Subjective preference of initial time delay gap in a Javanese gamelan concert hall

Abstract

Several human subjects were involved in a subjective test using the paired comparison method to determine the preferred initial time delay gap (ITDG) for listening to Javanese gamelan music (gendhing) in a concert hall. To provide comparisons, acoustic measurements in several pendopos in Indonesia have also been carried out. Pendopo is an open-sided hall, where the Javanese gamelan is usually played. The measurements were conducted using the room impulse response method, with a maximum length sequences (MLS) signal as its sound source. The ITDG of four pendopos are presented in this paper. The results of subjective preference testing showed that there are preferences for short ITDG, although evidence for a single value of preference was not conclusive. These results agree with the ITDG from the room responses measured in the pendopos, which are not common concert halls but open-sided halls.