Spatial responsiveness in concert halls and the origins of spatial impression

The story of research into spatial effects in auditoria is an intriguing on e. Serious studies only began with the development in the 1950s of simulati on systems which reproduced direct sound, early reflections and reverberati on in anechoic chambers. The traditional view had been that spatial effects were associated with later reverberation. This paper discusses the early w ork from the late '60s on spatial effects produced by early lateral reflect ions from the perspective of two early participants. Subsequent work on spa tial impression and the importance it has for overall concert hall acoustic s are also considered. The current position is that two or more spatial eff ects may coexist in concert hall listening and that the nature of the perfo rmance, from solo to fully scored orchestra, may influence the spatial effe cts experienced. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.