Wave field synthesis (WFS) is a technique allowing the reproduction of sound fields in an extended listening area. This paper describes the theoretical fundamentals of WFS using linear loudspeaker arrays. A spatio- temporal frequency domain analysis of the reproduced wave field reveals that not only the desired wave field is present in the listening area but also an additional near-field component. This component is analyzed in detail and the resulting wave fields are illustrated. Practical realizations of WFS impose certain technical constraints, namely the application of a finite number of discrete loudspeakers. The impact of this spatial discretization and truncation of the secondary source distribution on the near-field component is derived.
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