Using cognitive psychology and neuroscience to better inform sound system design at large musical events

Large musical events have become increasingly popular in the last fifty years. It is now not uncommon to have indoor shows in excess of 10,000 people, and open-air events of 30,000 people or more. These events, nevertheless, present technical challenges that have only begun to be solved in the last hundred years, with the introduction of sound reinforcement systems, electric lighting and now video/display technologies. However, these technologies present an artificial link to the performance that requires an understanding of both the audience's expectations as well as the technologies' abilities and limitations. Although many of these abilities and limitations are well documented, the audience's responses to them are less so. This paper introduces research primarily into audience auditory responses but at a subconscious level. By investigating these responses, it is hoped to find a commonality amongst audiences, from which better-informed metrics can be derived.