Customer Reviews

Architectural Acoustics

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are an acoustic consultant or designer, buy this pleasant little monograph (147 pp.) to give to your commercial clients. But if you really want to learn about the design of halls, you probably want Beranek's "Concert Halls and Opera Houses" instead. If you want graphs, formulas, and construction ideas for recording and listening rooms, spend the same amount of money (amazon net prices) and get "Master Handbook of Acoustics" (615 pp.) instead.

This book adds precious little to the available literature on acoustics or concert hall design. The first 60 pp. is the "technical" portion, which is pretty basic. The remainder is principally anecdotes of successes and failures in the field, which repeats itself, like a series of articles pasted together. A few scenarios are presented which culminate in "rules of thumb," but sometimes no conclusion is given -- maddening to a technician, but of less import to a client. One other possible target audience: If you were hoping they published a "For Dummies"-series book on acoustics, this would be an easy read, only not as organized or thorough as that series.

I would have given it fewer stars, but it has a short bibliography of REAL acoustics books. So I read it thru, and I didn't hate it, but my copy is now up for sale...

"Reduce background noise". If Chris Brooks had a chance at only three words I'm sure this would be his mantra. He argues, persuasively to this reader, that small to medium size spaces are relatively easy to design for good acoustics, and even easier to ruin by ignoring the background noise necessity.

Of course more is required to design a good space for music or speech than to mutter `reduce background noise' before sending the bill. Chris explains clearly, with virtually none of the mathematics he must use as a working consultant, the issues that an owner or an architect should consider at the beginning of a project. He hopes to convince the building committees of churches, corporations and schools that good acoustics is possible and usually highly beneficial in an `ordinary' project. It's not just for the superb concert hall or cathedral. It's for the meeting room in an office building or the multipurpose room in a community room or school.

When you've completed "Architectural Acoustics" you won't be ready to design your own hall, but you will know why slathering acoustical tile will seldom avoid acoustic problems and why most great listening spaces are long and narrow. You'll be able to make informed decisions about how to direct your limited budget for improving the sound in a building project. Along the way you'll have spent time with a delightful man who understands music as a violinist, speech as a lecturer, and acoustics as an in-the-trenches practitioner.

Disclaimer - Chris is a former student. Although I'm mentioned in the preface I would have written equally kind words about an author I didn't know. He's produced an excellent, quick-to-read overview for a client (or designer) who suspects that acoustics is important but knows little about the subject. He gives you the tools to intelligently discuss with design professionals the many tradeoffs necessary in renovating or creating a fine listening space.

Want to know the difference between proper acoustics for a concert hall and your office? Christopher Brooks takes a subject that would seem to be complex and makes it simple and in language a lay person can understand. There is also included an interesting discussion of many well-known buildings, concert halls, churches, and synagogues, in the world and how they function acoustically. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to improve their listening awareness. Because of reading this book I now listen differently and am more acutely aware of surrounding sounds and how they flow, both in and out-of-doors. A must-read for architects and those they build buildings for, as well as musicians and sound engineers.

This book does a wonderful job of explaining the principles behind sound waves. The launguage is easy to understand, and the pages not darkened by excessive mathmatics. If you are looking for the best classical music acoustic design book out there, you have found it.

However. C. Brooks seems to beilieve that the only people that care about acoustics are classical music fanatics. From the offset he talks about his love for clasical music and hearing a single note fade away to silence. I didn't buy the book for classical music, I bought it to enhance my rock and roll experince. The book is centered towards classical music and the acoustics there in, but I did glean a few gems from the pages, allowing me to better the acoustics in my room, but those were few and far between.

Classical music fans, rejoice! Rock and roll fans, keep your hands away. I'm sure there's a book for you somewhere out there.

With prudent editing, this rambling, discourse of music and architectural aesthetic psuedo-philosophy could be reduced to a thick pamphlet about architectural acoustics.

Architectural Acoustics is a must read for anyone that is involved or thinking of a listening space. It is educational, informative, and should be mandatory reading for school boards and architects. It will make you aware of a critical topic that I feel most people do not even think of for the educating of children and our schools. Being able to hear throughout the listening space with proper acoustics. It discusses many aspects from basic acoustics,history,and why projects succeed or fail.

I just recently read Architectural Acoustics by Christopher Brooks. It is easy to read and quite interesting. It kept my attention, and I was anxious to get back to it. Chris is able to explain how soundwaves behaves in rooms in a way that is easy to understand. This book is excellent.

The babysnatcher, this goes to you. The reason it says nothing about the accoustics of rock'n'roll is because accoustics are of little interest to most rock'n'roll musicians/fans because they have a little thing called the amplifier. Classical music, when performed properly, is never amplified. Excluding some modern music, it is all created by accuoustic instrumetns. That is why this book was not directed towards you.