Any sound wavefront can be synthesized from elemental spherical waves

Evidence

Another approach to reproducing spatial sound is to try to reproduce the radiated sound field using the Huygens-Fresnel Principle, which states that any possible wavefront shape can be made up from elemental spherical waves as shown in Figure 7.11. … As a conventional loudspeaker radiates spherical waves at wavelengths that are large compared to its size, this naturally suggests the possibility of synthesizing an arbitrary sound field using a large number of speakers in an array, as shown in Figure 7.12. If one can accurately produce the desired sound field using an array of speakers on the boundary of the reproduction area, the directional characteristics of the recorded sources and environment will be preserved. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2235

Another approach to reproducing spatial sound is to try to reproduce the radiated sound field using the Huygens-Fresnel Principle, which states that any possible wavefront shape can be made up from elemental spherical waves as shown in Figure 7.11. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2235

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the Huygens-Fresnel Principle as it applies to spatial audio reproduction.
• XREF: Connects to wave-mechanics basics from physics and to ambisonic sound-field reproduction described just before this passage in the chapter. — connects to: Any complex waveform can be built from independent orthogonal sine waves; A loudspeaker array’s polar pattern is a Fourier transform of its illumination; Wavefield synthesis fails unless the room is completely anechoic (+2 more)
• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2235

Broader Connections

• A loudspeaker array’s polar pattern is a Fourier transform of its illumination #expands (0.85)
• Wavefield synthesis fails unless the room is completely anechoic #qualifies (0.80)
• Stringed instruments radiate low frequencies omnidirectionally but high frequencies directionally #exemplifies (0.75)
• Excitation in an elastic medium generates waves from the source #expands (0.72)