Book Reviews: Concert Halls and Opera Houses; Acoustic Array Systems: Theory, Implementation, and Application; Architectural Acoustics; and Acoustics - A Textbook for Engineers and Physicists (Vols. I & II)

Abstract

This text brings together four essential book reviews for professionals and students interested in acoustics, vibrations, and audio. The selected works range from fundamental principles to advanced applications, offering a comprehensive overview of subjects such as signal processing, microphone arrays, architectural acoustics, and practical studies. The first work, Concert Halls and Opera Houses: Music, Acoustics and Architecture by Leo Beranek, explores the relationship between musical art and the design of performance venues, highlighting how acoustics directly affects the listener’s experience. Next, Acoustic Array Systems: Theory, Implementation, and Application by Mingsian R. Bai, Jeong-Guon Ih, and Jacob Benesty, delves into microphone array technologies, examining beamforming theories and their practical applications. The third reference, Architectural Acoustics by Marshall Long, focuses on the principles of room planning and acoustic treatment, allowing greater control over noise and reverberations in different environments. Finally, Acoustics – A Textbook for Engineers and Physicists (Vols. I & II) by Jerry H. Ginsberg presents a comprehensive compendium on acoustics and vibrations, combining theory, computational modeling, and experiments. These concise and objective reviews provide initial insights into each author’s contributions, encouraging the complete reading of the works for a solid and up-to-date education in the field of acoustics.