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

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 two laboratories, one equipped with a large-wide (7 m×3 m) screen with headphones for the sound source, and the other equipped with a 42" LCD monitor with 6 pairs of stereo loudspeakers. The sound signal was an anechoic soprano vocal music piece accompanied by a keyboard, convolved with binaural impulse responses at the ten seating positions. The visual stimuli were based on a CAD (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 two laboratories with different participant groups. By comparing the results of experimental trials using 1) visual stimuli only, 2) acoustic stimuli only, and 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 two different stimulus presentation systems were similar despite having different participant groups. A subjective scale analysis showed a significant correlation with the sound level of the soprano signal as well as the clarity C80 for the stage (vocal) source.