John J. LoVerde
Paul S. Veneklasen and Associates, 1711 Sixteenth St., Santa Monica, CA 90404
Paul S. Veneklasen and Associates has used auditorium synthesis and acoustical modeling as a guide in the design of auditoria over the past 25 years [Paul S. Veneklasen, Int. Symposium on Arch. Acoustics, 21--42 (1974)]. Optimal settings for ratios of direct to envelopmental and direct to reverberant sound level were established based on perceptual data for a variety of program materials including classical music, music drama, speech, and pipe organ by experienced listeners including conductors, musicians, music critics, concert goers, and acousticians [P. S. Veneklasen, Acoust. Soc. Am. 77th Meeting, Session P, 27--28 (1969)]. Current auditorium acoustic parameters were measured using impulse response techniques in the auditorium synthesis facility for a variety of direct, envelopmental, and reverberant sound level settings. The range of values for the various auditorium synthesis settings is shown for the measured acoustic parameters [source strength (G), early decay time (EDT), early/late energy (C), and lateral energy fraction (LF)]. Based on the guidance from auditorium synthesis, two additional parameters are introduced that should be considered for a more complete assessment of auditoria acceptability. These are the direct to envelopmental and direct to reverberant energy ratios.