When the difference between “good” and “great” is 0.5dB—Ponderings of a “Tuning Conductor.”

For many years the author has been privileged to work closely with music directors, their orchestras, and soloists in optimizing the acoustic environment in numerous rooms employing acoustic enhancement. During the process he has learned that even very small changes in energy levels and timing of virtual reflections can make a profound difference in perceived acoustic quality, largely due to masking effects, both in the audience and on the podium. The quick adjustments that can be made utilizing such systems not only make A/B comparisons useful in assessing relative quality, but also as an educational tool informing the designer as to what specific attributes in an impulse response are helpful. This presentation contains a number of illustrative vignettes from his experience as both an acoustician and conductor, including the notion that sometimes the most effective changes to acoustical perception in a concert hall can come from changing how the orchestra plays.