On Measurements of Stage Acoustic Parameters: Time Interval Limits and various Source―Receiver Distances

The most widely recognized objective stage acoustic parameters are the Early Support (STearly) and Late Support (STlate). In these parameters the early and late reflected sound energy is measured within a certain time interval. Different time interval limits have been proposed for the stage acoustic parameters but there is no agreement on the preferable limits. There is a growing interest to measure stage acoustic parameters at various source to receiver distances. In this paper the influence of perceptual and architectural parameters, synchronicity, source to receiver relationship and the measurement system on stage acoustic parameters is discussed. Based on existing and new insights an optimization and extension of the ST parameters is proposed such that they can be measured at any distance between source and receiver using the most appropriate time interval limits. Theoretical assumptions were checked and confirmed based on systematic analyses of measured results for different concert hall stages with various conditions and various source to receiver distances.