Correlation between acoustic immersion index and other objective parameters in concert halls

Abstract

Concert halls’ geometry and volume, impact or shape listeners’ room acoustic experience. The current recommended procedure within ISO3382 in calculation or measurement of the room acoustic parameters or current indexes used by designers do not fully represent the listeners’ audio experiences. In this paper measured and simulated parameters for room acoustic are analyzed in time and frequency domains for a selected number of well-known halls. Computer simulation and room acoustic measurements using beamforming techniques are used to examine the sound quality and acoustic sense of immersion within these uniquely shaped halls. Halls with the audience facing the stage as compared to the audience’s seating surrounding the stage have a noticeable impact on the high-frequency absorption of direct and reflected sounds in each space given the presence of the audience. Correlation between immersion index and other acoustic parameters or indexes such as reverberation time, sound strength, sound texture, listeners’ envelopment, early decay and center time, clarity-definition for speech and music, are explored and used to show contributions of acoustical features or key architectural elements within these selected halls. The practical application of these new indexes associated with space geometry for room acoustic design calculations contributes to the high quality of sound experience in concert halls.Concert halls’ geometry and volume, impact or shape listeners’ room acoustic experience. The current recommended procedure within ISO3382 in calculation or measurement of the room acoustic parameters or current indexes used by designers do not fully represent the listeners’ audio experiences. In this paper measured and simulated parameters for room acoustic are analyzed in time and frequency domains for a selected number of well-known halls. Computer simulation and room acoustic measurements using beamforming techniques are used to examine the sound quality and acoustic sense of immersion within these uniquely shaped halls. Halls with the audience facing the stage as compared to the audience’s seating surrounding the stage have a noticeable impact on the high-frequency absorption of direct and reflected sounds in each space given the presence of the audience. Correlation between immersion index and other acoustic parameters or indexes such as reverberation time, sound strength, sound texture, listeners’ e...