Acoustic analysis of professional singing masks

Tur B, Echternach M, Turowski S, Müller M, Koeberlein M, Döllinger M, Kniesburges S (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Acta Acustica European Acoustics Association (EAA)

Book Volume: 6

DOI: 10.1051/aacus/2022044

Abstract

Wearing face coverings became one essential tool in order to prohibit virus transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic. In comparison to speaking and breathing, singing emits a much higher amount of aerosol particles. Therefore, there are situations in which singers can perform or rehearse only if they are using protective masks. However, such masks have a more or less adverse effect not only on the singer's comfort and tightness of the mask but also on the radiated sound. For this reason, the spectral filtering and directivity of masks designed specifically for professional singing was measured. The tests were performed with a head phantom. Over most of the spectrum, attenuation is observed, although amplification happens at some low frequency bands for different mask types and directions. Especially singing masks with a plastic face shield showed partial amplification of up to +10 dB below a frequency of 2 kHz, while only slight significant attenuation and no amplification (minimal acoustic loss) were seen for woven fabric masks. Above 2.5 kHz, the transparent masks showed the greatest sound attenuation up to -30 dB, while woven fabric masks produced an overall lower sound attenuation of up to -5 dB. In addition at low frequencies, the sound was amplified or attenuated equally in all directions for masks with a stiff plastic face shield. At higher frequencies, the attenuation is higher to the frontal than to the backward direction.

Authors with CRIS profile

Bogac Tur Lehrstuhl für Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde Stefan Turowski International Audio Laboratories Erlangen (AudioLabs) Meinard Müller International Audio Laboratories Erlangen (AudioLabs) Michael Döllinger Professur für Computational Medicine (DFG-Forschungsprofessur) Stefan Kniesburges Lehrstuhl für Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde

Involved external institutions

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Tur, B., Echternach, M., Turowski, S., Müller, M., Koeberlein, M., Döllinger, M., & Kniesburges, S. (2022). Acoustic analysis of professional singing masks. Acta Acustica, 6. https://dx.doi.org/10.1051/aacus/2022044

MLA:

Tur, Bogac, et al. "Acoustic analysis of professional singing masks." Acta Acustica 6 (2022).

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