Jared Archambault, New Alexandria, Scott van Note
Prior to the 1800's, acoustic visualization was done almost exclusively through string vibration (around Greece). There is also tangential evidence that some cultures were using other methods for realizing acoustics.
The study of acoustic visualizations most likely begins with Ernest Chladni, around the turn of the 19th century, and throughout the 1800's several others were then inspired by this initial work.
Various modern methods have evolved for the modeling of acoustic energy in open and enclosed spaces, which includes rooms and concert halls, but also encompasses speaker & amplifier design.
Modern scientific modeling software can visualize the dynamics of solid (3D) forms. The approach is a physics-based one where the interaction between discrete regions of the material, elements, are measured.