Aural ID: Genelec redefines headphone monitoring by “scanning” your anatomy

Aural ID works by acquiring a person's unique acoustic attributes to create a detailed modeling of their unique anatomical characteristics that affect hearing.

Genelec has taken a major step to improve the reliability of headphone listening by introducing its new software technology Aural ID. It works acquiring the unique acoustic attributes of a person to create a detailed modeling of its unique anatomical characteristics that affect hearing, which can be compensated, thus allowing the delivery of a more truthful and reliable sound when headphones are used for playback.

Recognizing that traditional “one size fits all” headphone reproduction does not provide a reliable and suitable reference for audio professionals, Aural ID calculates the function of head-related transfer function (HRTF) of the user, which describes the acoustic properties of the head, upper torso and external ear: elements that interact in complex ways to affect the sounds that reach the eardrums.

Aural ID calculates all these elements and creates a personal data file that characterizes the modification of the sound coming from any azimuth and elevation. Consequently, this file allows an audio engine to accurately render stereo or immersive content through headphones.

Until now, collecting personal HRTF information has been a complex and time-consuming process requiring an anechoic room, placement of measurement microphones at the entrance to the user's ear canals, and careful attention to setup and procedural details with multiple measurements. However, even after these measures have been taken, the data collected is less comprehensive than what can be obtained with Aural ID, and can still be prone to errors.

On the contrary, the software Genelec Aural ID simply requires the user to provide a 360-degree video of the head and shoulder region, for which a high-quality mobile phone camera is enough. Once the video is uploaded to Genelec's web-based calculation service, the calculation process first builds an accurate and detailed 3D model, scaled exactly to the correct dimensions of the head and upper torso, with particular attention to modeling the external ears. After this, the acoustic fields are analyzed and calculated numerically with a full-wave method to capture detailed acoustic phenomena.

Acoustic fields are calculated for hundreds of different audio orientations approaching the head, after which HRTFs are formed and the data are finally compiled into a SOFA file downloadable, a format that has been defined and standardized by the Audio Engineering Society (AES). This maximizes the technical compatibility of the HRTF data file, as the SOFA format is already supported by many virtual reality (VR) and game audio rendering engines.
In fact, Genelec considers those working in academic research, immersive audio monitoring, VR and game development to be early adopters of new auditory identification technology.

The CEO of Genelec, Siamak Naghian, comments that "just as our monitor speakers set the sonic benchmark for professional audio monitoring, and GLM calibration software revolutionized the way studio monitors could be optimized for any acoustic space, we are determined to help set standards for sonic veracity in headphone playback. With a growing number of audio professionals relying on monitors as well as headphones, Genelec Aural ID is an important first step toward headphone use." for real reference audio listening and monitoring.”