Acoustic simulation in an orchestra rehearsal room using BRASS software

Abstract

The Music School of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro is located in a heritage-listed building, due to the historical and architectural relevance. Acoustic problems were related to the musicians in the orchestra rehearsal room, such as high reverberation time on certain frequencies and insufficient insulation. The aim of this paper is to analyse the space of the rehearsal room through measurements and to propose corrections through simulations using BRASS (Brazilian Room Acoustic Simulator), a software designed by the Polytechnic School of UFRJ, to achieve acoustic adequacy. The methods used are measurements of mono and binaural impulsive responses in various positions, computational modeling, simulation verification by comparison with acoustic parameters (T60, EDT, CT, C80, D50, etc), and proposition of architectural corrections and improvements in the room with subjective evaluation by auralization for the musicians. The results show the importance of the acoustic simulation method in the design process of music rehearsal rooms, in order to obtain efficient solutions for the use, besides being able to reproduce the room´s sound with auralization, and respecting its original architectonical characteristics.