Identification and Enhancement of On-stage Acoustics in a Multipurpose Auditorium

Abstract

The objective of this research is to identify the measurable sound quality parameters of an existing multipurpose auditorium in which the acoustics are not adequate for orchestral purposes. The major problems have been identified as the lack of sufficient projection of sound from the stage area, the inability of the musicians to hear themselves and each other, and the poor reverberation time of the auditorium. The final goal of this study is to implement a solution which will produce a measurable and audible improvement of the on-stage acoustics for the musicians by implementing an acoustic shell which will surround the orchestra, thereby increasing the early reflections on-stage. During this study, one of the objective parameters used is 'Support', which depends on the amount of early and late reflections relative to the direct sound. The studied objective parameters have been used to assess the effectiveness of the acoustic shell by conducting acoustic measurements following the guidelines specified by ISO 3382-1:2009 for performance spaces. In the final paper, an objective analysis of these parameters will be presented with and without the shell in place, in order to verify the overall enhancement for the musicians provided by the acoustic shell.