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

Free field

Reflections

log p vs log r

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

Important criteria for

concert halls:

Spatial impression
Intimacy
Early decay time
Clarity
Warmth

Concert
halls
throughout
the
World