Y3 | Acoustics of musical performance rooms

Acoustics of musical performance rooms
Y3 | Workgroup Summary

14 July 2021
09:30-11:00 EDT
Via Zoom

Workgroup Leaders: M. Kob (Hochschule für Musik Detmold), M. de Francisco (McGill University)

Aims:

Room acoustic characteristics are observed to have a high influence on the performance of musicians as well as on the perception of the sound field created by an orchestra/ensemble. The main task of this session was to discuss the status of the ongoing ACTOR projects related to room acoustics, evaluation on music performance and auralisation. It included topics such as ODESSA-IV planning, investigation of room acoustics on string ensemble/choir blending, auralisation of a string ensemble, and the creation of a dictionary of acoustic phenomena for musicians.

Discussion Points:

• Blending between sources is a multi-dimensional phenomenon that is influenced by musical and acoustical factors. To investigate the relationship between the musical attributes (articulation, dynamics, pitch range, tempo, micro-modulations, etc.) and the impression of blending, recordings of performances of specialized compositions that feature these musical attributes are needed.

• Acoustic dictionary for musicians:

  • Currently developing contents & videos, template of website, organizing the website

  • Many terms have multiple definitions among musicians and acousticians: how to describe them?

  • Connecting the Timbre Lingo webpage (https://www.actorproject.org/tor/modules/timbre-lingo-homepage) for music cognition to the Acoustic dictionary

• Room acoustic factors on blending: psychological aspects in joint performance, blending impression at different perspectives (conductor, recording engineer, acousticians, etc.)

• Microphone arrangements, and spatial audio capture methods for choral blending recording of an ensemble positioned with unusual distance between the choral singers (Path of Miracles)

 Action Items:

1.     Planning, performance, and evaluation of ODESSA-IV: Defining a framework and time plan. Recording to take place in Detmold in early spring 2022 with subsequent evaluations in Detmold and Montreal

2.     Composition for ODESSA-IV: a competition among the student composers of ACTOR to compose a music study, proposed as a theme and a set of variations that can be used for blending evaluations. Composition expected to be completed by September, 2021.

3.     Acoustic dictionary: a dictionary for musicians to explain acoustic phenomena in layman terms. A template with a few explanation videos would be ready by the end of summer, 2021

4.     Blending of voices: PATH OF MIRACLES recording and investigation of choral blend. The recorded is expected to take place by the fall of this year in Montreal. Evaluations subsequently in Montreal and in Detmold.

Follow-Up:

• Connecting the Technical Committee on Education of the European Acoustics Association (EAA) to the acoustic dictionary project.

• Connecting the acoustic dictionary with Timbre Lingo webpage (explaining music cognition, etc) and coordinating the two projects.