Reverberation time is the key design variable separating concert hall types

Evidence

Concert halls for music performances, that is, big halls for orchestral music, opera houses, chamber music halls, and halls for electronically reinforced sound, have to be designed keeping in mind the primary use of the hall. The main difference between the halls is the reverberation: too long a reverberation at too high a level compared to the acoustics optimal for the music performed there, and the general impression of the music is degraded. On the other hand, if the hall is too ‘dry’ in reverberation, the loudness of music may be perceived as too low with acoustic instruments, and the general impression of the music will again be different from the way it should be. — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 2464

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s silence/acoustic-composition work and to how performance spaces shape the sound experience.