Generalized multiple sweep measurement

A system identification by impulse response measurements with multiple sound source configurations can benefit greatly from time-efficient measurement procedures. An optimized method by interleaving and overlapping of multiple exponential sweeps (MESM) used as excitation signals was presented by Majdak et al. (2007). For single system identifications, however, much higher signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) can be reached with sweeps whose magnitude spectra are adapted to the background noise spectrum of the acoustical environment, as proposed by Muller & Massarani (2001). We investigated on which conditions and to what extent the efficiency of multiple sweep measurements can be increased by using arbitrary, spectrally adapted sweeps. An extension of the MESM approach towards generalized sweep spectra is presented, along with a recommended measurement procedure and a prediction of the efficiency of multiple sweep measurements depending on typical measurement conditions.