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Room Acoustics

Reverberation
Reverberation

direct reflected
sound sounds
Sustained sound

Reverberation time = time it takes for loudness


decrease by 60 dB
Acoustics characteristics of auditoriums

“liveness” : reverberation time


“intimacy”: time to the first reflected sound to arrive
“fullness/clarity”: direct sound versus reflected sound
volume
“warmth/brilliance”: reverberation time for low
frequencies larger/smaller than for high frequencies
“texture”: temporal pattern of reflections

good bad

“blend”: all seats hear all instruments


“ensemble”: musicians can hear themselves
Problems in acoustic design

Focusing
Problems in acoustic design
Focusing
Echoes

“pessimal” design

reflecting stage audience


wall
Shadows

only low
frequencies
behind the
overhang
Resonances
analogy
vocal chords instruments
formants room resonances
s nnn
i ###
o 1 2 3
We want lots ofresonances,
n evenly spread in the
W1 1 1 frequencies)
frequency (no favored
i . . .
d 1 2 6
t 4 8 0
h xxx
HHH
e e e 10.89-ft high, 12.4-ft
i i i
ggg wide, and 15.14 ft long
hhh
t t t
L1 1 2
e. . .
n3 5 3
8-ft high, 16-ft wide,
g9 4 3 and 16 ft long
t xxx
h HHH
e e e
i i i
ggg
Walt Disney Hall (LA Philharmonic)
Precedence effect

ALL the sound seems to come from the direction


of the earliest sound
Electronic enhancement has to be delayed by 20-
50 ms
External noise

Solution: shielding, shielding, shielding !

Acceptable noise
Recording studio 25dB
Auditoriums,
classrooms 30dB
Homes 40dB
Restaurants 50db (!)
Calculation of reverberation time (engineer style)

volume (ft3)
V V
TR  55.2  0.050
vs A A
absorption (ft2)
reverberation time (s)

A is the sum over all absorbing surfaces


Example:
13ft by 20ft by 8ft room
4 walls of plaster (absorption coefficient 0.1)
carpet floor (absorption coefficient 0.3)
absorptive tile ceiling (absorption coefficient 0.6)

walls floor ceiling

A   2  (20  8)  2  (13  8)  0.1  (13  20)  0.3  (13  20)  0.6
 286 sabins
volume

13  20  8
TR  0.050  0.36 seconds
286.8

Warning:
• The aborption coefficient depends on the
frequency
• people absorb sound: 1 person = 2.5 sabins
• person + upholstered seat = 3 sabins
Trial and error leads to rules of thumb
(RPG Diffusor Systems INC)
“The ceiling of an Auditorium should be primarily sound reflected/diffusive (not
primarily absorptive) in order to reflect early energy down to the audience promoting
loudness and intelligibility. The ceiling should be 30%-50% open to the space above to
vent excessive sound power and/or promote reverberance. It is important that the ceiling
surfaces be sound diffusive so that gaps in the sound distribution pattern
(nonuniformity) do not result from the open areas. Lower side and rear walls near the
audience should also be reflective/diffusive (not absorptive) to promote loudness,
intelligibility, envelopment, and to prevent echoes off the rear wall.
Overall reverberance and loudness is controlled by placing absorption and diffsorption
(mid frequency absorption and high frequency diffusion) on the underside of the roof
deck and on the upper walls respectively. The amount of absorption and diffsorption
depends on the overall volume of the auditorium. Larger auditoriums (350+ cubic feet
per seat) require that approximately 50% of the upper wall area be treated with
diffsorption, while smaller auditoriums (250–350 cubic feet per seat) require only about
25% of the upper wall area be treated. Typically, small auditoriums with less than 250
cubic feet per seat are not reverberant enough for music and serve only as good speech
rooms. Very little absorption is required in these rooms. Problems such as flutter and
echoes are prevented with diffusion and diffsorption. “
Avery Fisher Hall (Lincoln Center)

clouds

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