Mackey Arena noise hypothesis

[reswat]

So, we should have a lot of engineers here and I want to ask a question.

I think it's cool that Mackey Arena is consistently listed as one of the hardest places to play and/or the loudest. And I've wondered why that is.

Also, I was at a Purdue game a couple years ago - when they got beat by Ohio State. We were literally on the last row, at the top. It was a full arena, but strangely, it wasn't that loud for me. In fact, I was disappointed.

Also, at many science museums around the country, you'll have two parabolic bowls maybe one hundred feet from each other. A person at one end can simply whisper into the bowl and be heard by the other person 100 feet away. The sound waves are focused by the parabolic bowls and magnify the sound.

When I put all this together, I hypothesize that the parabolic roof at Mackey focuses the noise straight down onto the court. The court would be the loudest point in the gym. Way up in the rafters, where I was, it wouldn't be that loud.

Is this a valid hypothesis?

 

[meenie]

Yes. The higher the seats you have, the less noise you hear. If you’re in the lower section and we have a good team, you can’t hear yourself think

 

[TopSecretBoiler]

It's not that focused, but the shape and material of the roof help. plus it's relatively small for the number of people in there and you are very close to the court. Cement bowl also keeps the sound in. There's just not much to attenuate sound in there.

 

[pulax78]

One of the allures of the old Orange Bowl was how the two-tiered steel stadium channeled the noise onto the field. It was LOUD. I wish we could duplicate it at Ross-Ade.

 

[MLB007]

NO!!! I was there in the early 80's and our season tickets were 5 rows from the top.
Purdue had a very good team and very enthusiastic crowds and I used to look at that roof and wonder if sound could move mass. It was SO loud that it literally felt like it might have to give a bit.
In the past 30 years Ive never heard sound like that in Mackey (or anywhere else) even close.
Crowds today (mostly) ain't sh*t. Too many on their phones chatting with friends.

 

[CWS]

Instead of having a “blackout” and everyone wear black, everyone should wear sound-reflective clothing instead of cloth and see what happens.

 

[GoldandBlackintheSaddleAgain]

Instead of having a “blackout” and everyone wear black, everyone should wear sound-reflective clothing instead of cloth and see what happens.

I like it. I am ready

 

[Smokestack91]

Instead of having a “blackout” and everyone wear black, everyone should wear sound-reflective clothing instead of cloth and see what happens.

And the rubber gloves or whatever they had on for the 2011 O$U game.

 

[bonefish1]

I remember being in RA for Holy Toledo and it felt like you could feel the stadium shaking when Morales crossed the goal line.

 

[Gemini95]

NO!!! I was there in the early 80's and our season tickets were 5 rows from the top.
Purdue had a very good team and very enthusiastic crowds and I used to look at that roof and wonder if sound could move mass. It was SO loud that it literally felt like it might have to give a bit.
In the past 30 years Ive never heard sound like that in Mackey (or anywhere else) even close.
Crowds today (mostly) ain't sh*t. Too many on their phones chatting with friends.

Ok Boomer

 

[BoilerAndy]

One of the allures of the old Orange Bowl was how the two-tiered steel stadium channeled the noise onto the field. It was LOUD. I wish we could duplicate it at Ross-Ade.

Unless they messed it up when they upgraded Ross-Ade, the biggest problem is not enough fans. I remember when Bo Schembeckler lost to Purdue and he claimed that Purdue was "piping in" crowd noise. There were games where the fans were warned that a penalty would be called on Purdue for excessive crowd noise that prevented the players from hearing their quarterback.

 

[MLB007]

Ok Boomer

is that supposed to be a slam? If you weren't there then what the F do you know about it? Oh right, smart ass kids know everything.