[LTUCCI1924]

HI all:
Now where would one think it is best to sit at a live concert indoor hall? In therory if one sat up close one would hear the the full sound of the front stage. Now if one sat in the back one whould hear not so full upfront sound. But there is a princeaple called ambeance that is subtle but yet very dynamic to the overall sound. Not only does it give depth but also a demenenal sound through refelection off the back and side walls. So if one sat in the middle of the hall one would head the front stage and as the sound waves whent past thier ears and bounced off the back wall and returned to thier ears from behind called ambeance and also bounced off the side walls comming to ones ears from both sides. One would get a very good listening expeirence. Full and ambent which would be in depth and demention and all around sound expeirence. Are there any thoughts on this?

 

[CaptBubba]

I recall hearing that the center of the hall is the best place to sit, and the seats are therefor the most expensive there...

 

[dngl]

The cheapest seats- the ones that are in the center and high up- are, surprisingly, the best soundings seats as well. Not to mention that the slightly overhead view is impressive. That holds true for classical music... not sure about other genres.

 

[cyclingasronomer]

where one likes to sit in a concert hall affects which cables one likes in his stereo system, too. bright cables for front of the hallers and recessed for balcony. actually, i find that the good sound location can vary from hall to hall. i like a seat further back to let the sound come together. but there can be suckout locations within the hall. it's more exciting at the front, but can be brighter and louder, or one can find that the bright sounds go over one's head. as mentioned, it's fun to sit in the balcony so that one can see the orchestra better. but if you like the excitement of feeling the opera singer's spit on your face, go up front. it's more dynamic there.

 

[AdamP88]

It depends really. I've found that for orchestral music, I actually prefer sitting in the balcony (if there is one) - in most concert halls I've been in there's a spaciousness in the sound that isn't present if you're sitting in the lower or 'orchestra' seats.

If I want to nitpick a performance, I'll sit up close. If I want to get lost in the performance, I make my way to the balcony.

And as a pianist, I always like sitting in the balcony for other piano recitals because I can see the pianist's hands moving across the keyboard better.

 

[Jeff Guidry]

Sit as close as you can to the sound booth. That's where the sound guy is sitting, and most sound guys mix with only the sound from this postion in mind.

A truly good sound guy will have the band play and walk around the house and sit in various positions to listen to the mix at various places to make sure it sounds good everywhere. Sadly, this ain't so, usually.

 

[Mr.PD]

I am glad I live in the sticks. I don't have to worry about where to sit at a concert hall. There ain't one around here.

In the high school gym it doesn't matter, it sounds bad no matter where you park your butt. Although part of the problem may be the band.

 

[LTUCCI1924]

HI: GUYS:
Are any of concerned about ambeance.

 

[huy_ha]

I think that's what "getting lost in the performance" means. It also depends what concert hall you're in, as some places never have good acoustics, wherever you sit. On the other hand, no matter where I sit in the Metropolitan Opera House, the sound is quite intense. In an amplified performance in a stadium, I'd say on the floor is the only place to be. Otherwise, I think it depends on the specific space.

 

[AndreYew]

Envelopment is what the acousticians call it --- the warm ambience that wraps around you in a good hall.

Unless you're on stage, it's almost impossible not to experience the envelopment of a hall, because the hall radius or critical distance of most halls is less than 5 meters. The hall radius is the distance out in the hall where the power of the direct sound is equal to the power of the reflected sound.

The more general answer to where to sit is that it depends. It's hard to predict in a given hall, and varying listeners' preferences which seat is a good seat. Go to a bunch of different concerts and sit in different seats and see what you like. Perhaps you can even go to an open rehearsal and try out different seats while hearing the same piece.

--Andre

 

[zowie]

Last post is right. Each hall has its own properties so there's no rule.

If you've no idea, then I'd sit center orchestra. I would not sit real close, for purposes of accoustics. You get to observe the musicians better, which can make the concert much more exciting and interesting, but the sound will not usually be well-balanced because you will be so much closer to some instruments than others. The larger the group, the more this matters.

The sound at the back or high up depends a lot on the hall. In bad halls, the sound can be too distant and muffled from far away. Soloists may not carry well.

For example, I find the sound at Carnegie on the top tier to be too dull, though it's a very good hall at orchestra level. (I performed there several times prior to the late-80s renovations and I don't think it's still a great a hall today). The more pedestrian New York State Theater where the City Opera performs sounds just fine to me up near the top, plus you don't have to keep bobbing your head from the stage to the super-titles.

If there's sound reinforcement, as in musical theater, that's a totally different story. My main priority is to avoid sitting near a speakers, or the sound will be coming from the wrong direction, (i.e., one other than where the performer is standing), but other than that, if the engineers knew what they were doing the sound should be pretty homiginous throughout. And probably too loud.

 

[Beagle]

It depends on what headphones you like. If you like Grado, sit in the front to middle and if you like Sennheiser HD600 or AKG, sit in the mid to rear area. If you have "Grattle" go sit off to the side and eat peanut brittle.

Seriously, I prefer the middle area, I find it strikes a proper balance between too distant and too in your face. For a string quartet or small combo, I'd like to be a bit closer to the instruments.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by Beagle It depends on what headphones you like. If you like Grado, sit in the front to middle and if you like Sennheiser HD600 or AKG, sit in the mid to rear area. If you have "Grattle" go sit off to the side and eat peanut brittle.

LOL!