The best sounding venue you have ever heard!

[VinylRob]

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Orchestra Hall in Detroit has been saved from demolition by neglect, here are a couple of comparative photos.

I had the rare pleasure of moving up my Chamber Series seating though a period of seven years and watching as we went from fish netting hung on the ceiling in front of the stage to catch the falling plaster giving loose from its lath and potentially landing on musicians or the audience and buckets set out on the floor to catch roof leaks, to this restored performance gem and landmark recording venue. With its horse hair plaster it has been said by many including me to be of "Perfect sound". I have sat last row mezzanine, against the wall and to either side and dead center and the sound is solid in each and every seating. I have a number of favorite performances on vinyl from this hall, all recorded before my time. One non classical event that really stands out in mind for me was hearing the legendary jazz performer and former Detroiter Yusef Lateef here as well, what an experience. This old lady has come a long way since 1919.

Happy Listening!

 

[justrideit]

Hill Auditorium on the campus of U of M in Ann Arbor. I was first row for the Moody Blues right after the renovation in 2004.

I cannot tolerate loud rock concerts. My ears are sensitive to loud noises.

This concert was like sitting in my livingroom. I was amazed at how good it sounded. And at the perfect sound pressure level.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_Auditorium

 

[VinylRob]

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Hill Auditorium on the campus of U of M in Ann Arbor.

I love the Hill as well.

I have heard at Hill Dr. Ali Akbar Khan, K.D. Lang, Paco DeLucia, Wilco...
And out of numerous shows over the years only Wilco was able to make the Hill sound like sh*t, because they played WAY TO LOUD for the venue. Go figure.


Man, are we lucky when you start looking at all the exceptional listening venues in the Detroit Metro area?!

HAPPY LISTENING!

 

[Infinitoid]

I've tried to find beautiful interior views of my three favorite spaces to no avail.

Symphony Hall, Chicago
Hilbert Circle Theater, Indianapolis
Emens Auditorium, Muncie, Indiana

All three have given me immense pleasure. I've only performed in Emens though.
Looking forward to another visit to the Hilbert in 10 days for the Indianapolis Symphony's performance of Berlioz' Requiem. It seats only 1800. Pretty big for what was once a movie theater. Emens has the best acoustics IMHO.

http://cms.bsu.edu/Web/Emens/AboutEmens.aspx

 

[Guest108]

The Greek Theater in Berkeley, CA

 

[frankbooth]

Growing up going to punk and hardcore shows I've heard way more crappy sounding venue's than good ones, but recently I heard what was easily the best live sound I've ever heard.
I went to a taping of the Letterman show. If you've never been, the band comes out and plays like 15 min of live music before the show.
Whatever they are doing there for sound, they are doing it right! Forget how much talent is up there, the quality of sound in that theatre is astounding! Beautiful, crisp, and well rounded sound.

 

[jetblack]

I haven't been to a lot of venues, but the one that stood out was the Music Hall in Houston, Tx. It was demolished in 1998. I saw the Houston Symphony and Jean Luc Ponty in that venue. :thmbsp:

 

[finnbow]

Strathmore Music Hall in North Bethesda, MD is pretty friggin' awesome. It would improve, however, with some better shows.

I just went to a small 19th century church that was bought by couple in New Market, MD with the express purpose of being a music venue and to host weddings. A three person acoustic Celtic combo sounded absolutely stunning there last night.

 

[Oofda]

Mostly been to outdoor concerts. I absolutely love Alpine Valley Music - East Troy, WI and Blossom Music Center - Cuyahoga Falls, OH. Something about those wood roofs that I love!

 

[paulram]

Chicago Jazz Festival , I believe it was called. Grants Park .maybe 10+years ago.. thought I was in my living room listen to my home stereo at larger than life levels !

 

[Texun1]

Blue Heaven Studios, a world-class recording studio created in a gothic-style church in Salina, Kansas. You have to attend the Blues Masters at the Crossroads. It is a yearly two-night concert that is great.

 

[ScramMan2]

Ravinia Pavilion, Highland Park, IL. Summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

I worked 38 shows there this season in security both on the lawn and in the Pavilion.

 

[ofajen]

My experience is rather limited, but of those places I've been, the best sound was unambiguously Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City:

I saw Tony Bennett in concert there. He was 80 years old at the time and already well past his peak, and yet still an amazing talent and entertainer.

Dr. Cyril M. Harris was the acoustic designer for the hall and he was also the acoustical consultant for the remodeled Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Cheers,

Otto

 

[JonL]

Without a doubt it's Levon Helm's "barn," site of the Midnight Rambles. It's actually a recording studio, almost every saturday night they bring in folding chairs, cram about 200 people in there, and play fantastic music. I was at the show in the picture, sitting on the right side by the keyboards but I was in the second (and last) row, I'm not visible in the shadows.

 

[jntit]

It's been a while, but I always liked Carnegie Hall & The Town Hall, here in Albuquerque, Pope Joy Hall is pretty nice. I seem to be stuck on Halls.

 

[JimPA]

The Valley Forge Music Fair. I heard the Moody Blues there in 1992. The venue held about 2700 capacity and was in the round. All the walls had acoustic tile. Sadly it was torn down and is now a shopping center.

 

[Wes_in_VA]

Without a doubt it's Levon Helm's "barn," site of the Midnight Rambles. It's actually a recording studio, almost every saturday night they bring in folding chairs, cram about 200 people in there, and play fantastic music. I was at the show in the picture, sitting on the right side by the keyboards but I was in the second (and last) row, I'm not visible in the shadows.

That looks like a fantastic place to hear music. I'm jealous.

 

[JonL]

That looks like a fantastic place to hear music. I'm jealous.

It's fantastic in many ways. It really feels like a house concert, like you know everyone there (even though you don't.) They encourage people to bring food to share, and there's a room set up downstairs where everyone puts out what they brought and it's a nice pot luck. I've been playing guitar and going to concerts for 41 years, and I'm pretty particular... the musicianship AND the sound quality is the best I've ever heard - bar none. Been there twice, New Year's Eve (while Levon was still with us) and then that show in the picture, which was the first one after his passing, and on his birthday. I intend to go back fairly often, as long as they keep it goin'. It's worth planning a trip around.

 

[tppc]

My fav venue was a tiny suburban bar in metro-Detroit way back when, packed to walls with mostly guitarists, filled with smoke, listening to Joe Pass work his magic from just a few feet away.

 

[mfrench]

The Neurosciences Institute Auditorium, La Jolla, Ca.

This hall was designed to study the influence of music on the human brain. Its considered to be one of the finest small acoustic halls in the world.
I've record extensively in this hall, from just about every elevation in the room, probably more than anyone else ever has; 12 years of concerts recorded in this hall.
The hall is a concrete shell, within an outer concrete shell. There is a soil berm around 60% of the hall. The rear of the hall is at grade level, and the stage is probably 20' -.> 25' below grade within the earth. You are literally within two concrete shells, and buried within the earth.
No two surfaces in the hall are parallel to each other (within reason), so there is no issue with auditory distortion, such as standing bass waves, reverberations, outside noise influence. The HVAC system is as silent as I've ever experienced, and I've heard wretched examples in otherwise infamous music halls that totally ruin the music.
This is hands down the finest music hall in southern california, and one of the finest small music halls in the world.