep impression which will correspond to the fact that the
consonant is very important to music as the Music conductor Sir Seiji
Ozawa emphasize.
(2) Human feels a deep sense brought by sound of music not only by the eardrum but also by the TANDEN : the center of body.
5. Discoveries of new physical factors to implement the New Electro Sound Reproduction
With aids of (n*) and (n**), We could discover the following factors.
(1)
Precise reproduction of signal wave form, especially the first
transient of in electrical apparatuses, is necessary. And “the faithful
formation of a wave front of a signal wave form” is necessary at the
speaker.
(2) “High Q components, the characteristics of
group-delay flat, multi channel method and reduction of digital
distortion” are necessary. Consequently, the precise time delay
adjustments between woofer, squawker, and tweeter are necessary.
6. Conclusions
Four representative adjectives discribed in TOP are ,tobe precise, assessemnt phrases which are "floating atmosphere in the air-like resonance" (n*) ,"chest penetrating impression" (n**) ,"the overwhelming presence" and "the groove" which means high spirits such as moving body.
Aparatus are evaluated by above four assesments and remade.
As a result,
astonishing improvement of sound quality of deep impression is
obtained. Performances of new sound system of Extra HI System M, of
course, include performances of conventional sound apparatuses.
We have accomplished a recording system to match to “a new Electro sound Field” also.
During the course of development, we have been able to obtain, intimate relationship of mind each other beyond conversations.
The recent disocovery is great effects of scattered wave. Poles on a rear wall spread the sound field horizontally in a listening room (see the picture of TOP)
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Footnotes:
Recent discoveries on the New Electro Sound Reproduction
(1)
We have discovered that any CD player has an inborn matched CD weight,
and the best sound is reproduced only when a CD weight match the inborn
matched CD weight. Then, the adjustment adding a ring weight on CD disk
is indispensable.
(2) The jitter in a digital audio signal is a
dominant factor causing deterioration in the sound quality on such high
order sensations.
If we complete improvements of (1）and （2） above,
the sound quality is +2 (good) to +3 (very good) in the comparison 7
grade scale.