Posted by Mark in Ohio on March 23, 2001 at 23:43:40:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Sound Production at Focus posted by eric oliver on March 22, 2001 at 07:38:11:
Eric,
Even in a solo setting, it's a bad thing. Not "ideal" at all. Although sound clarity and volume level would be quite high for a listener in the foci, the "spaciousness" that listeners expect from a hall setting would be lost in that particular spot. Its a documented phenomenon. listening from the foci would yield a sound very much like listening to a "dry" (close-miked, no reverb) monaural track through headphones, with no sense of frontal image or spaciousness.
Tests done years ago on blindfolded listeners by Haas and other psychoacousticians have proven this. It's pretty tough to recreate for you to try yourself, however.
...unless you have a perfectly eliptical hall to play in! (they're hard to find for a reason!)
FWIW,
Mark Mazak