Page 17 - Winter 2011

A new paradigm? References
As room acousticians, we are at a pivotal moment in our field. Our computers can collect terabytes of data at blazing speeds, but those data will not truly progress the science of concert hall acoustics unless guided by artful listening, with deep conviction that there is much more that we need to learn. The great concert halls of the world remain an invalu- able resource for critical listening and investigation, but we should not approach them merely as technicians. Instead, we should approach them with eyes and ears wide open, guided by the wisdom of those who have pioneered our field. Our vocabulary needs to be increased to include parameters that relate better to the music performed in concert halls, and must grow and change as those musical art forms evolve. Does this amount to a paradigm shift? Yes!
A new paradigm for concert hall design is needed in which we approach buildings in an ears-first, multidisciplinary way that properly focuses on listening to what spaces and perform- ers can tell us that inform, enrich, and temper our work.AT
1 ISO 3382-1 Measurement of Room Acoustic Parameters—Part 1, Performance Spaces (International Standards Organization, Geneva, 2009).
2 T. Gulsrud, P. Exton, A. van der Harten, and L. Kirkegaard, “Room acoustics investigations in Hamer Hall at the Arts Centre, Melbourne,” International Symposium on Room Acoustics, Melbourne, Australia (2010).
3 L. L. Beranek, Concert Halls and Opera Houses: Music, Acoustics, and Architecture, 2nd ed. (Springer-Verlag, New York, 2006).
4 The ILG fan is a reference sound source consisting of a cen-
trifugal fan wheel driven by a 1⁄4 HP motor, manufactured by ILG Industries, Inc. It has usable sound output down to approx- imately 50 Hz, is more omnidirectional than a dodec, and we find it more pleasant to listen to than pink noise from a loud- speaker!
5 J. Meyer (translated by U. Hansen), Acoustics and the Performance of Music: Manual for Acousticians, Audio Engineers, Musicians, Architects, and Musical Instrument Makers (Springer, New York 2009).
In Search of a New Paradigm 13