15.1.1: 16.1.1-Acoustic Qualities

There are several general properties that are desirable in an auditorium or concert space. We would like every listener to have exactly the same sound experience. Any noise external to the room should be excluded or minimized. The sounds coming from the performers should be heard clearly and distinctly. If there are any echoes they should be below some threshold relative to the total sound so as not to interfere with the sound being listened to and should not change the sensation of where the music is coming from. The performers should not hear distracting echoes. One of the largest factors impacting how the shape, size and construction of an auditorium affect the sound of a musical performance is reverberation.