World’s First “Acoustically Perfect” Concert Hall Opens In Germany
 

I received a link to this article about anew concert hall in Hamburg, GE in an e-newsletter I am subscribed to. They don't really describe what is meant by "acoustically perfect", but there is some additional technical info at the link to the Wired article in the original article below. The photos of the place are stunning, very modern yet at the same time feeling very calming.

Don't know if we have any AA'ers living in Hamburg, but if we do and you go to a performance at this place I'd love to get your impressions.

https://consequenceofsound.net/2017/...ns-in-germany/

I wonder if it is "acoustically perfect" forever or just until everyone discovers it's not. :dunno:

They had a blurb regarding this venue on CBS Sunday Morning a couple of weeks ago. Talk about behind schedule and over budget. Looks pretty amazing though.

Absolutely stunning,...never seen anything like it!

http://consequenceofsound.net/2017/0...ns-in-germany/

https://www.audioaficionado.org/atta...8&d=1485375484

Other great-sounding halls (though I would not list MSG in NY as great-sounding though opinion vary on this);

http://hiconsumption.com/2014/08/the...-in-the-world/

http://www.businessinsider.com/best-...-world-2016-10

From same article.

________________https://consequenceofsound.files.wor...ael_zapf-1.jpg

I agree with your assessment about MSG in NY, it really, really sucks with acoustics.

I like the Symphony Hall in Birmingham (UK) the acoustics are excellent.
One test run before the hall's opening proved that if a pin is dropped on stage it can be heard from any seat in the house. Impressive considering the size.

I worked for 34 years as a recording and live sound engineer for the University of Illinois School of Music. A lot of the work I did was in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

Take a look at the concert halls there: https://krannertcenter.com/about-center/our-venues

The Great Hall is considered one of the world's best. However, not long after I started working there, I found a spot in the balcony where there are two walls across from each other that are too close to parallel. When you clap your hands, you can hear a flutter echo run around the back wall of the hall.

And the question is, acoustically perfect for what? What is the reverb time?

Acoustics for different eras of music have different optimal reverb times. Baroque era music venues should be smaller and have shorter reverb times than Romantic era music. A large orchestra wants a longer reverb time than a solo piano concert.

Because the Great Hall had a large seating capacity, they booked acts in there so they could sell lots of tickets. Unfortunately, a lot of the musical styles that performed in that venue suffered from the 2.2 second reverb time.

Trying to amplify pop music was a nightmare.

Patrons complained about the horrible sound and blamed the mix engineer because they didn't understand it's impossible to overcome inappropriate acoustics.

Reverb time is adjusted at Symphony Hall to suit the performance.
The Reverberation Chamber contains a volume approximately 50% of the Hall itself. The reverberation time of the Hall is affected by a series of pneumatically operated doors above and around the Hall which open into this chamber.

On other lower wall areas there are manually operated acoustically absorbent panels against the walls.

I've attended many performances there and never had any niggling doubts about the reverb time.

Elbphilharmonie concert hall is interesting looking but looks like you are looking down on an ice skating rink.

I love modern architecture, but that's not my idea of a concert hall.

How in the world would you set up an orchestra on that "stage"?