The AURALIZE project offers innovative vocational training in acoustics to a wide array of attendees working in disciplines such as architecture, theatre, music, music composition, sound engineering, acoustics and applied acoustics, media technology, and computer science, game industry, app development, web audio, interactive arts, and immersive technologies.

This course provides hands-on experience, which is the best and most direct way to learn the theory of acoustics and use it in creative sonic thinking and practice. Attendees also learn to use and understand novel and specialist equipment such as the 64-microphone array and other spatial microphones. Attendees learn and understand the creation of source-and-listener positions in spatial audio and how to scientifically document the positions of the microphones and loudspeakers. They learn safety measurements and various practical aspects, such as communicating during work and protecting their ears.

Theatres, require sonic thinking that needs a basic understanding of acoustics. Often, professionals may have been trained in related disciplines but do not have experience in room acoustics. Even in training courses where students focus on acoustics and applied acoustics, practical knowledge is limited for students to learn through shadowing and assisting professionals who work in applied acoustics. We solve this by providing hands-on experience of the complete working process, with in-depth discussions. By documenting and sharing each theatre experience with the other half of the students, we also broadened their horizons to compare how the two theatres differ and gained multi-faceted cultural insights from the theatres and each other. For some attendees, especially younger students, it will be an opportunity also to communicate professionally in a language other than their mother tongue and step into a multicultural, multi-age group learning experience.

We get to study a Croatian theatre of great historical importance and, in turn, compare its unique acoustical properties to similar-sized Italian theatres, which does not only benefit us, though. The theatre will benefit significantly from the conducted studies and practical results. They can share resources, expand networks, and nourish awareness for professionals and students in related fields.

The case studies focus on theatres, requiring sonic thinking that needs a basic understanding of acoustics. Often, professionals may have been trained in related disciplines but do not have experience in room acoustics.

It is crucial to nurture sophisticated sonic thinking and creativity for future innovation, conservation, and improved quality of digital and physical aspects of life.

This theoretical lecture introduces the fundamental concept of impulse response measurement in room acoustics. Professor Tronchin explains that rooms must be treated as linear and time-invariant systems, meaning their acoustic behavior remains constant during measurement and responds predictably to sound input. The impulse response captures everything about a room's acoustic properties - when recorded, it contains complete information about reflections, reverberation, and spatial characteristics that can be used to virtually recreate the room's sound. The lecture covers various measurement methods, from simple techniques like hand clapping, clapping machines, balloons, and pistol shots (historical methods), to the modern standard: the exponential sine sweep method. This sophisticated technique involves playing a sweep signal (typically 15 seconds, ranging from 40Hz to 20kHz), recording the output through multiple microphones, and then using mathematical deconvolution with an inverse filter to extract the impulse response. The exponential sweep method, developed by Professor Farina around 2000, provides superior results by separating room acoustics from equipment nonlinearities, ensuring measurements reflect only the room's properties rather than microphone or speaker characteristics.

This practical lecture/creative lab, demonstrates the complete setup and measurement process for acoustic analysis in a room. Professor Tronchin meticulously shows students how to mount and connect multiple recording systems: a 64-channel array, an ambisonic microphone (Sennheiser MKH 100), a binaural dummy head, and a standard omnidirectional microphone for ISO-standard measurements. The equipment connects through a Zoom F8 recorder for analog signals and via Dante protocol for the array, with all positioning carefully calibrated to avoid shadowing effects and maintain proper directional alignment toward the sound source. The measurement process involves playing an exponential sine sweep (15 seconds from 40Hz to 20kHz) through a loudspeaker, recording the output through all microphones simultaneously, then using deconvolution with an inverse filter to calculate impulse responses that contain complete acoustic information about the room. From these impulse responses, various acoustic parameters can be extracted including reverberation time (T10, T20, T30), clarity (C50, C80), and other metrics defined in ISO 3382 standards, with the demonstrated room showing a short reverberation time of approximately 0.4 seconds and high clarity values suitable for speech.

This practical creative lab demonstrated the complete setup and measurement process for acoustic analysis in a room. Professor Tronchin meticulously showed students how to mount and connect multiple recording systems: a 64-channel array, an ambisonic microphone (Sennheiser MKH 100), a binaural dummy head, and a standard omnidirectional microphone for ISO-standard measurements. The equipment connected through a Zoom F8 recorder for analog signals and via Dante protocol for the array, with all positioning carefully calibrated to avoid shadowing effects and maintain proper directional alignment toward the sound source. The measurement process involved playing an exponential sine sweep (15 seconds from 40Hz to 20kHz) through a loudspeaker, recording the output through all microphones simultaneously, then using deconvolution with an inverse filter to calculate impulse responses that contained complete acoustic information about the room. From these impulse responses, various acoustic parameters were extracted including reverberation time (T10, T20, T30), clarity (C50, C80), and other metrics defined in ISO 3382 standards, with the demonstrated room showing a short reverberation time of approximately 0.4 seconds and high clarity values suitable for speech.

This hands-on creative lab walked through the complete auralization workflow in Reaper DAW for creating immersive spatial audio. Dr. van Tonder showed how to set up multi-channel tracks (Reaper supports up to 128 channels), convert mono/stereo sources to B-format (first-order ambisonics with four channels: W, X, Y, Z) using the Ambix encoder plugin, route signals through a reverb track containing the MCFX convolver loaded with impulse responses from caves, temples, and other spaces, and decode to either binaural output for headphones or quad speaker arrays using the IEM decoder. The tutorial demonstrated creative experimentation using non-traditional sounds like Doppler effects and ocean recordings as convolution kernels to create unique textures, balancing dry and wet signals, switching between acoustic spaces to compare characteristics, and managing preset folders for impulse responses. Practical techniques included proper channel routing, format conversions (FUMA to ACN/SN3D), and understanding how B-format recordings enable three degrees of freedom for head-tracked immersive experiences in artistic composition, film sound design, and interactive media.