Concert Hall Acoustics Design

Concert Hall Acoustics Design - Combination of Architecture, Psychology, & Engineering - Michelle Vigeant The successful design of concert halls is often a delicate balance between having innovative architecture and still achieving excellent hall acoustics. Many perceptual attributes contribute to the overall impression of excellent acoustics. For example, “reverberance” – the perception of sound lingering in a space, “clarity” – the degree to which you can distinguish between individual notes, and “envelopment” – the sense of being completely surrounded by sound. However, there is a gap in our understanding of the importance of each of these characteristics to the overall room acoustic quality. Researchers at Penn State are studying this topic to develop new design guidelines to improve future concert hall designs. Measurements have been taken in several regional halls and plans are underway to measure well-known halls throughout the United States and Europe. Using these measurements, listening tests are being conducted in a special listening facility on campus that has 30 loudspeakers that are installed in an anechoic (no-echoes) chamber. The relationship between the measurements and the listening tests are then evaluated to identify the influence of hall shape and surface finishes on the acoustics. These results will ultimately inform future designs, which will improve the quality of the concert experience for attendees and may also result in more cost-effective halls.