Virtual Acoustic Soundscape Technology (VAST)

​Many devices require testing in acoustically controlled environments with specific reverberation times and background noise levels.  These spaces either are designed for a single purpose with no testing flexibility or require manual reconfiguration using a variety of furnishings and acoustic treatments to change the sound field characteristics.  Often, real world rooms are the only available test space when a properly engineered environment is not available.  Each of these solutions presents a compromise in repeatability, facility utilization, or time.

To solve these problems, ETS-Lindgren developed a new chamber, VAST (Virtual Acoustic Soundscape Technology). VAST is built on ETS-Lindgren's SoundSecure^TM chamber panel system.  The panels are embedded with arrays of microphones and loudspeakers that are processed through a high-performance real time DSP engine to provide a virtual soundscape inside the chamber.  VAST can simulate any room that is larger than the physical dimensions of the chamber. If specific reverberation times are desired, those can be programmed as well. The soundscape can be changed instantly using a touch screen interface. (Note: Custom interface and software integration is available.) Background noise and other acoustic signals can be played back through the system to comply with various test standards or to simulate real-world environments. 

There are two standard models of VAST chambers, a walk-in version and a reach-in version.  The walk-in version can simulate any environment larger than the chamber's physical dimensions.  The reach-in version can simulate smaller environments such as automobile interiors. Additionally, custom VAST chambers can be designed to meet specific applications or design goals.