Guidelines for acoustical measurements in churches

Abstract The acoustics of churches is a cultural heritage to be preserved as carefully as the artistic and architectural aspects of this particular category of buildings. The acoustic characteristics of an environment could be measured according to different techniques varying from the numerical quantification, by means of acoustical parameters, to the recording of the binaural or ambisonic impulse responses of several combinations of source–receiver locations. The complexity of this kind of buildings can lead different researchers to choose dissimilar source–receiver arrangements, that yield incomparable results. To prevent different approaches to the problem and to assist in obtaining comparable data, the results of experimental measurements deriving from previous acoustical surveys are statistically analysed in order to better understand the spatial variation of acoustical parameters leading to the definition of a set of guidelines to standardize the choice of sources and receivers locations. In addition, suitable hardware combinations depending on the purpose of the measurement are finally suggested.