Reverberance

An environmental descriptor in audio assessment. Reverberance is the perception of reverberation. The sound that persists after the source has stopped. It may be caused by environmental reflections and scattering or artificially generated. Reverberance is most noticeable when a short impulsive sound stops. However, this will also be perceived with continuous sources, such as an orchestra playing in a concert hall or a cathedral. Highly reverberant sounds can be experienced in large spaces such as cathedrals, caves, etc. Dry spaces are often small furnished spaces such as living rooms or spaces outdoor without reflecting objects. Scale applied in listening tests: Dry – Highly reverberant. Reverberance may be subdivided into “Level of reverberance” and “Duration of reverberance”. Level of reverberance The level of the sound that persists after the source has stopped relative to the level of the source. Reverberance is most noticeable when short impulsive sounds stop. This will also be perceived with continuous sources, such as an orchestra playing in a concert hall or a cathedral. If a singer is close to the listener in a church the level of reverberance would be low. If the listener is far from the singer in a church, the level of reverberance would be high. Furthermore, in a dry room the level of reverberance would also be low. Scale applied in listening tests: Low – High. Duration of reverberance Describes the length of time the sounds take to decay to an imperceptible level, after the source has stopped. Duration of reverberance is most easily judged when a short impulsive sound stops. Duration of reverberance may also be judged with continuous sources, such as an orchestra playing in a concert hall or a cathedral. A short reverberation duration may be experienced in a small room. A long reverberation decay can be experienced in a cathedral.