Researcher：Ryo Matsuda

Research

I am engaged in research and development in the field of spatial audio.

In recent years, advances in various devices have made technologies such as 3D audio and spatial audio more accessible. Examples include movie theater sound systems, three-dimensional audio content that can be enjoyed with headphones, and noise-canceling technology. Fascinated by the appeal of this technology since my days as a student, I began research and development in the field of spatial audio.

When you hear the name Yamaha, you probably think of musical instruments and music, so you might be surprised to learn that the company is involved in spatial audio. However, in fact, there are many products that apply spatial audio technology, including 3D audio solutions such as AFC and Sound xR, as well as sound bars, AV receivers, and remote conference systems. Spatial audio technology is also used in areas other than product development. For example, evaluating the physical characteristics and acoustics are useful in designing concert halls.

Even in the context of musical instruments, there is growing attention not only to tone but also to “sound radiation”—how sound spreads through space.

Sound Measurement and Recording Technology that Includes Spatial Information

Thanks to these diverse applications, research and development covers a wide range of areas. Among these, I am focusing my research on measurement and recording technologies for sound that includes spatial information (sound fields). A microphone array is generally used to measure sound fields (e.g. ViReal Mic). To explain this mechanism in simple terms, it involves recording sound with numerous microphones placed in various directions, which makes it possible to determine the direction and intensity of incoming sound waves.

I am working on improving microphone arrays and developing spatial audio processing algorithms to estimate sound fields with greater accuracy. With improvements in measurement and recording technology, it will become possible to analyze sound fields in detail and reproduce and audibly render them more faithfully. This will enable the development of products based on this technology and the design of acoustic spaces, thereby providing high added value. Furthermore, we are also focusing on research into the radiation of sound from musical instruments. We are developing technologies to more easily measure and evaluate the spatial expansion of musical instrument sounds, and we believe that this will lead to the discovery of new value in our musical instruments in the future.

In addition to spatial audio, I am also engaged in research in other areas of audio technology. For example, I worked on “complexity reduction for musical instrument classification,” which identifies which instrument sound corresponds to when the sound of an instrument is detected. Recently, I have also been working on the development of generative models that handle natural language as input.

Relationship with Academia

We are actively engaged in joint research with universities in Japan and overseas to strengthen our research and development infrastructure. For example, the aforementioned “complexity reduction for musical instrument classification” is the result of joint research with the Tokyo Metropolitan University. The results of joint research are disseminated through papers and international conferences, leading to contributions to the academic field (List of academic presentations).

In addition, we offer a global internship program every year, accepting mainly doctoral students for approximately three months. Last year, I was also in charge of accepting students for the first time (Global Internship). As this is a valuable period for students, I took on this task with a great sense of responsibility. I remember feeling a great sense of relief when the final presentation went smoothly, after working closely with my superiors and team members on everything from theme development to research support. Thanks to the efforts of our interns, we were able to devise a new indicator for analyzing and evaluating the radiation directivity of musical instruments, which we plan to apply to the evaluation of various musical instruments within the company in the future.

Private Life

On weekdays, I sometimes finish work early and go out to eat with friends. I feel that this flexible work style is possible thanks to a corporate culture of respect for each individual. On weekends, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and pursuing my hobbies. I have been living in Hamamatsu for seven years now, and one of the unique pleasures of living in this area, where nature is so close at hand, is that I have taken up new hobbies such as camping and golf, which I never had the chance to try when I was a student. Sometimes, on a whim, I go camping nearby.

Another major appeal of living in Hamamatsu is that it takes just over an hour by Shinkansen to reach both my parents’ home in Kyoto and Tokyo, where I frequently travel for work. I also enjoy gradually collecting art and interior decorations.

Dear Students,

I understand that job search can be challenging. Many of you are probably wondering whether you should pursue basic research or aim for product-oriented technology development. I, too, had the same concerns at the time. Looking back, I feel that it was a great asset to have been exposed to a wide range of businesses at Yamaha, rather than limiting myself to my own field of expertise. Incidentally, you can also conduct basic research (equivalent to engineering research at a university) at Yamaha, so please rest assured on that point. Recently, many people, including myself, have been enrolling in doctoral programs for working professionals. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.