Acoustical and sound system design considerations in large venues and stadia

Abstract

Large, spectator seating facilities provide unique challenges for the sound and acoustical system designer. The challenges are equally daunting, but different for indoor and outdoor facilities. This presentation provides empirical data of existing facilities in regard to speech intelligibility, uniformity of sound reinforcement coverage, maximum loudness, etc., along with a review of predicted modeling and auralization techniques. Design guidelines for acoustical treatment, loudspeaker configuration, predictive calculation of speech intelligibility, and other aspects will be discussed. Difference or variations in design practice between more conventionally sized spaces and very large environments will be presented.