• The Dance Between Vision and Sound

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    The Dance between Vision and Sound – where do we look when we listen? Anne Minors’ paper presented at 23rd International Congress on Sound and Vibration – From Ancient to Modern Acoustics. Abstract. Concert hall design is at a crossroads between its origins, which have been unamplified orchestral music and singing, and the forces of … Continued

  • On Stage Hearing – Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis

    On Stage Hearing – Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis

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    Acoustics isn’t just what the audience hears, it’s also how and what the musicians on stage hear. Bob Essert and Evan Green explain Sound Space Design’s improvement of the 1970’s Cyril Harris Hall. This paper was presented at Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics, 2015. On Stage Hearing: Experience from Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis “Orchestra Hall … Continued

  • Progress in Concert Hall Design

    Progress in Concert Hall Design

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    Bob Essert had moved to Arup Acoustics by 1997 when he wrote this paper for EBU Technical Review, Winter 1997. “Room response is a function of space and time, and the data can be sliced many different ways for the understanding of the process.” For many decades, the acoustical design of rooms for music performances … Continued

  • Opera Room Acoustic Measurement System

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    Bob Essert and Eckhard Kahle, while both at Artec in 1996, shared a paper on acoustics measurement and analysis tools. Paper presented at the 3rd joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Acoustical Society of Japan in Honolulu, 4-6 December, 1996. Toward an Opera Room Acoustic Measurement System “We are convinced that … Continued

  • Broadening the Range of Variable Reverberance

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    In 1991, Artec was acknowledged as one of the most important acoustic firms in the world. Bob Essert was Russell Johnson’s principal acoustician at the time. This paper by Johnson and Essert was presented at the 122nd meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, 6 November 1991. Houston, Texas. Broadening the Range of Variable Reverberance … Continued

  • Spatial Impulse Responses

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    Bob Essert continued his studies into the spatial relationships of a room. Paper presented at the 3rd joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Acoustical Society of Japan in Honolulu, 4-6 December 1996. Measurement of Spatial Impulse Responses with a Soundfield Microphone “The [sound] source has a directivity function that varies with … Continued

  • Same Opera – Different Opera Houses

    Same Opera – Different Opera Houses

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    Leaving aside the differences in tempi, languages, and singers, the halls themselves sound different. Here’s the same moment from Mozart’s Così fan tutte, one in Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts and one in London’s Coliseum.

  • Four Seasons Centre Proscenium Design

    Four Seasons Centre Proscenium Design

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    The proscenium frames the performers, and its geometry and detailing affect the perceived scale of the performers, in both acoustical and visual domains. For the Four Seasons Centre, Sound Space Design made the proscenium arch 2m deep and shaped it to project the sound of the singers. The adjacent balcony fronts work with the arch … Continued

  • Wall Tilts and Sound Fields

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    What happens when your hall’s walls are tilted? Bob collaborated with his Sound Space Design colleague Evan Green on this issue. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics, 2015. Relationship Between Wall Tilt and Sound Field Growth and Decay “It has been shown in analysis and design that tilting the wall inward … Continued

  • Measured Effects of Acoustics Absorption

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    In collaboration with colleagues Brian Katz and Eckhard Kahle, Bob Essert contributed more data to the science of absorption in acoustics. Measured Effects of Absorption Location, Receiver Position, and Source Direction on Reverberation “While general rules of thumb are used to predict the effects of absorption areas, few studies have been done of the effect … Continued

  • The Future of Technologies in Arts Facilites

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    In 1995, Bob Essert peered into the future of digital audio technology. Paper presented at the 9th Annual ISPA Congress, Toronto Global Change and Exchange: Technological Change & the Performing Arts, 8-11 June 1995. Acoustics and Sound System Technologies in Arts Facilities of the Future “As we begin to plan for global audiences, global arts … Continued