Abstract
This paper proposes POLAR, a framework for the optimisation of loudspeaker signals using end-to-end differentiable perceptual loss functions. The framework optimises multiple perceptual attributes across multiple listeners, offering a versatile method for a range of problems. This versatility stems from the ability to customise the number of loudspeakers, listeners, and the weighting applied to different perceptual attributes. Here, we apply the method to four problems: (a) source panning for a single listener in stereo reproduction , (b) single-listener colouration matching in stereo reproduction , (c) extended sweet spot using stereo pairs beamforming, and (d) multi-attribute perceptually driven panning in stereo reproduction. The first three problems are evaluated against solutions traditionally used for these tasks: solutions of (a) are shown to be similar to those obtained with tangent panning law and vector-base amplitude panning (VBAP), solutions of (b) are shown to be similar to those obtained for cross-talk cancellation, and solutions of (c) are shown to be similar to those obtained in earlier work on directivity pattern optimisation for sweet spot widening. Each of these solutions was previously obtained using fundamentally different methodologies, demonstrating the flexibility and broad applicability of the proposed framework.