TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:00] In this tutorial series, we dive into the essentials of how to make you and your orchestral instrument sound and look better.
We’re here at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, and in this episode we’re going to take a look at rooms and recording spaces, and how to choose the right one for your performance.

We’ll go from big rooms to smaller rooms, reverberant spaces and dry spaces.

[00:00:24] Here we are in the main rehearsal space for the orchestra.
It’s a really big room, measuring 18 by 23 meters, with an 8 meter-ceiling height.

It has a nice wooden floor and is acoustically treated on the walls and the ceiling.

It also has curtains that you can open or close. The reverb in this room sounds very dense and controlled.

Let’s hear how a trumpet sounds in this room.

[00:00:37] (trumpet plays)

[00:01:05] We´re now in one of the smaller rehearsal rooms.
This room also has a wooden floor and windows on one side.
It measures about 11.5 by 5.5 meters, with an acoustically treated ceiling at about 5 meters. Let’s hear how the trumpet sounds in this room.

[00:01:27] (trumpet plays)

[00:01:55] If you think that the room sounds too reverberant or too bright, a small carpet might help.
Sofas, comfortable chairs, pillows, or curtains will absorb high frequencies and make the room sound drier.

[00:02:15] Now we’re here at the marble staircase of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, which has a lot of reflections and a lot of reverb.
This can sound exciting, but you lose a lot of detail in your playing.

[00:02:32] (trumpet plays)

[00:02:58] At last, we’re in one of the small rehearsal rooms.
It has a carpeted floor and measures about 3.5 by 3 meters, with a low ceiling height.

It’s hard to make a small room come alive with reflections, so it’s usually best to make it as dry as possible, without it sounding too dead or muffled.

Let’s hear how the trumpet sounds in this room.

[00:03:18] (trumpet plays)

[00:03:38] So in the end, choose a room that is well suited your instrument, your performance, and the occasion you’re shooting for.
Experiment with your position in the room and stay away from walls and corners, as these may sometimes lead to bad sounding reflections.

Also avoid standing exactly in the center of the room, as here certain frequencies may cancel out there.

It should be a room that looks good on the video and one where you feel comfortable performing.

Thank you.

Reverberation is the persistence of sound after the source has stopped, created by multiple sound reflections within an enclosed space.

Room size, room acoustics, and the amount of reverberation all influence how an instrument sounds in a recording. Together, these elements determine how sound reflections and absorption affect clarity, balance, and tonal accuracy. 

Adding carpets, curtains, sofas, or cushions can absorb high frequencies and make a room sound drier.

The ideal room depends on the instrument and performance. In general, a space with controlled acoustics, limited unwanted reflections, and a comfortable recording environment tends to produce the best results.