The Modern Concert Hall

Lecture for:
The Concert Hall Research Group
Chicago, Illinois - August 2014

Presented by:
Richard Talaske, FASA

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 Topics of this Presentation
Warmth versus Boomy
The Value of Orchestra Pits
Accommodating Other Functions within Concert
Halls
Surround Halls – Pros and Cons
Contemporary Recording Formats

modern
flexibility

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 mid- & high-
pitched sound

0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0

low-pitched
sound

0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0

Reverberation Time
(seconds)
Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago
 Methods for Absorbing Low-Pitched
Sound
Porous Materials
Resonant Membranes
Helmholtz Absorbers
Quarter Wavelength Absorbers
Active-passive absorbers

Photo (size warmth Photo (size may

may vary) boomy vary)

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 Remaking the Famed Guthrie Thrust

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 Wurtele Thrust – Ceiling Panels Being Hung

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 Some Specific Acoustic Features to
See
 The ceiling (view from the stage, if
possible, to see the extent of lighting)
 The absence of panels over the stage
 The presence of smaller panels around
the D-ring catwalk
 The large sound reflecting panels over
the side voms
 The loudspeakers and control positions
for audio systems… most interesting
parts of the audio are well-hidden
 The air supply diffusers under the seats

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 Wurtele Thrust – Ceiling

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 The Ceiling – Computer Modeling
The ceiling was designed and coordinated amongst the architect, theatre planners, and
acoustician using the same CAD file over a period of more than two years.

Wurtele Thrust –Computer Model Wurtele Thrust – Computer Model Analysis

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 The benefits and pitfalls of resonating
materials within performance spaces

Proper application of the fundamental physical

acoustics regarding resonance depends upon the
intended uses of the room.
Resonating materials can absorb sound from a
room.
Resonating materials can add sound to a room.
The degree to which a resonating material adds resonance
sound to a room depends upon the time
characteristics of the excitation source.
The degree to which a resonating material adds or
removes sound from a room depends on the
damping factor of the material.

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 The types of resonances performing
arts acousticians address
Instruments and voices.
Normal modes within rooms, cutoff defined by
Schroeder’s Frequency.
Structural building resonances.
Grazing absorption “seat dip” due to sound traveling
over a material of finite impedance.
Low frequency absorption by materials. resonance
Audience seating.
Stage floors, cello boxes, orchestral risers.
Feedback in audio systems.
Comb filtering.
Noise from lighting fixtures, HVAC components,
equipment on structures, etc.

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

  Cymbals (and all instruments) resonate in distinct patterns
 The pattern is different for each pitch, but all or many
resonances occur simultaneously
 The combination of all these resonance create the timbre
of the instrument
 Dark areas correspond to large vibration
 White areas correspond to little motion (called nodes)

by Rick Talaske – Acoustician

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago
  Wood or plaster backed by
airspace will resonate in
many different but
predictable “modes”
 These resonances absorb
sound at specific low
pitches
 The audible result is less
low-pitch sound (less
warmth) heard within the
room

by Rick Talaske – Acoustician

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago
 Methods exist for Predicting Absorption
of Materials (Schultz, et al)

02 December 2002
Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago
 Influence of Wavelength

Presented to the League of Historic American Theatres by Rick Talaske – Acoustician

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago
 by Rick Talaske – Acoustician
Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago
 by Rick Talaske – Acoustician
Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago
 Orchestra Pit Goals

Squelch the music versus

voice
Stage action line of
sight/hearing to music
Photo (1:1.5 aspect ratio) director
Sight of baton by
musicians, comfortably
Proper size.

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 Orchestra Pit Size “Plateaus”

10 to 15 Musicians (Compact
Broadway)
Photo (1.5:1 35’ish Musicians (Mozart, Gilbert &
aspect ratio) Sullivan)
55+ Musicians (Nutcracker)
85+ Musician (Grand Opera)

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 Primary Orchestra Pit Configurations

Traditional
Photo (1:1.5 aspect ratio) Wagnerian

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 Photo (1:1.5 aspect ratio)

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 Wagnerian Orchestra Pit

Photo (1.5:1
Photo (1:1.5 aspect ratio)
aspect ratio)

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Bayreuth Festspielhaus

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 Alternatives to a Proper Orchestra Pit

Alternatives are
Compromises
Photo (1:1.5 aspect ratio) Make Sure Design
Goals are Met
Be Clever!

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 Surround Seating - Pros
Photo (1:1.5 aspect ratio)
Richard Talaske, FASA
Provides Acoustic Volume
Around Platform
Very Communal Arrangement
Students/Patrons can Study
the Techniques of the
Musicians/Conductor
Doubles as a Choral Loft
Staging Flexibility
The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago
 Surround Seating - Cons

Sparsely-occupied Lofts
Look Empty
Audio Coverage is
Challenging

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 Photo (1:1.5 aspect ratio)

photo caption

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 Photo (1:1.5 aspect ratio)

University of Manitoba – Opera Mode

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 Concert Hall Recordings - Reproduction Formats

Vinyl
Compact Disk
MP3
FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) Pulse Code
Modulation
DSD (Direct Stream Digital) Delta Sigma

bit depth
sampling rate

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago

 The Modern Concert Hall
Lecture for:
The Concert Hall Research Group
Chicago, Illinois - August 2014

Presented by:
Richard Talaske, FASA

Richard Talaske, FASA The Modern Concert Hall – CHRG Chicago