AL_INVERSE_DISTANCE_CLAMPED vs AL_LINEAR_DISTANCE_CLAMPED for UI Sound Consistency

UI Sound Attenuation Goal

When designing user‑interface audio cues that must remain audible within a fixed radius, developers need a distance model that guarantees a predictable minimum audible distance regardless of changes to the world scale or the AL_ROLLOFF_FACTOR.

Because AL_DISTANCE_MODEL is a global setting, the same model applies to both UI sources and environmental sounds, creating a trade‑off between UI consistency and realistic world attenuation.

• Which model yields a more stable minimum audible distance for UI sounds when AL_REFERENCE_DISTANCE is held constant?
• How does varying AL_ROLLOFF_FACTOR affect the threshold distance under each model?
• Is it possible to preserve UI consistency without sacrificing environmental realism by adjusting only AL_REFERENCE_DISTANCE per source?