Magne Skålevik

Brekke & Strand, Oslo, Norway

www.akutek.info

Stage acoustics

ORCHESTRA CANOPIES

162nd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, 2 November 2011, 3aAA1

 What is an orchestra canopy?
 Horizontal, sound reflecting device
 Suspended above orchestra

Single element Element array, m=50% density

These two have equal total surface area

Vienna, Boston, Amsterdam
Orchestra canopies
Orchestra canopies
Orchestra canopies
Panel array canopies
Orchestra, acoustic needs

 Hearing others, notes, pitch, ques, intonation

 Direct sound path obstructed , alternative sound paths
beneficial
 Transmission quality measure demanded
 Early low frequency response, Gearly, 63-125Hz
 Bass pulse, Beat, to play in sync
 Heavy walls close to orchestra
 Hearing the hall acoustics, performers reverberance
 Proper STlate , Glate and C on stage
 Stage not separated from auditorium, no low stage ceiling
 No echoes
 no specular ceiling reflection
 Attenuation through orchestra
Transmission IR from 1st Violin to Basson, distance 11m
No canopy

Higher: Free sightline STI=0.67

13dB Lower: Through orchestra STI=0.55

 Chairs+stands w/wo musicians
Transmission IR from 1st Violin to Basson, distance 11m
No canopy

Higher: Chairs and stands STI=0.65

10dB Lower: Chairs , stands and musicians STI=0.55

 Canopy effect, no sightline
Transmission IR from 1st Violin to Basson, distance 11m

Upper: With canopy STI=0.61

Lower: Without canopy STI=0.55

10dB
 Two different models, STI
0 3 5 8 10 13 15 18 metres STI >= 0,70

STImedian =0.6 0,65

0,63

0,61
10 metres
0,58

P1 0,56

8 0,53

0,51

0,49
5 0,46

0,44

0,41
3
0,39

0,37

0,34
0
0,32

Odeon©1985-2009 Licensed to: Brekke & Strand Akustikk AS, Norway

Odeon©1985-2009 Licensed to: Brekke & Strand Akustikk AS, Norway <= 0,30
0 3 5 8 10 13 15 18 metres STI >= 0,70

STImedian =0.5 0,66

0,63
10 metres
0,60

0,57
P1
8 0,55

0,52

0,49
5
0,46

0,43

3 0,41

0,38

0,35
0
0,32

Odeon©1985-2009 Licensed to: License information /dongle unavailable at start up! Odeon©1985-2009 Licensed to: License information /dongle unavailable at start up!
Transmission through
orchestra, re free sight
Transmission from 1st Violin to Basson, distance = 11m
0 dB

-10 dB

500 1k 2k Freq
(Hz)

Canopy reflection
frequency range
Support – hearing oneself
Support – fill-in-effect
32ms
w canopy
ST1=-13.7dB

no canopy
ST1=-15.2dB
Mutual hearing
Mutual hearing

♪♫
Mutual hearing
 Fill-in-effect, 10m source-receiver distance

20dB w canopy

20dB no canopy
Mutual hearing
 5 measurements, 10m source-receiver distance

20dB w canopy

20dB no canopy
Mutual hearing
 Initial time gap, at 10m distance
15ms
20dB w canopy

48ms
20dB no canopy
Height and density – level
balance
Early-Late balance C80
Stage-Auditorium balance

Low canopies should be transparent

Echo-breaker
Unobstructed sound paths

The canopy path is always available

Diffuse multi-channel

less dependent on source directivity and obstacles

Homogenous foldback
Image orchestra

t
Received:

•In sync
•Equal levels
Option: Inclined surface

Image
orchestra L

t
Wall + Balcony soffit

Image orchestra
L

t
Transparent canopy
- the canopy array
Flat panel array filter
Transmission

s=40%

freq
F0
Reflection

m=60%

freq
F0

F0 ~128/a , radius a
Narrow-band filter canopy
Transmission

s=40%

freq
F0
Reflection

m=60%

freq
F0

F0 ~128/a , radius a
Convex panel array filter
Transmission

s=40%

freq
F0
Reflection

m=60%

freq
F0

F0 ~128/a , radius a
Two-way panel array filter
Transmission

s=40%

freq
F0
Reflection

m=60%

freq
F0

F0 ~128/a , radius a
What I was trying to say
 Start by defining what the orchestra needs
 Design canopy as a response to needs
 Predict difference w/wo canopy
 Subtle fill-in effect, hard to predict, hard to measure
 Don’t use it if you don’t need it
 Remember Vienna, Amsterdam, Boston
 Check for unwanted side-effects
 Uneven coverage, bad pitch-response, echoes, balance,..
 Canopy Arrays useful, but involve many design parameters
 Element size, frequency range, Density, Height, Diffusivity and Coverage
 Effective echo-breaker
 Stage Acoustics research far from complete, demand for metric remains
 Current parameters (ST) apply to empty stage, maybe solo, duet, quartet.......but
not to orchestra conditions
 Obstructed cross-stage paths must be taken into account
 Thank you

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