Application of Psychoacoustic within Soundscape, the New Challenge for Acoustic Consultants

The new technical specification ISO/DTS 12913-2 Acoustics " Soundscape " Part 2: Data collection and reporting requirements recommends the use of psychoacoustic parameters like loudness, sharpness, roughness, fluctuation, tonality and others. Loudness is standardized within DIN 45631 and ISO 532, sharpness only by DIN 45692, tonality by ECMA 74 (European Computer Manufacturers Association) and the others are under development as an appendix of ECMA 74. From the past experiences based on A-weighted sound pressure level knowledge is available which dimension of values are acceptable or not. Based on the A-weighted sound pressure level a prediction is possible at which level the sound becomes dangerous for the people living in this acoustical environment. But the A-level is not a good predictor for sound quality. Especially consultants for the environmental noise should become familiar with the meaning and importance of the different psychoacoustic parameters, wherefore, why which parameter is necessary, what are suitable limits etc., how to interpret and to combine the results and to handle the superposition of several sound sources.