Some analysis of microphone arrays for speech data acquisition

Speech data for recognition, talker verification, or recording are typically acquired using a head-mounted or hand-held microphone. These devices can be very inconvenient or provide a poor signal-to-noise ratio. A microphone array has the potential for surmounting both of these problems. Here, results on optimal spacing and gain for practical linear arrays are derived under the assumption that the desired signal and intrusive speech may be accurately modeled by plane waves. Several sets of curves are presented from the solution of constrained and unconstrained multidimensional nonlinear equations derived from the theory. The curves suggest optimal spacing and gains for linear microphone arrays for speech acquisition.