Investigations on the Influence of Acoustics on Live Music Performance using Virtual Acoustic Methods - Abstract and research summary
Creators: name: Sebastià Vicenç Amengual Garí
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: 120104 Architectural Science and Technology (incl. Acoustics, Lighting, Structure and Ecologically Sustainable Design)
subject: FOS: Civil engineering
subject: FOS: Civil engineering
subject: 190407 Music Performance
subject: FOS: Arts (arts, history of arts, performing arts, music)
subject: FOS: Arts (arts, history of arts, performing arts, music)

description: Room acoustic conditions are an inherent element of every live music performance. They interact with the sound that is generated by the musicians, modifying the characteristics of the sound received by audience and musicians. While listeners usually play a passive role in the context of a live performance, musicians are part of a feedback loop composed by themselves, their instruments, and the room. The goal of this thesis is to characterize the effects of room acoustics in live performances, by studying the acoustical preferences of musicians and characterizing potential performance adjustments implemented by solo players while adapting their interpretation to the room acoustic conditions.<br>To conduct systematic experiments, a virtual acoustic environment that replicates acoustic conditions of real rooms in laboratory conditions is implemented. Room impulse responses of performance rooms are measured and parametrized using spatial measurement techniques. The responses are later resynthesized and convolved in real-time with the sound generated by a musician. The resulting sound is reproduced through a 3D loudspeaker set-up, allowing musicians to perform under replicated acoustic conditions of measured rooms in real-time. The system is used to conduct pilot studies on stage acoustics preferences of semi-professional trumpet players, and to study the impact of room acoustics on potential performance adjustments of live performance. To this end, musical pieces are recorded under different acoustic conditions and later analyzed. A second experiment is performed with organ players in the Detmold Konzerthaus. The reverberation time of the hall is modified using a reverberation enhancement system, and live performances are recorded under different acoustic conditions using a MIDI interface. Similarly to the trumpet players, the recordings are analyzed to evaluate the extent of the performance adjustments. Finally, listening tests are conducted to assess the perceived impact of those adjustments by listeners.<br>Results of the experiments suggest that musicians systematically adjust their performance to accommodate room acoustic conditions and listeners are generally able to perceive these changes. Trumpet players tend to decrease the sound level and sound brightness when exposed to longer and stronger reverberation. Some players adjust as well musical dynamics and aspects related to the \textit{tempo} of their performance, although generalized trends are not observed. Dry environments are usually preferred to practice instrument technique, while longer reverberation times are preferred in concert conditions. Additionally, the presence of a sufficient amount of early energy contributes positively to the musicians’ comfort, regardless of the direction of incidence of this sound energy. Organ players are prone to modifying the temporal aspects of the performance, generally decreasing the overall \textit{tempo} and increasing the length of breaks in more reverberant environments. The musical character of the played excerpts seems to play an important role, and while for some pieces changes are generalized and systematic, the performance of other pieces with soft dynamics and little contrast is generally less affected by room acoustics.