Leo L. Beranek
975 Memorial Dr., Ste. 804, Cambridge, MA 02138
In 1960 (J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 32, 661--670) and 1969 (J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 45, 13--19), the author published a statistical study of audience and seat absorption based on data taken in a large number of concert halls and opera houses. This paper presents some more recent sound absorption data taken in reverberation chambers and in concert halls which shed light on the influence of seat construction on audience absorption.
This is the first of a new series of special ``Hot Topics'' sessions, planned so that there will be one such session at each successive semiannual meeting of the Society. At each session three or four of the technical committees and specialty groups will each present a tutorial talk on one or more topics that happen to be of especial current interest. Such talks will be directed to persons within the broader acoustical community and are intended to help individuals in the audience to become familiar with issues and achievements that are in areas not immediately perceived as lying within their areas of personal dominant interest.