Throw Away that Standard and Listen: Your Two Ears Work Better

The acoustics of a concert hall is often described with the help of ISO3382-1: 2009 parameters. However, several recent studies suggest that IS03382-1 cannot explain the details of subjective perception nor preferences of the listeners. The current parameters, averaged over listener positions, and the use of only mid frequencies are definitely inadequate. We have recently measured over 15 concert halls around Europe with a novel measurement system - the loudspeaker orchestra. It consists of 34 calibrated loudspeakers on stage to simulate an orchestra, the most common sound source in concert halls. For objective analysis and spatial sound reproduction, we measure spatial impulse responses from each loudspeaker at accurately defined receiver positions. This enables accurate comparison of the properties of spatial impulse responses between halls. Furthermore, we have developed methods to convolve anechoic symphony orchestra recordings with the measured spatial impulse responses for multichannel loudspeaker listening. Both subjective comparison of halls and objective analysis with timefrequency and spatiotemporal properties of impulse responses have helped us to link architectural features and subjective perceptions. This article gives example of these links and shows the importance of early reflections for engaging sound.