AES Europe 2026

Conventional ornithological monitoring systems rely heavily
on single-channel recorders; deep learning classifiers
to identify "what" species is present, but fail to capture
"where" it is located or how individuals interact
spatially. This limitation hinders the study of complex
ecological behaviors, such as inter-specific spacing in
dense vegetation; predator-prey dynamics. We propose a
novel, dual-mode acoustic localization system designed to
unify semantic classification; spatial tracking.
Utilizing an economically scalable 16-channel Uniform
Rectangular Array (UMA-16) interfaced with edge-computing
platforms, we implement a hybrid spatial filtering pipeline
structured to balance real-time latency constraints with
achievable angular resolution. The first stage employs a
computationally efficient, noise-robust linear scanning
technique to generate an acoustic energy map; estimate
source multiplicity. This preliminary data initializes a
second-stage, super-resolution spectral estimation
algorithm predicated on signal-noise subspace
orthogonality, allowing the noise robustness of
non-parametric beamforming methods with the precision of
parametric approaches. By integrating these spatial filters
with standard deep learning classifiers, the system
resolves overlapping vocalizations in "Cocktail Party"
scenarios; improves Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) for
cryptic species detection. We address the physical
"Localization-Detection Range Disparity," demonstrating
that while detection is viable at long ranges, precise
localization is constrained by the array aperture to the
near-to-mid field. The system outputs real-time video
overlays of acoustic heatmaps for field observation;
generates autonomous volumetric territory maps in fixed
deployments, collectively providing ornithologists with a
robust capability for analyzing the spatial ecology of
avian vocalizations.

Sa quintina is a distinctive emergent vocal phenomenon
almost exclusively associated with the sacred polyphonic
singing tradition of Castelsardo, perceived as an
autonomous “fifth voice” arising during collective
performance by four male singers. Although widely
acknowledged in ethnomusicological literature, its
formation mechanisms remain only partially explored within
audio engineering; acoustical research.
This paper presents an early-stage, descriptive sonological
case study proposing new hypotheses on the formation;
spatial reinforcement of sa quintina. The phenomenon is
interpreted as a physically grounded, measurable outcome of
harmonic fusion; spatial interference, observable
through spectral energy distribution; coherence. It is
hypothesized to emerge from a converging set of
conditions—including non-tempered harmonic textures,
differentiated vocal emission techniques, intentional
formant tuning,; circular spatial configuration—none of
which is assumed to be strictly sufficient in isolation.
Building upon previous spectral coherence analyses, the
study introduces a Quintina Directionality Index (QDI) to
quantify the spatial dimension of the phenomenon. QDI is
defined as the ratio between spectral energy in two
frequency bands associated with sa quintina (600–750 Hz;
1200–1400 Hz); total spectral energy. The index is
evaluated as a function of direction using ambisonic
recordings in an anechoic chamber; as a function of
microphone position in a controlled field setting.
Preliminary observations suggest that sa quintina
corresponds to localized regions of enhanced spectral
coherence; energy reinforcement, supporting its
interpretation as an emergent physical phenomenon that
precedes; enables its perceptual salience, rather than a
purely auditory illusion.

Audio engineering often implicitly assumes a uniformity in
hearing across listeners; this is an assumption that does
not reflect real-world diversity. How could technologies
and practices in production, mixing, and reproduction be
adapted to create music that is more inclusive? While the
AES has a conference series on Audio and Music Induced
Hearing Disorders, this has focused on the causes of
hearing loss with little on audio engineering for listeners
who have a hearing loss.

In western countries, about one in three adults are deaf,
have hearing loss or suffer from tinnitus. Hearing loss can
lead to many challenges with music such as: inaudibility of
quieter passages, distortion, degraded pitch perception,
and difficulty in identifying and picking out lyrics and
instruments. The most common intervention for mild to
moderately severe hearing loss is hearing aids. But while
many of these devices have music programs, their efficacy
is mixed, to the point that many opt not to use them. With
the rise of machine learning within Audio Engineering,
there are opportunities to better personalise music, and
therefore address issues listeners face. Consumer devices
are also increasingly having audio accessibility features
added, but the usefulness of these lack independent
testing. This workshop will consider opportunities for
making music more accessible.

The workshop will start by exploring how hearing loss harms
the experience of listening to music and how this varies
between people. This will lead to discussion of why no
technology can fully ‘correct’ music to achieve a ‘perfect’
listening experience for those with hearing loss. There is
no technology to recreate a ‘golden-ears’ experience. This
leads to a key research question: what is the best,
rendition of a piece of music for someone who has hearing
loss? What do listeners want from music, and how can we get
closest to achieving that?

We will bring in findings from research projects and
listening tests to explore what is known, and also to
highlight that there are significant gaps in knowledge that
require further research. We will then explore
state-of-the-art in wearables such as hearing aids and
sound reproduction systems. This will include the current
Cadenza project, which has been running a series of machine
learning challenges to improve music for those with hearing
loss.

Throughout, we will encourage questions and engagement from
delegates. We want to hear about lived experience of
hearing difference and how that has changed professional
practice and personal lives. We are also keen to hear
suggestions from delegates on what approaches might be used
to improve music for those with hearing loss.

We aim to raise awareness of the importance of considering
diverse audiences in Audio Engineering practice. Where
possible, the workshop will provide practical guidance for
audio engineers, highlighting techniques and emerging
technologies that can better support listeners with diverse
hearing profiles.

The Workshop will be organised by the Cadenza Project Team
https://cadenzachallenge.org/ A large UK-funded project
about improving music for those with hearing loss.

Audio engineering standards often present as objective, yet
they frequently rely on a systemic data bias which Perez
characterises as the 'default male bias' [1]. This paper
examines the hegemony of the male ear, a system of norms
that privileges masculine modes of hearing by prioritizing
technical structure; text over affective experience;
timbre [2]. By transitioning from a visual centric auditory
gaze toward an embodied sonic gnosis, researchers can
recover haptic; physiological ways of knowing sound.
Drawing on the feminist listening praxis of the Female Ear
[3], this work explores the recording studio as an
analytical space where sonic microaggressions [4] enforce
rigid technical standards. The author argues for a new
audio praxis that centers ear pleasures [5], validating
subjective; affective sensory data as legitimate
engineering input. This approach seeks to dismantle the
regulatory fiction [6] of a universal hearing standard,
promoting a pluralistic understanding of musicking [7] that
is inclusive of non normative perspectives.

Immersive audio systems are increasingly deployed in
large-scale live music contexts, yet there is limited
research addressing how immersive concerts are perceived
; experienced by audiences. This paper presents a
practice-based; ethnographically informed study of the
immersive audio design; audience experience of the band
Heilung’s concert at Roskilde Festival, staged in the Arena
Tent where a large-scale multichannel loudspeaker system
including main, surround,; overhead arrays was used.
The study combines insights in technical system design;
pre-production methods with qualitative audience research
in order to explore how immersive sound alters perception,
embodiment,; social engagement in live concerts.
Pre-production involved scaled system simulations,
reference listening positions, timing strategies,;
power-matched test environments to translate an immersive
studio mix to a festival-scale venue. During; after the
concert, audience experience was investigated through
in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, participant
observation, binaural; ambisonic recordings,;
phenomenologically inspired interview techniques.
Findings indicate that immersive audio contributes to
heightened affective engagement, bodily involvement,; a
sense of envelopment that exceeds conventional stereo
concert experiences. Audience members described the
experience as multisensory, ritualistic,; spatially
ambiguous, often lacking technical vocabulary but
emphasizing embodied; emotional responses. Importantly,
immersion was not perceived as sound alone, but as emerging
from the interaction of sound, visuals, architecture,
social presence,; narrative framing.
The paper argues that understanding immersive concerts
requires the integration of anthropological insights with
audio engineering knowledge. While technical approaches
explain how immersive sound systems operate,
anthropological perspectives are essential for
understanding how such systems are experienced,
interpreted,; given meaning by audiences. The study
contributes to the limited body of research on the effects
of immersive concert formats by examining how audiences
perceive immersion; how they ascribe meaning to
immersive sound.

This study presents a voice-centered machine learning
framework for detecting mental fatigue in military
personnel, integrating acoustic analysis with physiological
biosensors to enhance detection robustness. Mental fatigue
poses critical safety; performance challenges in
military operations, yet cultural stigma often prevents
self-reporting. We collected multi-modal data from 23
participants across two fatigue states, extracting
comprehensive acoustic features including sound pressure
level (SPL), formants, mel-frequency cepstral coefficients
(MFCCs), jitter, shimmer, harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR),
; temporal speech characteristics. These voice features
were combined with electroencephalography (EEG),
photoplethysmography (PPG),; temperature data to train
multiple machine learning classifiers. The voice-based
models achieved accuracies between 82-85\%, with support
vector machines (SVM); long short-term memory (LSTM)
networks demonstrating superior performance. When acoustic
features were combined with physiological markers,
classification accuracy improved to 92\%, with
Classification; Regression Trees (CART); Linear
Discriminant Analysis (LDA) emerging as top performers.
Statistical analysis identified SPL; formant variance as
the most discriminative voice features, while Lempel-Ziv
Complexity (LZC); theta/beta ratio proved most reliable
for EEG. Evaluation on new participants yielded 67\%
accuracy, revealing model generalization challenges that
inform future research directions. This work demonstrates
that voice-based machine learning systems, when augmented
with physiological data, offer a promising non-invasive
approach to real-time fatigue monitoring in operational
military environments.

One of the many applications of acoustic metamaterials is
the ability to substantially improve acoustic insulation in
the low-frequency range compared to traditional materials.
The objective of this study was to investigate a
vibroacoustic metamaterial consisting of a soft solid plane
with embedded inclusions. The analysed structure consists
of a porous layer with periodic solid elements, which
allows for enhanced insulation properties. A numerical
model considering interactions between the acoustic domain
; a solid was developed using COMSOL Multiphysics. The
influence of selected material; geometric parameters,
such as the shape of the inclusions; their placement, on
the overall effectiveness of the structure was analysed.
Based on the simulation results, a variant of the structure
was selected; used to create a prototype of the
metamaterial. The acoustic insulation of the constructed
structure was then measured in the diffuse field. The next
step is to conduct an optimization using the PSO algorithm
in order to find geometry of the structure that can achieve
the most favourable results in the selected frequency
range. The optimized structure will then be validated by
creating an additional sample; conducting another
measurement.

Recent advances in large-scale multichannel loudspeaker
systems have enabled immersive concert formats that extend
spatial control beyond conventional stereo; small
multichannel configurations. High-density loudspeaker
arrays (HDLAs) allow sound to be distributed across complex
architectural spaces, challenging established distinctions
between composition, performance,; live sound practice.
In live contexts, however, the realization of spatial
attributes is often constrained by system complexity,
limited rehearsal time,; the lack of artist-facing
spatial control interfaces. As a result, spatial
realization; sound diffusion are frequently delegated to
sound engineers, who translate artistic material to the
acoustic; architectural conditions of the venue in real
time.

This paper examines three immersive concerts presented
during Sonic Days 2025 in Denmark, realized on both
large-scale; small-scale multichannel loudspeaker
systems. The concerts represent contrasting production
contexts, including a site-specific spatial composition
conceived explicitly for a high-density loudspeaker array
; performances by artists whose practices are typically
oriented toward stereo or small multichannel formats.
Across these cases, spatialization functioned variously as
compositional material, interpretive layer,; adaptive
live-mixing practice.

The paper analyzes how control over spatial attributes is
negotiated between artists; sound engineers in live
immersive concert settings,; how this negotiation
affects the interpretation of artistic intent; audience
experience. Particular attention is given to the role of
sound engineers as active mediators whose decisions shape
spatial form, listening perspective,; the relationship
between sound; architecture. The findings suggest that
immersive concert formats redistribute creative agency
across artists, technicians,; technological
infrastructures,; point toward the need for revised
conceptual frameworks for authorship, performance,;
listening in large-scale spatial audio environments.

Soundscapes; sonic atmospheres are often approached as
environmental conditions perceived; evaluated through
their acoustic properties; affective qualities. Recent
predictive; inferential accounts of perception, however,
suggest a different understanding: that perception operates
as an anticipatory process in which sensory input is
primarily used to minimise error in an ongoing predictive
model of the world, rather than to construct experience
from the bottom up. From this perspective, auditory
perception is an active, temporally extended process shaped
by expectation, memory, attention,; action.

This paper explores what such a predictive understanding
contributes to the study of everyday sonic atmospheres.
Drawing on predictive processing as a conceptual
framework—while acknowledging its contested status—the
paper situates auditory perception alongside other sensory
modalities as part of a broader inferential engagement with
environments. Classical auditory phenomena; longer-term
perceptual “illusions” motivate this reframing by
highlighting how expectations shape experience across
multiple timescales.
The main analytical focus is the case of transitioning from
one atmosphere to another. Atmospheres are approached here
as multimodal, quasi-objective phenomena that do not reside
in sound, space, or subjects alone, but emerge through
shared, situated engagement. Transitions foreground this
process by exposing how expectations, attentional
strategies,; perceptual norms are recalibrated over
time. From a predictive perspective, atmospheres are
constituted through collective anticipatory activity, in
which agents continuously negotiate environmental cues;
affordances across sensory modalities. Attunement is thus
understood as a temporally extended, socially coordinated
process shaped by prior experience; anticipated action.
By analysing atmospheric transitions through a predictive
lens, the paper argues that sonic atmospheres can be
understood as dynamically constituted; reconfigurable
achievements. This reframing challenges object-centred or
purely subjective accounts of atmospheres; opens new
ways of thinking about how sonic environments are shaped,
staged,; transformed in everyday life.

Metamaterials are engineered structures whose acoustic;
mechanical behavior arise from their geometric
configuration; internal architecture rather than their
material properties. Within this group, vibroacoustic
metamaterials offer the ability to influence elastic wave
propagation by introducing frequency bands in which
flexural vibrations are either suppressed or selectively
altered. The integration of such structures into musical
instruments, particularly acoustic guitars, provides a
promising approach to shaping their vibroacoustic response
; mitigating undesirable structural resonances.
The objective of this project is to design a vibroacoustic
metamaterial capable of modifying the resonance properties
of an acoustic guitar soundboard. For this purpose,
vibration measurements with Laser Doppler Vibrometer were
conducted to identify the fundamental resonant modes of the
soundboard. Based on these measurements, a coupled
structural-acoustic numerical model was developed using
COMSOL Multiphysics; subsequently calibrated with the
experimental data. In the following phase, various
vibroacoustic metamaterial configurations were designed,
; their influence on the resonance characteristics of the
soundboard was investigated. The most effective resonator
design was fabricated using 3D printing; its performance
was experimentally evaluated.
The anticipated outcome of this research is the development
of an effective method for tailoring; enhancing the
tonal response of an acoustic guitar without modifying its
conventional construction, thereby contributing to new
design strategies for stringed musical instruments.

This article examines open-reel tape recorders marketed
under the “Yupiter” brand as a key technology of everyday
life in late Soviet Ukraine; as a material foundation
for the formation of a personal acoustic environment in the
Ukrainian SSR. The study aims to reconstruct the
“biography” of the device, including its design, serial
production ramp-up, distribution,; use. It shows how the
institutional constraints of a planned economy;
defense-sector priorities were translated into domestic
regimes of listening; recording. Methodologically, the
article combines approaches from sound studies, the history
of technology,; the history of everyday life,
supplemented by concepts of the “domestication” of
technology, DIY culture,; “phonographic labor.” The
source base includes internal documents of the Kyiv
“Kommunist” plant (annual reports, explanatory memoranda,
plans,; quality-related materials for 1968-1976),
interdepartmental reviews; programmatic materials of the
sector, technical handbooks; instructions, as well as
oral interviews with users. Bringing together the “upper”
level of managerial reporting; the “lower” level of user
experience makes it possible to identify a gap between
quality as a planning category; quality as a daily
practice: repairability, shortages of parts; tape,
re-recording,; selective choice of media were more the
norm than the exception. The article demonstrates that the
“fine-tuning” of tape recorders became institutionalized
through networks of amateur knowledge; informal service,
while fluctuating availability (shortage; overstock)
shaped the social geography of purchase. Ultimately,
“Yupiter” emerges not as a symbol of progress or nostalgia,
but as a material trace of late-socialist modernization -
one that helps integrate the Ukrainian case into
international debates on media materiality, listening,;
the politics of audibility. Particular attention is paid to
the temporality of the object: the extension of “Yupiter’s”
normative life cycle through repair; re-recording, as
well as its “outliving” of the Soviet system in the 1990s.
This makes it possible to interpret the tape recorder as a
carrier of acoustic memory; an indicator of social
hierarchies of access to technology. The findings refine
the understanding of shortage not as mere lack, but as an
everyday regime in the life of things.

The Saul Walker Student Design Competition is a long-running event of the Audio Engineering Society that highlights practical and creative work in audio design. It brings together experienced judges and a wide range of strong student submissions each year.

During this session, students from around the world will present their projects and bring their hardware designs for hands-on inspection by the judges. The format encourages open discussion, giving attendees a chance to hear how ideas are evaluated and improved in a professional setting.

Sponsored by API, the competition includes cash prizes for the winners. More importantly, it offers students valuable feedback and the opportunity to connect with people working in the industry. The session is open to everyone—students and non-students alike—who are interested in seeing what participants have created and learning more about current work in audio design.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a sonification
system that maps live heart rate data to real-time spectral
filtering of a runner's preferred music. Assessed using a
within-subjects design (n = 13), the system employs
high-pass; low-pass filters to indicate deviations from
target heart rate zones, providing instantaneous
biofeedback without requiring visual attention.
Quantitative analysis revealed no statistically significant
differences in target zone accuracy or response time
between auditory, visual,; combined conditions. However,
qualitative thematic analysis identified a clear division
in user preference. Participants favouring the auditory
condition demonstrated faster mean response times to audio
biofeedback. Findings suggest that while sonification
promotes environmental focus; "gamifies" training, its
efficacy is highly dependent on individual processing
styles; music familiarity.

Join us for a panel discussion about audio design featuring some of the industry’s leading audio designers and educators. This session is meant to inspire upcoming designers and encourage dialogue with established audio designers.
 
The panelists will give a brief overview of their designs, their roles in the AES, and how and why educators and students should participate in the various design competitions that the AES has to offer. The panel discussion is followed by a Q&A session that allows for questions and exchange with the panelists.

‘Nexus Sonance’ is a unique sonic space that is dependent
on time, place, and the people interacting with the
installation. At its core, the concept is a sonic portal
where the Cosmos, Earth, and Humans are unified through
sound in a single location. For this iteration of this
project, we decided to focus on real-time satellite data
sonification and put it as the core concept as our network
makes it possible to collaborate with ESA (European Space
Agency) therefore by sonifying real-time satellite data, we
create an evolving spatial environment where cosmic events
are felt and heard in the present moment.

This installation applies innovative machine-learning based
synthesis techniques with immersive spatial audio to embody
the experience of these unstoppable physical forces,
harnessing real-time satellite and geomagnetic data
provided by the European Space Agency (ESA), by simulating
neural network model corruption via cosmic radiation
following real-time patterns transmitted by the L1
satellite cluster.

While the cosmos is traditionally conceptualized through
heavily processed and "colorized" visual imagery, this
installation shifts the lens to a sonic perspective. Here,
the positioning and synthesis of sound are governed by
live-data streams from orbital satellites and global
geomagnetic stations, creating an immersive environment
where the listener experiences a unique, time-bound sonic
representation of our solar system. As our lives are
increasingly dependent on machine learning and neural
networks whose fundamentals are based on binary forms of
data, introducing the concept of cosmic radiation and data
corruption (based on a Single Event Upset phenomenon)
throughout the duration of the work references the idea of
Entropy as ever changing and expanding state.

Using an ESA-provided data from satellites that measure
specific states of solar weather, namely the Interplanetary
Magnetic Field (IMF) measurements including such variables
as Bt (the total induction of the IMF) which are assigned
to parameters such as intensity, saturation and amount of
the created sonic particles. Other variables include Bx,
By, Bz that compose a 3D magnetic force field measurements
are translatable to positioning, velocity of travel, and
direction of travel. In case ESA could not provide such
data, a backup plan is to use publicly available data from
https://norlys.live/rtsw. Furthermore, with data from L1
ESA-operated satellites, the readings regarding cosmic
radiation flux in space could be used to train a model
predicting the Single Event Upsets (SEU) and simulate
events that impacts the way that RAVE (Ircam) outputs
audio. This creates a metaphorical and literal decay of the
machine-learning output, mirroring the impact of radiation
on digital infrastructure

The earth and human layers that sit as a canvas background,
are a pre-sculpted soundscapes in combination with RAVEs
generative output that is trained on a private collection
of earth recordings (using geophones) and spatial audio
recordings of Georgian Polyphonic Choir “Adilei” which
symbolises the earth and human element within the
spatial-sonic setting. Furthermore, using publicly
available data on geomagnetic changes across the globe
through an intermagnet.org website with a MagPy package, we
are able to influence the textural output of the RAVE where
the changes are related to the positioning of the actual
reading stations. This way achieving a multi-layered sonic
representation of earth’s constantly changing geomagnetic
field, which in combination with real-time space weather
sonification in spatial audio creates a complex and
innovative spatial soundscape that is driven predominantly
by real-time data, meaning, that every time the work is
presented, the outcome is unique, depending on the
circumstances under which it is played.

This paper presents the production of a fully volumetric
audiovisual music composition with six degrees of
freedom, featuring a dance performance. The project
realizes the artistic potential enabled by recent
technological
advancements in volumetric video capture; spatial audio
rendering. The interdisciplinary production team
consisted of music composers, dancers, sound engineers,;
experts in 4D Gaussian Splats. An existing 3D body
scanner consisting of 112 cameras was used to capture a
dance performance in high definition video. For the
visual scene, custom 4D Gaussian Splat algorithms were
developed; employed to create the dynamic model.
Additional static 3D Gaussian Splats were captured with the
same scanner; integrated into the scene in Unity.
The acoustic scene is dynamically binauralized via SPAT
Revolution, depending on the position of the listener
in the virtual space. Audio; video scenes are run on
separate PCs, synchronized via OSC; presented via
commercially available head-mounted displays (HMDs).
Audiences report a high level of immersion at the initial
presentation at an exhibition event. A detailed evaluation
is planned in the near future. Furthermore, a unified
application for both visual; audio scenes is planned in
order to reach a wider audience.

Historically, music has developed primarily as a frontal
phenomenon, thus limiting the expressive; perceptual
potential related to sound space. The recent development of
immersive audio systems opens new creative possibilities by
expanding the artistic action space from a narrow frontal
area to a complete sphere around the listener. The
Ambisonic system (Scene-Based Audio), together with
Object-Based formats; hybrid solutions, represents
fertile ground for creative experimentation; the
redefinition of workflows in the field of spatialized sound.
In this new context, what is the role of the sound
engineer, as an electroacoustic interpreter, in immersive
musical artistic creation?
The research is based on a multidisciplinary analysis that
combines an in-depth study of current immersive audio
technologies; their performance, with observations of
existing compositional; production approaches.
Additionally, a comparative study is conducted on the
design choices of the sound engineer as an interpreter,
investigating workflows, emerging musical semantics,
available tools,; the recovery of the historical
repertoire.
Particular attention is paid to the experiment aimed at
investigating a correlation between the position of a sound
; an emotional trigger in the listener.
New directions emerge in the creative role of the sound
engineer, who goes beyond the mere technical aspect to
become an integral part of the compositional;
interpretative process, harmonizing the relationship
between technique; art.

The bone-conducted occlusion effect (OE) is a major source
of acoustic discomfort for users of hearing aids, earbuds,
earplugs,; related devices. Conventional objective OE
measurements rely on in-ear microphones in human subjects,
which are time-consuming, invasive,; difficult to
control during product development. The aim of this paper
is to present a new artificial ear, specifically designed
for objective OE measurements under bone-conducted
excitation, coupled with a finite element analysis (FEA)
model developed in COMSOL Multiphysics. Both the model;
the artificial ear demonstrate good agreement regarding the
sound pressure found at the tympanic membrane for a
conventional dome at shallow, medium; deep insertions.
The validated FEA model is then used to perform a virtual
test of the bone-conducted objective OE for different
occluding devices, including plastic; foam earplugs;
a conventional closed dome for hearing aids. This is to
investigate the relative contributions; phases of the
ear-canal; device surfaces govern the resulting occluded
sound pressure. The proposed artificial ear; modeling
approach provide a controlled; repeatable platform for
studying the OE; for evaluating occluding devices during
the development process.

The ability to objectively measure listener emotion is a
critical frontier for adaptive audio systems, healthcare,
; personalized music therapy. While music is a powerful
driver of affect, traditional self-reporting is often
intrusive or inaccessible for users in wellbeing settings
who may struggle to articulate their mood. This paper
introduces JoyCam, a multimodal system that estimates
subtle moments of joyful engagement by blending lightweight
brain-wave monitoring (wearable EEG) with facial-expression
sensing. By capturing physiological reactions that occur
below the threshold of conscious awareness, the system
creates a more stable emotional profile than
single-modality methods. In our system, Facial joy is
estimated via MediaPipe landmark analysis, focusing on
normalized mouth-width deviations. Simultaneously,
neurological engagement is tracked through Frontal Alpha
Asymmetry (FAA) using an OpenBCI Cyton system. To address
the sensitivity of EEG to movement, a dynamic artefact
index down-weights neural signals during high-frequency
interference. The system was tested in a pilot study with
five participants. Preliminary results indicate that
baseline-corrected physiological scores align closely with
self-reported music impact; valence ratings across
joyful; sad conditions. These findings suggest that
JoyCam offers a robust framework for responsive musical
companions that can adjust playlists or production
parameters based on a listener’s real-time physiological
state

Tinnitus has been described as `the conscious awareness of
a tonal or composite noise for which there is no
identifiable corresponding external sound source'; is
experienced by ~15% of the European population. Tinnitus
may be experienced in one ear, both ears, or perceived as
originating from within the head. It can present as tonal
sounds, noise-like sounds, or a combination of both. The
perception can lead to emotional;/or cognitive
dysfunction, autonomic arousal, behavioural changes,;/or
functional disability (DeRidder 2021, Biswas 2022, Jarach
2022). There is no standard test for tinnitus in the
medical literature; audiologists typically test pitch (to
within half an octave); perceived loudness of the tone
using standard clinical equipment for testing hearing loss.
The underlying causes of tinnitus are not yet fully
understood,; the most effective treatments not yet
identified. We present the first release of an extended
Tinnitus matching app that includes a highly
individualizable tinnitus tone-matching tool; a
comprehensive questionnaire for mobile health tracking. The
app facilitates large data collection on tinnitus sounds
across aetiologies, co-occurring symptoms,;
demographics. Our intentions are threefold; 1) to provide
those experiencing tinnitus with a way to communicate what
they hear more precisely, 2) understand how tinnitus sounds
vary across demographics, how these relate to co-occurring
symptoms,; eventually – 3) to provide a means of
individualising any sound-based approach to symptom
amelioration. We present the approach; validation of the
tinnitus matching tool against common clinical measures.

Digital Audio Signal Processing has long enabled precise
analysis of musical instrument behavior, supporting digital
sound synthesis. In parallel, physical modeling has evolved
into a mature synthesis; simulation technology capable
of running in real time, coupling vibro-acoustic models
with perceptual control interfaces. Over the last decade,
advances in machine learning have begun to transform both
ends of this pipeline. Instead of relying solely on
analytical DSP methods, we are increasingly able to learn
impulse; frequency responses, infer parameters,;
drive synthesis models directly from data. This broader
transition from classical DSP to *AI Audio Engineering*
brings not only new algorithms but also new workflows,
evaluation practices,; deployment contexts for musical
acoustics.

Two demonstrators illustrate this shift. *First*,
measurement-driven studies of musical instruments can
constrain model architectures; reduce parameter search
spaces. The measurement-derived priors can inform both
classical modeling; data-driven neural surrogates.
*Second*, real-time physical modeling integrated into XR
environments highlights how haptic control, perceptual
feedback,; spatial audio can create convincing virtual
instruments suitable for experimentation, pedagogy,;
performance.

These demonstrators motivate an AI Audio Engineering
workflow in which measurement, modeling, learning,;
perceptual evaluation form a continuous loop, to enable
immersive XR experiences, rapid prototyping of novel
instruments,; new modes of digital lutherie. The
approach invites collaboration across acoustics, DSP,
spatial audio,; AI Audio Engineering: an emerging
discipline that considers audio models as deployable,
maintainable,; continuously improvable artifacts
governed by data, inference, evaluation,; lifecycle
operations.

Automotive audio is challenging for a variety of reasons.
The acoustic environment is noisy, the geometry is complex
with many reflecting surfaces,; there are several
listening positions of interest. While digital signal
processing can to some degree alleviate some of the
associated issues, there often is a need for specialized
waveguides that directly affect the sound propagation from
the transducers. However, with the desired objectives being
quite intricate; involving on-axis pressure,
directivity, beam width,; possibly other metrics, the
design process is highly non-trivial. A strategy based on
acoustical topology optimization is presented here,;
where a tweeter waveguide to be mounted in the dashboard is
optimized towards certain objective functions.