Using cognitive psychology and neuroscience to better inform sound system design at large musical events

Large musical events have become increasingly popular in the last fifty years. It is now not uncommon to have indoor shows in excess of 10,000 people, and open-air events of 30,000 people or more. These events, nevertheless, present technical challenges that have only begun to be solved in the last hundred years, with the introduction of sound reinforcement systems, electric lighting and now video/display technologies. However, these technologies present an artificial link to the performance that requires an understanding of both the audience's expectations as well as the technologies' abilities and limitations. Although many of these abilities and limitations are well documented, the audience's responses to them are less so. This paper introduces research primarily into audience auditory responses but at a subconscious level. By investigating these responses, it is hoped to find a commonality amongst audiences, from which better-informed metrics can be derived

An investigation into the effect of sweat and moisture on the performance of in-ear monitors

In-ear monitors are used widely in the live event industry, allowing performers precision control of their personal monitoring system while suppressing interference from the external environment. This paper presents the results of an experiment on the effect of moisture, primarily sweat, on the acoustical output of in-ear monitor transducers. A 3D model of a test subject’s ear was constructed with custom moulded in-ear monitors inserted. Electroacoustic testing was carried out at various sound levels with an artificial sweat solution applied to the model. Results indicate that moisture has the potential to enter the ear canal due to capillary action, affecting the listening experience in terms of frequency response and overall level. Recommendations are provided based on this research, pointing to further necessary investigations

The influence of audience participatory noise on sound levels at live events

Although the importance of audience participation at events, in terms of verbal and non-verbal appreciation, is well recognised, the by-product, noise, primarily in the form of applause, cheering and whistling, has been subject to little study in terms of its impact on sound pressure levels. This paper presents findings from a preliminary study in this area, where the specific impact of audiences on overall sound levels is analysed using a dataset from real-world large-scale events. Results indicate that an audience is capable of significantly increasing an event's overall sound level, even though their active participation only constitutes a small proportion of the event duration. Since sound level limits do not distinguish between noise sources, this notable influence from the audience can prevent compliance with imposed limits and should be considered in future updates to sound level monitoring systems and standards/regulations

A case study on the impact list event sound level regulations have on sound engineering practice

Sound level management at live events in becoming increasingly common at live events in the UK, Europe and beyond. An inspection of regulations across the globe reveals a lack of standardization for sound level limits and averaging times. This case study is formed around a dataset generated on a recent tour by a well-known British musical act. The same sound engineer mixed the band throughout the tour using sound level monitoring software throughout. As the show’s configuration, engineer, musicians and running order were generally consistent day-to-day, the direct inspection of the influence of sound level limit and averaging time, as well as venue capacity and type (indoors or outdoors), is possible. The results from this study highlight both good and bad sound management practice, with key stakeholders’ experience and hearing safety in mind.N/

Updated Information on the Local Group

The present note updates the information published in my recent monograph on \underline{The Galaxies of the Local Group}. Highlights include (1) the addition of the newly discovered Cetus dwarf spheroidal as a certain member of the Local Group, (2) an improved distance for SagDIG, which now places this object very close to the edge of the Local Group zero-velocity surface, (3) more information on the evolutionary histories of some individual Local Group members, and (4) improved distance determinations to, and luminosities for, a number of Local Group members. These data increase the number of certain (or probable) Local Group members to 36. The spatial distribution of these galaxies supports Hubble's claim that the Local Group ``is isolated in the general field.'' Presently available evidence suggests that star formation continued much longer in many dwarf spheroidals than it did in the main body of the Galactic halo. It is suggested that ``young'' globular clusters, such as Ruprecht 106, might have formed in now defunct dwarf spheroidals. Assuming SagDIG, which is the most remote Local Group galaxy, to lie on, or just inside, the zero-velocity surface of the Local Group yields a dynamical age \gtrsim 17.9 \pm 2.7 Gyr.Comment: 19 pages, 1 figure, to be published in the April 2000 issue of PAS

Understanding the direct and indirect mechanisms of xylanase action on starch digestion in broilers

The objective of the current study was to investigate the mechanisms of xylanase action in a maize-soya diet and its effect on starch digestion. A total of 60 broilers were divided into 6 treatment groups; a control group without xylanase, and five other groups supplemented with xylanase (Econase XT 25; 100 g/t) from 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 weeks before slaughter. At the end of the experiment, digesta was collected from the gizzard, upper and lower small intestine, and both caeca. Digesta pH ranged from pH 2.2-4.4, 5.9-6.6, 6.7-7.8 and 5.7-7.3 in the gizzard, upper small intestine, lower small intestine, and both caeca, respectively, with no effect of xylanase (P > 0.05). Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images along with total starch measurements showed the progression of starch digestion through the tract. The SEM did not show any greater disruption to cell wall material with xylanase supplementation. This suggests that xylanase was not working directly on the cell wall and provides evidence for the hypothesis that xylanase works through an indirect mechanism. Peptide YY (PYY) concentration in the blood was higher during the first few weeks of supplementation, with longer periods of supplementation nulling this effect, implying that xylanase may be acting through a prebiotic mechanism. The RT-q PCR results revealed a numerical increase in glucose transporter (GLUT2 and SGLT1) expression at 2 and 3 weeks of xylanase supplementation, respectively, which might suggest a greater absorption capacity of birds. From these results, a potential mechanism of xylanase action in maize-based diets has been proposed

Understanding the direct and indirect mechanisms of xylanase action on starch digestion in broilers

The objective of the current study was to investigate the mechanisms of xylanase action in a maize-soya diet and its effect on starch digestion. A total of 60 broilers were divided into 6 treatment groups; a control group without xylanase, and five other groups supplemented with xylanase (Econase XT 25; 100 g/t) from 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 weeks before slaughter. At the end of the experiment, digesta was collected from the gizzard, upper and lower small intestine, and both caeca. Digesta pH ranged from pH 2.2-4.4, 5.9-6.6, 6.7-7.8 and 5.7-7.3 in the gizzard, upper small intestine, lower small intestine, and both caeca, respectively, with no effect of xylanase (P > 0.05). Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images along with total starch measurements showed the progression of starch digestion through the tract. The SEM did not show any greater disruption to cell wall material with xylanase supplementation. This suggests that xylanase was not working directly on the cell wall and provides evidence for the hypothesis that xylanase works through an indirect mechanism. Peptide YY (PYY) concentration in the blood was higher during the first few weeks of supplementation, with longer periods of supplementation nulling this effect, implying that xylanase may be acting through a prebiotic mechanism. The RT-q PCR results revealed a numerical increase in glucose transporter (GLUT2 and SGLT1) expression at 2 and 3 weeks of xylanase supplementation, respectively, which might suggest a greater absorption capacity of birds. From these results, a potential mechanism of xylanase action in maize-based diets has been proposed

High-mass star formation in the Southern Hemisphere sky

We report on a multi-wavelength (IR to cm) and multi-resolution (1 mas to 20 arcsec) exploration of high-mass star formation regions in the Galactic plane, at longitudes observable from the Southern Hemisphere. Our source sample was originally identified through methanol masers in the Galactic plane, which exclusively trace high-mass star-forming regions. (Sub)millimetre continuum and molecular line observations were carried out with SEST/SIMBA, JCMT/SCUBA and ATNF/Mopra mm-wave telescopes and have allowed us to identify massive ($>20$ M$_{\odot}$) and luminous ($>10^3$ L$_{\odot}$) clumps in each star-forming region. We have also constrained the SED with additional archival IR data, the physical conditions ($T_{dust}$, $L$, $M$) and the chemical composition of each massive clump. Several types of objects were characterised based on the $L_{submm}/L_{bol}$ ratio, the dust temperature and the molecular line properties, ranging from class 0-like YSO clusters ($L_{sub}/L_{bol}\sim1$, T=30 K) to hot molecular clumps ($L_{sub}/L_{bol}\sim0.1$, $T=40-200$ K). Preliminary high-angular resolution observations for a subset of the sample with the ATNF/ATCA at 3 mm, the VLA at 15, 22 and 43 GHz and Gemini in MIR have revealed that several (proto)stellar objects are embedded in the massive clumps: massive protostars, hot cores and hyper-compact HII regions. We have thus identified protoclusters of massive YSOs, which are the precursors of the OB associations. This sample of Southern Hemisphere star-forming regions will be extremely valuable for the scientific preparation of the ALMA and HSO observations.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, conference proceeding

Sound Level Monitoring at Live Events, Part 1–Live Dynamic Range

Musical dynamics are often central within pieces of music and are therefore likely to be fundamental to the live event listening experience. While metrics exist in broadcasting and recording to quantify dynamics, such measures work on high-resolution data. Live event sound level monitoring data is typically low-resolution (logged at one second intervals or less), which necessitates bespoke musical dynamics quantification. Live dynamic range (LDR) is presented and validated here to serve this purpose, where measurement data is conditioned to remove song breaks and sound level regulation-imposed adjustments to extract the true musical dynamics from a live performance. Results show consistent objective performance of the algorithm, as tested on synthetic data as well as datasets from previous performances.N/