Closed Headphones for recording violin

  • Thread starter Thread starter RecNewbie
  • Start date Start date
Sydney Opera House.
Do I not remember reading waaaay ago that when that had built that beautiful structure they found the acoustics to be appalling?

I distinctly remember them "fixing" the Albert Hall with the famous flying saucers!

Dave.
 
I a ranking of the acoustics of 20 Australian concert venues (by the users) the Sydney Opera House came 20th.

In a world ranking of 58 of the best known opera houses, Sydney came 53th...goodness knows which ones are worse! They did try to improve the acoustics a few years ago but couldn't make any major changes because of the heritage building status of the structure.

So, yeah, I think appalling is a pretty good word.

Interesting read about the issues HERE if you have a bit of time for a read.
 
Funny enough the Perth Concert hall does not look very spectacular at all but is one of the best sounding in the world.

Alan.
 
Yup...Perth gained a special mention in that article I linked to.

I guess the lesson is that spectacular architecture and spectacular acoustics aren't always (or even often) the same thing.

The number of times I hear of the acoustics needing to be fixed in high profile venues (the Royal Albert Hall has already been mentioned and London's Royal Festival Hall also needed major work just as examples) I suspect acoustics take a back seat too often compared to appearances. Most HR members wouldn't make that mistake!
 
Whenever I go to a rock gig at the SOH, I come away disappointed with the sound.

And it has problems beyond acoustics - the stage isn't actually wide enough for ballet... the ballerinas crash into the wall when they're exiting stage left pursued by a bear... etc.

It could all be fixed, but the cost is enormous - far more than it would cost to build a brand new fit for purpose opera / ballet /symphony performance space somewhere else and just leave the SOH as it is. But htat will never happen because then the SOH won't be the most important cultural piece of architecture in the city, and just become a pretty building.
 
Yup.

That article I linked goes into all the details of the design deficiencies of the SOH...and there are many. The actual design didn't come close to meeting the published spec.

If an elephant is a horse designed by a committee, the SOH is a concert venue designed by a political committee. Pretty though!
 
The SOH didn't stand a chance once Utzon was booted - compromise after compromise ensured it would pull up short.
Designs and plans were prepared to re do the interior based on Utzon's drawings and concepts - these are believed to also manage the acoustics very well indeed BUT it's not going to happen with the current state & federal govts. being so anti public access to culture, the arts and beauty.
I rememeber listening to Sammy Sparrow on 2UE in the mornings giving daily updates on the building and the brawling.
 
Oh! Sorry to have opened a sore! Din't know it was still bad!

I do despair of low design effort and zero monies put into acoustic design and sound reinforcement .
My local Sainburys (Google Sixfields) was rebuilt a year or so ago. It is now huge, twice the floor area I would guess and has a car park on top. The acoustics are dreadful. the SR is just spherical radiators waaaay up in the ceiling, the thinking being I suppose to get maximum spread for minimum number and lowest cost.

The result of course is a highly reverberant sound that nobody understands. I have asked customers and staff on several occasions if they could tell me what the announcement was about. "Err? Something about an offer?" or even "What announcement?"!!

Yes, it would have cost a bit more to use directional speakers and progressive delays across the store but at least it would not have been WASTED money!

Dave.
 
Yeah but they don't tend to do much opera in Sainbury's!

(I used to go to Tesco for that! :) )

My local supermarket isn't as big as yours seems to be but they've been playing Vanessa Carlton on their Muzak system lately so I'm happy. Yeah. I know. Vanessa Carlton? Yeah, I'm sad and old.
 
The SOH was good compared to the recently demolished Sydeny Entertainment Centre - purpose built concert venue and mega binoculars & nose bleed pads for the cheap seats put it up on the big screen type of venue.
It had one of those problems whereby the bass became just one note all night long.
I saw about a dozen big gigs there and the only one to come to grips with the acoustics was Neil Young's greendale tour and even then it was only just enough to cope with.
The old cinemas and theatres in town like the Capital, the Regent and the State fared much better & the Enmore isn't too bad but all were/are much smaller than the SOH & would only be gear rooms in the SEC.
 
Bobbsy said:
Yeah but they don't tend to do much opera in Sainbury's!

(I used to go to Tesco for that! :) )

My local supermarket isn't as big as yours seems to be but they've been playing Vanessa Carlton on their Muzak system lately so I'm happy. Yeah. I know. Vanessa Carlton? Yeah, I'm sad and old.
Click to expand...

VERY luckily Muzak seems to have disappeared in shops over here now, still have to put up with "Moz 40" at 50% THD on the phone tho!

My point was Bobbs'. Opera house or food hall, the acoustician rarely gets more than a penny a sqr mtr to do anything!

THAT's if they employ one at all! (all these peeps are VERY good at making bolts for stable doors tho'but)


Dave.
 
Oh, I agree. The trouble is, acoustics aren't something you can bolt on later by glueing some foam panels on the wall. Especially in something like an opera house, the whole shape and size make a big difference.

However, while a venue like the SOH should have had acoustics right on the front page of the spec, I'm not sure it's so important in a supermarket--for low fi paging, there would be technical solutions if they really wanted. It wouldn't necessarily sound good but it could be made intelligible.
 
rayc said:
The SOH was good compared to the recently demolished Sydeny Entertainment Centre - purpose built concert venue and mega binoculars & nose bleed pads for the cheap seats put it up on the big screen type of venue.
It had one of those problems whereby the bass became just one note all night long.
I saw about a dozen big gigs there and the only one to come to grips with the acoustics was Neil Young's greendale tour and even then it was only just enough to cope with.
The old cinemas and theatres in town like the Capital, the Regent and the State fared much better & the Enmore isn't too bad but all were/are much smaller than the SOH & would only be gear rooms in the SEC.
Click to expand...

I've been watching them knock down the convention centre from my office, but the Ent Cent is sort of not visible from where I am, so I missed its demolition. Let's hope they replace it with something better.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top