Validation of sound propagation from outdoor music venues—A comparison of measurement and models

Abstract

The post pandemic United States has seen a surge in new outdoor entertainment venues springing up with various levels of planning in regard to sound impact on communities. The variability of sound systems, artists, audio engineers and operators, low frequency content ratios, and weather conditions beg the need to predict potential impact of venues on communities and understand what sound management is possible. Two venues will be shown with controlled sound system tests measured compared with propagation computer models. In addition, iterative design efforts with architectural noise control to reduce impact on the nearby community will be shown, in particular an attempt to reduce low frequencies and the limits of modeling standards in regard to diffraction.