Measurements in opera houses: comparison between different techniques and equipment

In room acoustics many objective parameters to quantify subjective impressions have been introduced. These quantities can be measured by using a wide variety of powerful tools and equipment. The results can be influenced by the measurement techniques and instruments used. Furthermore the results also depend on the position and condition of the hall in which the measurements are made. With the aim of obtaining a procedure to qualify a room, and in particular an opera house, which will give comparable and reproducible results anywhere else, an extensive measurement campaign was made. In this paper some of the results of the measurement campaign are presented. Comparisons were made both between different tools (real-time analyzer, DAT, PC-board, sources) and between different techniques (stationary, impulsive, pseudo-random)

Sound radiation prediction by scale models

SIGLELD:D50144/84 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

European Doctorate in Sound and Vibration (EDSVS)

none1A network of eight European Universities active in the field of sound and vibration offer doctoral training to students from Member and Associate States of the European Union and to students from third countries. The EDSVS network will also assist all other types of Early Stage Training carried out at the EDSVS Institutions. This will include Master courses, Modular Training Courses, Training Workshops, etc. The eight University Hosting Institutions are: 1. University of Southampton – Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, (ISVR), United Kingdom 2. Università di Ferrara – Dipartimento di Ingegneria, (DIUF), Italy; 3. Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, (INSA), France; 4. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven – Department of Mechanical Engineering, (KUL), Belgium; 5. Trinity College Dublin – Mechanical Engineering Department, (TCD), Eire; 6. Technical University of Denmark – Acoustic Technology, (DTU), Denmark; 7. Technical University of Berlin – Institute of Technical Acoustics, (TUB), Germany; 8. Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan– MWL, The Marcus Wallenberg Laboratory for Sound and Vibration Research, (KTH), Sweden. Training will be provided for all subjects related to acoustic noise and vibration. Therefore this is a multidisciplinary project, which involves training in engineering, environmental, physics, mathematical and life sciences. Additional training support will be available for language courses, computing courses and research project planning and management. Each doctoral student under this programme will have a “Home Institute” and a “Hosting Institute”, which will jointly define the doctorate programme; the supervision and support of the doctorate activity. Normally the main research activity will be carried out at the Home Institute (normally about 70% of the doctorate duration) while the remaining work will be carried at the Hosting Institute (normally about 30% of the doctorate duration). The European Commission is financing about 18 fellowships per year to support students’ visits at the eight EDSVS Institutes. The fellowships are awarded under the EC Marie Curie Host Fellowships program “Early Stage Research Training” (EST). The allowances to the students consist of: a) monthly living allowance, b) monthly mobility allowance; c) monthly mobility allowance. The total amount of the mobility living allowances is calculated on the basis of a) annual reference rates, b) country correction coefficients and c) expected proportion of employment contracts versus stipend. Students will be recruited either under an employment contract or a status equivalent to a fixed amount stipend. An employment contract includes all compulsory deductions under the national legislation. The reference rate for employment contract is 30,550 (€/year) while for fixed amount stipend is 15,275 (€/year). The duration of fellowships is between 3 and 36 months with no interruptions. In order to enhance the mobility character of this program, when fellowships last more than 12 months, students are requested to carry out one or more additional visit(s) to other Hosting Institutes for a total period of three months. EST fellowships are open to “early-stage researchers” (ESR) who are defined as researchers in the first 4 years (full-time equivalent) of their research activity, including the period of research training.noneR. PompoliPompoli, Robert

A note on the acoustics of orchestra rehearsal rooms

ABSTRACT The acoustical conditions of rehearsal rooms are of primary importance during the training process of an orchestra. Therefore these spaces should be specifically designed to allow the musicians to clearly hear themselves and each other. At the same time an appropriate sound level should be maintained to avoid extensive exposure to high pressure levels. Despite the peculiar role of these rooms in the musical production process, acoustic design criteria are not still sufficiently clarified. This paper deals with a description of a design process which, staring from simple formulas of a reverberant field, leads to investigate the relevance of geometrical and acoustical parameters on the final performance of a rehearsal room. The influence of the values of the ratio V/N (Volume/Number of musicians), S/N ( floor surface/number of musicians), W/N ( Sound power/Number of musicians) on objective acoustic parameters such as ST Early ( Early support) will be described. A guide line for the acoustic design of an orchestra rehearsal room will be finally proposed. Some specific case histories of rehearsal rooms will be discussed

An investigation into the reproducability results of the European ILT programme.

In an inter-laboratory test programme (ILT) for the measurement of airborne sound insulation of lightweight walls, reproducibility values of up to 12dB were obtained from the sound reduction index measured in 21 participating laboratories. These high reproducibility values were for a test structure composed of lightweight plasterboard panels, forming a double wall, mounted on separate metal 'C' channels. This paper presents possible reasons for the large reproducibility values for the double wall using experimental investigations and theoretical models using Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA). Whilst the sound reduction index (SRI) does take into account the different test wall areas and reverberation times of the respective laboratories involved, some factors which may influence the measured SRI values are not. It is suggested that the principle factor which may have effected the SRI values of this test programme for the double wall was the lining material of the test aperture in the various laboratories which can provide a flanking transmission path between both sides of the double wall. Other factors are discussed which may also play a contributory role in causing differences in the measured SRI values such as sill/reveal size, aspect ratio, panel-channel connections and workmanshi

Measurements of sound scattering of the steps of the cavea in ancient open air theatres

none3noneFARNETANI A; N. PRODI; POMPOLI RFarnetani, Andrea; Prodi, Nicola; Pompoli, Robert