• Spatial Impulse Responses

    By

    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

    By

    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

    By

    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

    By

    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

    By

    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

    By

    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