The effects of stage absorption on reverberation times in opera house seating areas

The effects of stage absorption on reverberation times in opera houses were investigated using computer simulations and scale model measurements. The reverberation time (RT) was measured in stalls seating with and without variable stage elements (e.g., fly curtains, side curtains, cycloramas, and stage sets). The absorption coefficients of the walls and ceiling of the stage houses were varied accordingly. It was found that variable stage elements have a significant influence on reverberation times in seating areas, particularly for a reverberant stage house, due to the low absorption of the walls and ceiling in the stage house. It was also found that the absorption coefficients of the walls and ceiling should be over 0.5 to avoid RT decreases of over 10% due to the absorption of the variable stage elements. In addition, coupled room effects were investigated both with and without variable stage elements and the results show that double slope was not found in the opera houses investigated in this study. (C) 2015 Acoustical Society of America.