Effects of Acoustic and Visual Stimuli on Subjective Preferences for Different Seating Positions in an Italian Style Theater

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of acoustic and visual stimuli on subjective preferences for different seating positions in an Italian style theater.The sound and visual fields of ten positions in the theater were simulated in twolaboratories, one equipped with alarge-wide (7 m×3m)screen with headphones for the sound source, and the other equipped with a42" LCD monitor with 6pairs of stereo loudspeakers. The sound signal wasananechoic soprano vocal music piece accompanied by ak eyboard, convolved with binaural impulse responses at the ten seating positions. The visual stimuli were based on aCAD (computer-aided design)model of the theater,which included images of the singer,stage sets, and an audience. Subjective judgments by paired comparison tests were conducted in the twol aboratories with different participant groups. By comparing the results of experimental trials using 1) visual stimuli only,2 )a coustic stimuli only,a nd 3) both acoustic and visual stimuli, the effects of the acoustic and visual stimuli on seat preference could be examined. The results of the experiments with the twodifferent stimulus presentation systems were similar despite having different participant groups. Asubjective scale analysis showed as ignificant correlation with the sound levelo ft he soprano signal as well as the clarity C 80 for the stage (vocal)source.

Separate effects of auditory and visual room size on auditorium seat preference: a virtual reality study

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