Using the standard on objective measures for concert auditoria, ISO 3382, to give reliable results

Abstract

The current version of the standard ISO 3382 has now been in existence for seven years, yet for many the contents of Annexes A and B on newer measures remain confusing. A major issue is the use to which these measures are put. Where the 'new' measures for auditoria differ from other acoustic parameters is that they refer to a range of subjective effects, which are perceived simultaneously. Using the newer measures requires a good understanding of the multi-dimensional nature of music perception. Measurement data requires interpretation. When measurements are made in unoccupied auditoria, the data requires correction to the situation with full audience. Another issue is how to condense data measured across audience areas. The simplest approach is to present mean values of the different quantities, but this ignores the fact that many quantities vary significantly with location; the disappointment of sitting in a poor seat in an auditorium is no less for the knowledge that the overall mean is good. Several of these issues are discussed here with the aim of promoting more uniformity in the way the objective measures proposed in the Standard are applied by different research groups and companies.