Subjective Assessment of Stage Acoustics for Solo and Chamber Music Performances

Author： Chiang Weihwa Chen Shih-tang Huang Ching-tsung

ISSN： 1610-1928

Source： Acta Acustica united with Acustica, Vol.89, Iss.5, 2003-09, pp. : 848-856

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Abstract

The stage acoustics of five concert halls were evaluated for instrumental solo and chamber music performances with early-to-direct energy ratio (ED100) in the range of −14 dB to −6 dB. The musicians expressed their opinions about hearing oneself, hearing others, ease of ensemble, and the overall impression. Listeners in the audience made simultaneous evaluations regarding the strength of the individual parts and overall impression. In each hall the musicians were seated at two locations with and without detached side reflectors. The trumpeters favored the front position without side reflectors while the string players dislike this configuration. An optimum value in the range of −12 dB to −11 dB and an upper limit around -8 dB were observed for ED100. The musicians did not demand particularly strong early energy. The subjective ratings, especially by the brass players and the pianist, were generally positively correlated with acoustical measures associated with late reflections. The optimum late support (STlate) was around −14 dB. For the listeners, the front position on stage with the reflectors yielded the best balance for the violin-cello-piano trio, which was correlated with lateral energy fraction (LF) measured in the audience.