ABSTRACT
With today’s capabilities of simulation, calculation and even auralization of complex sound reinforcement systems in rooms and in the open air, a high level of confidence can be achieved during the planning phase: it is possible to obtain mappings of the sound pressure level distribution on the audience area, the speech intelligibility including reflections from boundaries, echograms and other parameters. However, reality almost always differs from theory, and a careful and thorough commissioning of a newly installed sound system in a venue is a critical necessity for all high-level projects. As discussed in this chapter, this includes electrical, mechanical and acoustical verifications; decisions to optimize a design can be supported by means of measurement techniques as well as by critically listening. Tools useful for commissioning and optimizing sound systems start with simple cable- and polarity-testing devices, include laser pointers for determining the exact aim of a loudspeaker array, handheld SPL meters, computer-based MLS or sine-sweep analysis tools for capturing impulse responses, and extend to complex, multi-microphone arrays that help investigate the spatial composition of direct and reflected energy from the sound system and the room boundaries. A clear and comprehensive documentation completes the project and ensures that revisions, additions, modifications and future upgrades can easily be referenced. This chapter includes an overview on measurement devices, techniques, parameters and analysis.
