Comparing signal processing and speaker placement for making sound effects glue to the stage of the theater

In a theater production there are often many types of sound that are amplified by aspeaker system. One of these types of sounds is sound effects. Reproducing soundeffects through speakers, often hung above the stage, can create a separationbetween the action and the sound. This study aims to find out how audiencesperceive this separation, identify what audiences think is important and preferablein theatre sound design and propose solutions to the separation problem. Two different solutions for sonically positioning sound effects havebeen developed and tested: reproducing a sound effect through a speakerhidden on stage near the prop, and, through a PA with added reverb andLP-filtering. There were four different sound effects (radio, TV, telephoneand window with garden ambience), each had two versions. 32participants evaluated these options in a theater-like venue with a stage ofstatic props that matched the sound effects. For each sound effect,participants got to choose which one was more believable and which onethey preferred. They also got to explain why they chose each version. The results of the study showed that, for all the sound effects, theones from the stage were deemed more believable and almost alwayspreferable. The most common motivation was because the sound appearedto come from the prop on stage. However, other factors included how thesound spread through the room, if it was realistic and if the visual featuresmatched the audible features. The study therefore concluded that if asound is more believable or preferable when played through a speaker onstage or from the PA depends on the theatrical setting and dramatic contextof the sound effect.