If you’ve already trained your ear to identify the sonic footprint of a room, a sharp clap can be a great way to do a quick evaluation. But if you don’t know what you’re listening for, then walking around and clapping like an idiot is just walking around and clapping like an idiot. It’s really hard to overstate the importance of room sound versus direct signal.
So to start training your ear, try this. First, try speaking while placing your hands behind your ears. Don’t cup them.
Put them flat. Now, compare that to the sound when you’ve blocked the front. The difference you’re hearing is the difference between the direct signal and the room.
Yeah, it’s not 100%. I know it’s the sound of your own voice, but you will hear a difference. And the character of that difference is the thing we are trying to train your ears to hear.
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