Practical Problems in the Measurement of Reverberation Time

Abstract

The reverberation time of an occupied hall is of considerably more interest than that of an empty hall; yet, the practical difficulties of obtaining such data without unduly disturbing the audience are sufficiently great that reliable data for the occupied condition are comparatively rare. This paper discusses some commonly used methods of measurement of reverberation time of occupied spaces, such as observing the decay following sharp orchestral cutoffs during an actual performance and employing explosive excitation (pistol or cannon shots) of the hall. Measurement methods are suggested which appear to offer advantages over both of these.