Acoustics of Concert Halls and Rooms

SOME BASICS OF
ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS

Auditorium Acoustics

Science of Sound, Chapter 23

Principles of Vibration and Sound,
Chapter 11
Kimmel Center
 SOUND FIELD

p vs r log p vs log r
Free field

Reflections
Sound decay

Sound decay in a
400 m3 classroom

Sound pressure level as a

function of time for that room
 GROWTH AND DECAY OF REVERBERANT SOUND

RT = K (volume / area)
RT = 0.161 V/A (V in m3; A in m2 )
If room dimensions are given in feet, the formula may be written:
RT= 0.049 V/A (V in ft.3 ; A in ft.2 )
 Decay of reverberant sound

(a) and (b) are decay curves of sound pressure and sound
level in a room with uniform energy distribution
(c) shows different initial and final reverberation times
(d) shows peaks due to prominent standing waves or room
resonances
CALCULATING REVERBERATION TIME
CALCULATING REVERBERATION TIME
 Desirable
reverberation times
for various sizes and
functions

Variation of
reverberation time
with frequency in
good halls
McDermott
Concert
Hall
(Dallas)
Orchestra
Hall
(Chicago)
 Meyerhof
Symphony
Hall
(Baltimore)
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Disney
Kimmel
Center
Auditorium
BACKGROUND NOISE CRITERIA
 • Spatial impression
Important criteria for • Intimacy
• Early decay time
concert halls: • Clarity
• “Warmth”
 Concert
halls
throughout
the
World