Acoustics is the branch of physics concerned with the
properties of sound, such as frequency, tone, pitch, volume, etc. However, acoustics literally refers to
the properties or qualities of a room or building that determine how sounds are
transmitted in it – the degree to which sound is accounted for and controlled
in a space.
Sound is a vibration.
Sound travels through air and space and produces pressure variations
that the human ear translates into auditory oscillations. These vibrations can be either erratic
or regular, thus creating either noise or specific tones, respectively.
When sound or noise leaves a source, it travels in waves
that fluctuate and bend depending on the speed, decibel, and force the sound
was produced with. These waves
naturally change when interrupted, so within an acoustic space, it would not be
smart to have a wall between the music/sound source and the audience. The most important features to take
into account when designing for acoustics are the walls and the ceiling, since
these surfaces are the primary locations of potential sound reverberation.
Generally speaking, there are numerous details and elements
that can change the way sound travels and is received by an audience, such as
the shape of the space, the materials that make up the surrounding surfaces,
and the size of the space. When
sound strikes a surface, some of it is absorbed, some of it is reflected, and
some of it is transmitted through the surface. If a surface is dense, sound will isolate well but will also
reflect back into the room. If a
surface is more porous, it will absorb the sound well but will not isolate
it. In order to stop sound from
travelling through a building’s structure, you must isolate it, through the use
of dense rubber, adding mass, decoupling (such as by trapping air), or using
airtight construction. The
materials of the ceiling and the walls of an acoustic space determine the
degree that the sound reverberates which can effect how enjoyable that sound
is.
Sounds are best received when evenly dispersed throughout a
space, which can result from an intentional lack of large flat surfaces that
simply reflect the sound at the people.
In addition, sound tends to bounce back and forth between hard, parallel
surfaces, so it is common among theater and concert hall designers to use
acoustic paneling that is either varied in terms of which direction they are
facing or how far the are placed from the stage, such as stage 3 of the Harris
Center for the Arts shown below; it is also common to use undulating surfaces,
such as the one in the home cinema depicted at the end of this post.
On another note, here's a funny cartoon:
...lol
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