Concert hall colors change the perception of sound
The color scheme of a concert hall has a greater influence on how people perceive music than previously assumed. This is shown by a recent study by the Technical University of Berlin.
The study published in the «Journal of the Acoustical Society of America» by a team led by Stefan Weinzierl from the Department of Audio Communication at TU Berlin was able to show that the color design of an auditorium measurably changes the room acoustic impression - in particular the perception of sound color.
The study investigated whether visual stimuli not only accompany the concert experience, but also influence the auditory impression itself. To do this, the researchers used VR glasses to place test subjects in virtual versions of the chamber music hall in the Berlin Konzerthaus, which differed in terms of color tone, brightness and saturation. A total of twelve differently designed color environments in shades of red, green and blue were tested, including different color schemes for seat covers and stage backdrops.
The visual design had a particularly clear effect on the perceived timbre. Cooler-looking, more saturated blue and green tones tended to be associated with a perceived «colder» sound impression. Darker halls with less saturated colors tended to achieve higher liking ratings. In contrast, the visual design had no influence on the perceived loudness.
