Research papers

Research papers on acoustics for pop and rock music concerts

Niels W. Adelman-Larsen has made an effort over the past years as to discover further what kind of acoustics are recommendable for amplified music concerts. Strangely before that there had been little, if any, scientific investigations regarding acoustics for pop and rock music.

Essential findings are recommendable T30 for a given size empty hall and also which tolerances around T30 are acceptable and recommendable at various octave bands. Absorption coefficcients for a standing audience were also identified.

Within the genre of rock and pop music, bass frequency tones are often played rhythmically syncopated and amplified to loud levels. Unlike higher frequency sound, bass frequencies cannot be aimed at the audience to the same degree, but propagates somewhat away from the speaker cabinets in other directions too.

All surfaces in the hall will hence contribute to the creation of LF reverberation if not LF absorptive. Further, audience absorbs 4-6 more mid-hi frequency sound than low.  Not surprisingly T30 at bass frequencies of the empty hall must be low in order to form a great venue for an amplified music concert.

Niels authored a book for Springer Verlag on acoustic and architectural design  for pop and rock venues.

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Download research papers here:

  Suitable RT in halls for rock & pop music

 Investigation on acceptable reverberation time at various frequency bands in halls that present amplified music

  Importance of bass clarity at amplified music concerts

  On a new variable absorption product and acceptable     tolerances around T30 for amplifed music concerts

  RT in 50 European venues that present amplified music

  Variable LF absorber for multi purpose halls