Convention Paper
Passive and Active Acoustics in Architectural Enclosures
AES Convention 17 · Paper 415 · October 1965
Abstract
Acoustically passive architecture enclosure is a general term used to designate auditoriums, theaters, and other rooms employing passive acoustic means designed for the transmission of the sounds produced by speakers or musicians to the distributed listeners. Acoustically active architectural enclosure is a general term used to designate auditoriums, theaters, and other rooms employing active electronic means designed for the processing and transmission of the sounds of speech and music. The acoustically passive architectural enclosure is passing out of the modern scene, while new electronic developments have made the acoustic possibilities and properties of the acoustically active architectural enclosure practically universal and unlimited. This paper describes the limitations of passive architectural designs and outlines and describes novel concepts employing active acoustics for architectural enclosures which will provide optimum acoustic conditions for speech, voice and music programs.
