course-details-portlet

TTT4292

Acoustics of Rooms and Musical Instruments

New from the academic year 2025/2026

Credits 7.5
Level Second degree level
Course start Autumn 2025
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction English
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Aggregate score

About

About the course

Course content

This course has two parts. A first part has its focus on the acoustical perspectives concerning music, musical instruments and music perception in rooms.

This first part covers sound generation and sound radiation mechanisms of the different families of musical instruments. The hearing mechanism is briefly reviewed as a basis for the perception of music in rooms. Sound synthesis of musical instruments will also be presented in the first part. A second part deals with the acoustic quality of indoor spaces. The second part provides a fundament for understanding how sound is perceived in rooms for speech or music communication, as well as for the general acoustic quality in rooms for various uses. Commonly used theoretical models are covered: wave-theoretical models, diffuse-field models, and geometrical acoustics. The functioning of devices for acoustic control, such as sound absorbers and screens, is described. Through field measurements indoors, students will learn about common measurement tasks. Computer-based exercises will demonstrate the implementations of theories.

Learning outcome

Knowledge: Students will have:

  • Thorough knowledge of the sound generation and radiation of musical instruments
  • Thorough knowledge about the acoustical aspects of music performance
  • In-depth knowledge of how sound propagates indoors
  • Thorough knowledge about perception of sound in rooms

Skills: The candidate is able to

  1. Describe music as a signal (time, frequency, amplitude)
  2. Describe the structure and functioning of acoustical instruments
  3. Perform simulation of some class of musical instrument
  4. Propose strategies for better acoustic conditions in indoor spaces
  5. Perform room acoustical measurements

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, labs, simulation tasks.

Further on evaluation

Report nr 1 is about musical acoustics and Report nr 2 is about room acoustics. The reports are individual and deadlines for delivery will be given at the beginning of the course.

Course materials

Will be specified at the start of the course.

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From
TTT4285 3.7 sp Autumn 2025
TT3010 3.7 sp Autumn 2025
TTT4197 3.7 sp Autumn 2025
This course has academic overlap with the courses in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject areas

  • Build Acoustics
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Multidisciplinary Information and Communication Technology
  • Music Theory
  • Electronics and Telecommunications
  • Musicology
  • Music Technology
  • Music Performance Studies
  • Technological subjects

Contact information

Course coordinator

Lecturers

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Electronic Systems

Examination

Examination

Examination arrangement: Aggregate score
Grade: Letter grades

Ordinary examination - Autumn 2025

Assignment 1
Weighting 50/100
Assignment 2
Weighting 50/100