Research on Concert Hall Acoustics at Aalto University

  • Henna Tahvanainen | Aalto University School of Science

This talk will be about the research conducted in Virtual Acoustics team at Aalto University lead by professors Lauri Savioja and Tapio Lokki. It is related to the acoustic measurement and analysis of the concert halls, as well as their sensory evaluation. The ultimate goal is to understand how room acoustics modify the quality of sound. The research has spawned new spatial sound rendering methods, analysis tools, and listening test methods. Among others, the results show why shoebox halls tend to be the most successfull designs for concert halls. In more detail, the work of the presenter on the seat-dip effect and perception of bass in concert halls will be discussed.

Speaker Details

Henna Tahvanainen obtained her B.Sc in Theoretical Physics from the University of Helsinki in 2009, and M.Sc in Acoustics and Audio Technology from Aalto University in 2012. Currently, she is a doctoral student at the Department of Computer Science, Aalto University School of Science. She focuses on the analysis, modelling, and perception of the seat-dip effect in concert halls and ways to enhance the perception of bass. The research is done as part of the Virtual Acoustics team lead by Lauri Savioja and Tapio Lokki.

Her other interests lay in string instrument acoustics, in particular their simulation and acoustic improvement. Currently, she is also a lecturer at Aalto University and a hobbyist player of the Finnish string instrument kantele.

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      Jeff Running

Series: Microsoft Research Talks