Scott Probert 138951 28/12/85 BTEC HND Diploma in Mu ic !

Pro"uction#$ %cou tic & %'ial Mo"e an" (T)* %nal+ i $ 22/*3/13 ,ntro"uction$ The aim of this assignment is to design a studio that has a homogenous sound field to create a well-balanced room for mixing audio. This will involve designing the size and shape of the room to create a diffuse sound field, use axial mode analysis to analyse the frequency response of the room and then discuss appropriate materials and acoustics treatments that could be used to help even out the frequency balance further. When looking at how a room can affect the sound in a space, issues such as absorption, reflections, equipment placement, standing waves and reverberation time will need to be considered. Ways to control these issues will be to use absorbent materials, diffusers and place equipment in as an appropriate place as possible. There are many things that can affect the frequency response of a room which in turn will have an effect on the sound heard by the listener and will eventually affect the mix created in that room. The main issues that can arise from a non-homogenous room is standing waves. tanding waves are !a particular pattern of constructive and destructive interference" #$ass. %&&'(. These constructive and destructive interference are issues that appear at certain frequencies and can boost and cut certain frequencies that leave the speakers #or monitors( and are reflected off the surfaces of the room. This, to the listener will result in them boosting or cutting certain frequencies in their mix to compensate for the inaccuracies in frequency response in the room. This may make the mix sound even and well balanced in that particular room, but when the track is played in another room or a homogenous room than the same mix will sound uneven. )ot only will the particular frequency cause issues but its subsequent harmonics will also cause problems resulting in a very uneven room from simply on frequency. !The phenomenon is unavoidable* there are standing waves even in the best rooms" which leaves the question !how to minimize the problem+" #,educ. %&&-(. The best way to do this will be to find the critical frequency and try to eliminate the reflections of that frequency which will also eliminate that frequencies harmonics and create a more homogenous acoustic space suitable for creating an even mix. These boosts and cuts in the frequency response of a room are called modes. .sing mathematical analysis to determine which frequencies will cause these modes is important to determine how the room can be treated to minimise the impact of these modes. $owever from doing previous modal analysis it is important to state that although the results may show many modes it is only certain modes that will need to be acoustically treated. /n acoustic website dedicated in the acoustic field of room modes states that !if modes are widely separated, then the sound will be abnormally weak at the notes between the modal frequencies. /t frequencies above %0& $ertz individual modes are seldom distinguishable" #.nknown. %&&1(. This will become

more apparent when modal analysis has taken place and the critical frequency has been found. / diffuse sound field is a sound field that has a completely even spread of frequencies in the entire space of the room. $owever as a diffuse sound field requires mathematical analysis to determine the exact frequency distribution and as a room will such as a control room or studio space will not be completely empty, a diffuse sound field !does not exist in any room" #2acobsen. %&&3(. This is due to the many factors that will affect the diffusion throughout a room4 peakers, desks, chairs, instruments, computers and even people will affect the diffusion in a room. With this in mind we can only hope to minimise the issues that occur in a non-diffuse sound field and create a room that is as diffuse as possible when taking into consideration the purpose of the room. The diffusion of a room can be analysed by carrying out axial mode analysis upon the dimensions of the room and can be treated through various acoustic treatments such as placing diffuser around the room and various ad5ustments to the rooms shape when applicable. The diffusion of frequencies in a room will also affect the balance of frequencies throughout the room. This will cause many problems in a control room as the listener may here the frequency boost or dip and compensate for this in the mix by attenuating or boosting the frequencies that are unbalanced in the room. This will affect how the mix will sound in different rooms where the frequency balance is different and will alter the sound of the entire piece. /s a control room is used for tracking instruments and mixing audio pro5ects this would be a particularly ma5or issue as in a control it is important for the frequency balance in a control room to be even and dispersed throughout the entire room evenly. This allows the user to make critical 5udgments on the recording and mixing of instruments to create a well-balanced mix. 6n a live recording environment modal problems could cause issues when placing microphones. 6f a microphone is placed in an area that has unbalanced frequency dispersion, then while the player or people in the room might believe the frequency balance to be flat, the microphone may be placed in an area that has a frequency boost or dip and will capture this in the recording. /dversely an unbalanced frequency response in a live room may also cause the player to hear a coloured image of the sound coming from the instrument. This may then encourage the player to compensate for the colouration they are hearing by playing the instrument in a different way and when it comes to listening to the recording in a homogenous sound field the overcompensation would be noticed and the recording may have to be done again. $owever this can be a problem in itself, as most microphones do not have a flat frequency response that will need to be accounted for when recording. This however can be checked by looking at the frequency response chart that should be provided by the manufacturer. 7ne of the most important factors to consider when designing a control room is the frequency balance. To get a well balanced mix that will sound good in a variety of different spaces, the mix should be performed in a room that has !a relatively flat frequency response over the entire audio range without adding its own particular sound coloration" #$uber 8 9unstein. %&:&(. This will ensure that there are no boosts or dips in the frequency spectrum of the audio signal that reach the listener after leaving the monitors. / well-balanced room can be achieved through a studio

design that compensates for the fluctuations of frequencies by using well-placed materials that will affect the reflection and absorption qualities of the room in the way that the user requires. ;epending on the materials used throughout the room the absorption and reflections of frequencies will change the tonal balance of a room. .sing an absorption coefficients chart the absorption of a rooms surfaces can be analysed to determine which frequencies are being absorbed by the surfaces and by how much, this is given a measurement of a. This measurement is given as a number and :.&& is equal to the total absorption of that frequency resulting in no reflections from that surface. This can also be given as a percentage with :.&&a being equal to :&&<. While a rating of &.:0 for example will mean that not much of that frequency will be absorbed by the surface and instead most of the frequency will be reflected back into the room. =y carrying out axial mode analysis on a room and analysing the materials of a room using a coefficient chart, acoustic treatment can then be chosen and placed throughout the room to help create a well balanced homogenous sound field resulting in an almost perfect space to record and mix an audio pro5ect. /nother important aspect of studio design to consider is isolation. 6solating the studio #control room and >live room?( from the outside world and each other, can prevent sound leakage from the control room monitors from entering the >live room? and causing spill on the recording microphones. This also works for the opposite and can help reduce sound leakage from the >live room? from entering the control room. This would be very useful as the engineer may be mixing or critically listening to a musical piece and may have performers in the >live room? rehearsing or setting up equipment so isolation from these external sounds would be a very useful quality for any studio design. 6solation would also help reduce sound leakage from external noise. /s many studios are based on industrial estates and busy streets, it is extremely useful to isolate the studio as efficiently as possible. This will also help sound leakage from the studio #control room and >live room?( from leaking out and disturbing passers-by and nearby businesses or houses. The most efficient way to isolate a studio would be to use floating walls or two wall construction design. This is a consideration that would be more achievable while in the process of designing the studio, as it would require a complete refurbishment that could be very expensive. This is due to the work that is needed to create floating walls. The floating wall design requires floating 5oists to be added to the existing 5oists of the walls, floors and ceiling. There is then an absorbent material placed between the outer wall and the new inner wall creating an extra layer of absorption helping attenuate sounds from entering and leaving the studio.

T-e cube" room$

When designing a studio, in particular a control room, it is important that the shape of the room and its construction help create a homogenous sound field and help reduce unwanted discrepancies such as standing waves. /ccording to =ruce wedien a sound engineer known for his work with @uincy 2ones and Aichael 2ackson the worst shape of a room and one that will produce extensive standing waves is a cube. $e states that !cube shaped rooms with parallel surfaces" will cause !sound waves, at critical frequencies to be reflected back and forth across the room with surprising intensity" # wedien. %&&'(. /s this is only one persons opinion, axial mode analysis will need to be carried out to see 5ust how true this statement is, if the results appear to be true then this will help the construction design when designing a studio space later in this assignment.

Binding the critical frequency will determine where the modes will become more apparent. This can be done using the following equation4 FD,xWx$ D1$5 'x ' 'C x' . critical / 0 !12 0 S# D %3 F D %3m' C D peed of sound #'1'mEs( D % #' x '( G % #' x '( G % #' x '( F D 9oom volume D #% x -( G #% x -( G #% x -( D 9oom surface area B critical D Critical frequency in $z. D :H G :H G :H D 01 This calculation will now be done on the control room to determine the critical D 01m% more dominant. frequency where the room modal issues become #1F I ( D #1 x %3( I 01 :&H I 01 D% C I #1F I ( D'1' I % D :3:.0& :.0 x C I #1F I s( D :.0 x :3:.0& D %03.%0 Critical frequency D %03.%0$z

To find the first fundamental standing wave frequency of the 'm cubed room will be calculated by dividing the length of the room doubled by the speed of sound and will be written out like this4 T-e 3un"amental tan"in4 5a6e 3re7uenc+ an" it -armonic 3re7uencie 3or t-e -ei4-t o3 t-e cube" room$ The fundamental frequency calculated will be the standing wave frequency between the parallel walls. $owever as each fundamental frequency will have its own harmonics that will also cause modal issues, a table will be drawn up containing the first eight harmonics of the fundamental frequency for each dimension of the room. F D peed of sound #'1'mEs( $ D $eight of room #'m( W D Width of room #'m( , D ,ength of room #'m( f: D Birst fundamental frequency in hertz #$z( .un"amental 3re7uenc+ 3or t-e -ei4-t o3 t-e room$ D F I %$ D '1' I #% x '( D '1' I J D 03.:J f: D 03.:J$z

Harmonic number$ f: f% f' f1 f0 fJ f3 fH

.un"amental 3re7uencie /-armonic 3re7uencie in H8$ 03.:J ::1.'% :3:.1H %%H.J1 %H0.H& '1%.-J 1&&.:% 103.%H

T-e 3un"amental tan"in4 5a6e 3re7uenc+ an" it -armonic 3re7uencie 3or t-e 5i"t- o3 t-e cube" room$ .un"amental 3re7uenc+ 3or t-e 5i"t- o3 t-e room$ D F I %$ D '1' I #% x '( D '1' I J D 03.:J f: D 03.:J$z Harmonic number$ f: f% f' f1 f0 fJ f3 fH .un"amental 3re7uencie /-armonic 3re7uencie in H8$ 03.:J ::1.'% :3:.1H %%H.J1 %H0.H& '1%.-J 1&&.:% 103.%H

T-e 3un"amental tan"in4 5a6e 3re7uenc+ an" it -armonic 3re7uencie 3or t-e .un"amental 3re7uenc+ len4t- o3 t-e cube" room$ 3or t-e len4t- o3 t-e room$ D F I %$ D '1' I #% x '( D '1' I J D 03.:J f: D 03.:J$z

Harmonic number$ f: f% f' f1 f0 fJ f3 fH

.un"amental 3re7uencie /-armonic 3re7uencie in H8$ 03.:J ::1.'% :3:.1H %%H.J1 %H0.H& '1%.-J 1&&.:% 103.%H

Table -o5in4 t-e 3un"amental 3re7uencie 3or all "imen ion o3 t-e cube" room in a cen"in4 or"er$ Harmonic number$ .un"amental 3re7uencie /armonic 3re7uencie in H9 3or -ei4-t o3 room !3m#$ 03.:J ::1.'% :3:.1H %%H.J1 %H0.H& '1%.-J 1&&.:% 103.%H .un"amental 3re7uencie /-ar monic 3re7uencie in H9 3or 5i"t- o3 room !3m#$ 03.:J ::1.'% :3:.1H %%H.J1 %H0.H& '1%.-J 1&&.:% 103.%H .un"amental 3re7uencie /-ar monic 3re7uencie in H9 3or len4t- o3 room !3m#$ 03.:J ::1.'% :3:.1H %%H.J1 %H0.H& '1%.-J 1&&.:% 103.%H .re7uencie arran4e" in a cen"in4 or"er in H9$ 5:$1) 5:$1) 5:$1) 111$32 111$32 111$32 1:1$18 1:1$18 1:1$18 228$)1 228$)1 228$)1 285$8* 285$8* 285$8* 312$9) 312$9) 312$9) 1**$12

f: f% f' f1 f0 fJ f3 fH

1**$12 1**$12 15:$28 15:$28 15:$28 % table -o5in4 t-e "i33erence bet5een t-e tan"in4 5a6e 3re7uencie in a cen"in4 or"er$ .re7uencie arran4e" in a cen"in4 or"er in H9$ 5:$1) 5:$1) 5:$1) 111$32 111$32 111$32 1:1$18 1:1$18 1:1$18 228$)1 228$)1 228$)1 285$8* 285$8* 285$8* 312$9) 312$9) 312$9) 1**$12 1**$12 1**$12 15:$28 15:$28 15:$28 Di33erence bet5een 3re7uencie in H9$ &.&& &.&& 03.:J &.&& &.&& 03.:J &.&& &.&& 03.:J &.&& &.&& 03.:J &.&& &.&& 03.:J &.&& &.&& 03.:J &.&& &.&& 03.:J &.&& &.&&

Brom analysing the table above it is clear to see that a cubed room will be full of modal issues and a cubed room would be a very bad environment for a control room, live room, mastering room or any room where audio intelligibility is needed. There will be significant peaks at all the frequencies with a difference of &.&&$z as well as significant dead spots at the frequencies showing a difference 03.:J$z and would make listening to any sound waves in the room very uneven. Knowing that the critical frequency is %03.%0$z it can now be determined that all the frequencies below this frequency will cause modal issues. /nd seen as the room mode frequencies of the cubed room all match, this, with being the same frequencies !will reinforce each other to form very noticeable peaks in the room response" #White. :--H(. This is because having reflections of every surface forces the same frequencies #due to their length( to be reflected and meet each other in phase causing

an extreme amplitude peak for that frequency, and seen as so many frequencies in a cubed room cause standing waves, the room will become completely unbalanced and unsuitable for any critical listening or recording. Lven with acoustic treatment it would be very difficult and take a lot of money to turn a cubed room into any kind of suitable environment for critical listening. o now that a cubed room has proven to be a terrible shape acoustically, it is now time to test the dimensions of a room that may perform better in axial mode analysis. Bor this the dimensions will be made according one of the >golden ratios? of acoustics determined by acousticians such as ,udwig W. ephmeyer, 9ichard $. =olt or Mhilip A. Aorse. ; in4 Sep-me+er< 4ol"en ratio t-eor+ to "e i4n a control room$ /ccording to 2ay Torborg ,udwig William ephmeyer?s golden ratios for a room with minimal modal problems are !:.&& 4 :.J& 4 %.''" #Torborg. %&:'(. =ased on these ratios the control room for this assignment will have the measurements of4

$eight #$( D %.H&m Width #W( D %.H& x :.J& D 1.1Hm ,ength #,( D %.H& x %.'' D J.0%m Niving the room a measurement of4 $ D %.H&m W D 1.1Hm , D J.0%m =ased on ephmeyer?s golden ratios theory.

T-e critical 3re7uenc+$ )ow that the dimensions of the room are known it is now possible to calculate the critical frequency of the room. This is the frequency that will be used to determine which modal issues will need to be addressed with acoustic treatment after the modal analysis has been conducted. The equation to find the critical frequency is as follows4

. critical / 1$5 ' C 0 !12 0 S# Where4 C D peed of sound #'1'mEs( F D 9oom volume D 9oom surface area B critical D Critical frequency in $z. This calculation will now be done on the control room to determine the critical frequency where the room modal issues become more dominant.

FD,xWx$ D J.0% x 1.1H x %.H& D H:.3H F D H:.3Hm' D % #J.0% x 1.1H( G % #1.1H x %.H&( G % #J.0% x %.H&( D #% x %-.%&( G #% x :%.01( G #% x :H.%0( D 0H.1& G %0.&H G 'J.0& D ::-.-H D ::-.-Hm% #1F I ( D #1 x H:.3H( I ::-.-H '%3.:% I ::-.-H D %.3% C I #1F I ( D'1' I %.3% D :%J.:& :.0 x C I #1F I s( D :.0 x :%J.:& D :H-.:0 Critical frequency D :H-.:0$z

)ow that the critical frequency has been identified as being :H-.:0$z. We can determine that modal issues above this frequency will be very low in amplitude and almost inaudible, this means that frequencies above the critical frequency shouldn?t cause any problems or need any acoustic treatment. )ow that the measurements of the control room are known, and the critical frequency

is known, axial mode analysis can now be carried out to determine the standing wave frequencies and the harmonic problems that they can cause. 6deally as the ephmeyer golden ratios were used to determine the measurements of the room there will be little or no modal problems. $owever this will be determined after the analysis has been carried out. To find the fundamental standing wave frequency for height of the room #the space between the floor and the ceiling(, the same equation that was used during the experiment with the cubed room will be used but its measurements will be replaced with the measurements of the assignment control room that utilised the golden ratios. T-e 3un"amental tan"in4 5a6e 3re7uenc+ an" it -armonic 3re7uencie 3or t-e -ei4-t o3 t-e control room$ F D peed of sound #'1'mEs( $ D $eight of room #%.H&m( W D Width of room #1.1Hm( , D ,ength of room #J.0%m( f: D Birst fundamental frequency in $z.

.un"amental 3re7uenc+ 3or t-e -ei4-t o3 t-e room$ D F I %$ D '1' I #% x %.H&( D '1' I 0.J& D J:.%0 f: D J:.%0$z Harmonic number$ f: f% f' f1 f0 fJ f3 fH .un"amental 3re7uencie /-armonic 3re7uencie in H8$ J:.%0 :%%.0& :H'.30 %10.&& '&J.%0 'J3.0& 1%H.30 1-&.&&

T-e 3un"amental tan"in4 5a6e 3re7uenc+ an" it -armonic 3re7uencie 3or t-e 5i"t- o3 t-e control room$ .un"amental 3re7uenc+ 3or t-e 5i"t- o3 t-e room$ D F I %W D '1' I #% x 1.1H( D '1' I H.-J D 'H.%H f: D 'H.%H$z

Harmonic number$ f: f% f' f1 f0 fJ f3 fH

.un"amental 3re7uencie /-armonic 3re7uencie in H8$ 'H.%H 3J.0J ::1.H1 :0'.:% :-:.1& %%-.JH %J3.-J '&J.%1

T-e 3un"amental tan"in4 5a6e 3re7uenc+ an" it -armonic 3re7uencie 3or t-e len4t- o3 t-e control room$ .un"amental 3re7uenc+ 3or t-e len4t- o3 t-e room$ D F I %, D '1' I #% x J.0%( D '1' I :'.&1 D %J.'& f: D %J.'&$z Harmonic number$ f: f% f' f1 f0 fJ f3 fH .un"amental 3re7uencie /-armonic 3re7uencie in H8$ %J.'& 0%.J& 3H.-& :&0.%& :':.0& :03.H& :H1.:& %:&.1&

Table -o5in4 t-e 3un"amental 3re7uencie 3or all "imen ion o3 t-e room in a cen"in4 or"er$

Harmonic number$

f: f% f' f1 f0 fJ f3 fH

.un"amental 3re7uencie /armonic 3re7uencie in H9 3or -ei4-t o3 room !2$8*m#$ J:.%0 :%%.0& :H'.30 %10.&& '&J.%0 'J3.0& 1%H.30 1-&.&&

.un"amental 3re7uencie /-ar monic 3re7uencie in H9 3or 5i"t- o3 room !1$18m#$ 'H.%H 3J.0J ::1.H1 :0'.:% :-:.1& %%-.JH %J3.-J '&J.%1

.un"amental 3re7uencie /-ar monic 3re7uencie in H9 3or len4t- o3 room !)$52m#$ %J.'& 0%.J& 3H.-& :&0.%& :':.0& :03.H& :H1.:& %:&.1&

.re7uencie arran4e" in a cen"in4 or"er in H9$

2)$3* 38$28 52$)* )1$25 :)$5) :8$9* 1*5$2* 111$81 122$5* 131$5* 153$12 15:$8* 183$:5 181$1* 191$1* 21*$1* 229$)8 215$** 2):$9) 3*)$21 3*)$25 3):$5* 128$:5 19*$**

% table -o5in4 t-e "i33erence bet5een t-e tan"in4 5a6e 3re7uencie in a cen"in4 or"er$ .re7uencie arran4e" in a cen"in4 or"er in H9$ 2)$3* 38$28 52$)* )1$25 :)$5) :8$9* 1*5$2* 111$81 122$5* 131$5* 153$12 Di33erence bet5een 3re7uencie in H9$ ::.-H :1.'% H.J0 :0.': %.'1 %J.'& -.J1 3.JJ -.&& %:.J% 1.JH

15:$8* 183$:5 181$1* 191$1* 21*$1* 229$)8 215$** 2):$9) 3*)$21 3*)$25 3):$5* 128$:5 19*$**

%0.-0 &.'0 3.'& :-.&& :-.%H :0.'% %%.-J 'H.%H &.&: J:.%0 J:.%0 J:.%0

Brom analysing the chart above it is clear that the ephmeyer?s golden ratios have significantly helped minimise modal issues in this space when compared to the previous cubed room. $owever it is not completely free from modal issues and there will be issues at the frequencies of4 :H'.30$z '&J.%0$z These only have a difference of &.'0 and &.&:$z respectively and will cause these frequencies to appear more dominant in the room causing an un-balanced frequency balance. $owever as the critical frequency for the room is known to be :H-.:0$z only the frequency of :H'.30$z will need to be acoustically treated. Con tructi6e inter3erence 5it-in t-e control room$ Treating the issue of the standing wave issue at :H'.30$z can be done simply by attenuating the problem frequency using acoustic treatment such as acoustic foam that will reduce the energy of the wave being reflected back into the room. .sing :&&mm acoustic foam will attenuate the frequency but wont eliminate the problem as :&&mm acoustic foam will not absorb all the energy of the sound wave and will reflect the sound wave back into the room, only at a reduced level. $owever by covering the walls in carpet, using thicker acoustic foam and suspending the acoustic foam from the wall rather than attaching it directly will help attenuate the frequency even further helping reduce the problem and creating a more homogenous sound field. The placement of the acoustic treatment will also help attenuate the problem frequency more efficiently. 6t is important to treat the problem frequency as soon as possible to help eliminate the problem occurring at more areas throughout the room. This can be done by placing the acoustic treatment at the places that the sound will first reach after leaving the monitors. The monitors in a control room should be placed at an equilateral triangle between the two monitors and the listener. This is known as the >sweet spot? where both monitors outputs are reaching the listener at the same time and with the same intensity. This provides a better stereo image for the listener and creates a more accurate listening environment for critical listening. $owever as monitors usually have quite a wide dispersion for their output, a lot of the

sound will pass by the listener and travel directly towards the next surface, and in a well-placed control room this will usually be the surface of a wall. This makes it the ideal place for the acoustic treatment as can be seen from the image below.

With the acoustic treatment in place at the positions shown in the image above, the reflections, while not being completely eliminated, will be reduced to such an extent that the peaks in frequency will be attenuated to a point that will be adequate for critical listening. This will also lessen the energy of the reflections, as sound energy is lost through the absorption of the acoustic treatment and the air within the environment the sound field will become more balanced.

/dding diffuses like the ones pictured above will help spread the frequency balance throughout the room helping eliminate any null spots within the room creating a more well balanced environment for listening at different positions in the room. /lthough this will require the listener to remove themselves from the >sweet spot? it is a sensible decision to reference material in this way to gain a better understanding of how the recording will translate in other listening environments with different room characteristics. =y changing listening positions the rooms characteristics will become more apparent changing the overall tonal balance of the material heard and allowing the listener to make better critical decisions to help the material translate more efficiently to other listening environments. De tructi6e inter3erence 5it-in t-e control room$ 7ther issues may occur between the frequencies of4 :':.0&$z :03.H&$z This is because the differences in frequencies between these are quite large and fall in the >dead spot? area of around %&-%0$z that can cause dips in frequencies #particularly lower frequencies( around the room as !sound waves meeting out of phase results in silence or substantially reduced volume" #.nknown. %&:'(. 6ssues such as these are particularly hard to compensate for in terms of room acoustics as there is no way to regain the frequency dips using acoustic treatment. Lven placing a parametric L@ in between before the output boosting these frequencies would not combat the problem, as the problem is that the frequencies have wavelengths that equal the dimensions of the room causing the sound waves to meet each other out of phase causing destructive phase cancellation that attenuates these frequencies. The only really way to eliminate >dead spots? in a room is to change the rooms dimensions to a size that will allow these frequencies to meet in phase causing constructive phase where the two waves meeting increase the amplitude of the frequency causing a boost. This way room acoustic treatment can be used to help

attenuate the frequencies helping create a more homogenous sound field. This can be done using bass traps such as the ones designed by >Nik? a Luropean acoustics company that make the > copus Tuned =ass Trap? that has an airtight chamber allowing the trap to capture and attenuate targeted low frequency waves. These can be purchased from the >Nik? website that can be found at http4EEgikacoustics.co.ukEproductEgik-acoustics-scopus-tuned-bass-trap-t3&E and are available with a centre frequency response at 1&$z, 3&$z and :&&$z. /lthough these don?t target one particular frequency they are suitable and will help avoid any issues when changing the rooms layout, as moving, removing or adding equipment in the room will change the room?s acoustic response and will change the offending frequencies. Bor this reason it is a sensible choice for any >dead spots? as frequencies being played within a control room will usually consist of a fundamental frequency, it?s harmonics and small fluctuations in between, known as in-harmonics. This means that not only will the fundamental frequency and its harmonics will cause problems, but the in-harmonics in between will also cause issues, and as these will often be between the fundamental and harmonic frequencies, they will be of a similar wavelength #see image below(. This means that creating a bass trap that only targets one particular frequency will only attenuate that particular frequency and its harmonics, this means leaving the surrounding in-harmonics that have similar wavelengths to reflect around the room causing phase issues of the constructive and destructive nature.

Considering this, a tuned bass trap that attenuates the problem frequency and it?s harmonics will be useful but using broadband absorber like the ones pictured below, may tackle the problem frequency and it?s in-harmonics ultimately aiding the goal of a more homogenous sound field.

Brom conducting the axial mode analysis using ephmeyer?s >golden ratios? and analysing the results, it is clear that creating a completely homogenous sound field is almost impossible when considerations for the rooms use are taken into consideration. When taking into consideration the need for equipment and even people into the studio environment, the changes to size, shape and surface will all alter the dimensions and results from the axial mode analysis. This means, !an analysis of an empty room is pretty pointless" #White. %&&%(. The only way to achieve an accurate modal analysis would be to perform the analysis on a fully furbished control room and make measurements for dimension of the room. This would be a very complicated process and would involve measuring the distance from every piece of equipment to each surface in the room. 6f any ma5or modal issues were then found, the room would then need to be changed and the analysis would have to be carried out again. This would be highly impractical and time consuming and although axial mode analysis performed on an empty room isn?t entirely accurate, it is a great start when trying to create a homogenous sound field and will at least make the user aware of where issues may arise in the room and how they can be avoided or reduced. /s a !diffuse sound field is an ideal sound field that does not exist in any room" #2acobsen. %&&3( and a completely >dead? room would result in it being classed as an anechoic chamber. The achievement desired by anybody designing a control room should simply be to reduce any modal problems as much as they possibly can while maintaining a useable environment that is fit for purpose, and to be aware of any issues when critically listening as this can help achieve a mix that will translate well in another environment. This means not relying entirely on one single room to mix audio, and instead the room can be used to form a solid base for a track to be mixed and referenced in other listening environments. The aim when designing and using a control room should be4 To be aware of the environment and it?s acoustically properties. Lnsure that the space is fit for its purpose. Treat the space to create an as accurate >sweet spot? as possible. This may involve changing the dimensions of the room where possible. The use of sloping walls and ceilings can help create better diffusion and help attenuate modal problems such as oblique room modes that have !one quarter of the energy of axial modes" #Wieczorek. %&&%(. /lthough advice can be given by professional acoustic technicians about a space you have in mind for a studio, by taking some simple measurements and performing axial mode analysis yourself you will have a better understanding of the type of treatments your space requires and how to place equipment. This can save you time, money and give you a better understanding of which treatments are needed, which aren?t and where to place equipment without compromising the tonal balance of the room. The next task for this assignment is to design a >live room? that will be used for recording instruments that will be tracked and mixed in the control room. The >live room? will need different characteristics than the control room as instruments get there character and sound more natural to the listener when played an a >live?

environment rather than a >dead? environment like a control room. o instead of focusing on the frequency balance and standing waves of the space instead the reverberation time will be the focus as this can add character to the sound and help the instrument sound more natural as listeners hear reverberation in everyday life to determine space, shape, depth and intelligibility. (T)*$ 9TJ& in acoustics refers to the reverberation time of an enclosed space. 9everberation can be defined as many complex reflections occurring in an enclosed space and should not be confused with early reflections or echo. The difference between reverb and early reflections is time. /s can be seen in the diagram below reverberation starts at around 0&ms after the original sound source. =efore this are early reflections caused by reflections created by surfaces close to the listener and sound source. 9TJ& is used to describe the time taken !for a sound to die away to a millionth of its original intensity #resulting in a decrease over time of J&d=(" #$uber 8 9unstein. %&:&(. 9everb plays an important role to our perception of a space and can help us determine a spaces size, depth, construction and contributes to our spatial awareness especially in a dark room. Creating a room with appropriate reverb in a professional sound environment is important as it can change the intelligibility of what is heard within the space. This can obviously affect the 5udgements made when making critical decisions concerning recording and mixing audio. The speed that sound travels can be altered by the material it travels through. 6n a studio environment often the first material that sound travels through is air at around '1'mEs #metres per second( depending on temperature and humidity. The listener first hears the direct sound form the sound source #usually monitors or the instrument(, this is followed closely by the early reflections and takes around 0 O 0&ms and caused by the surfaces between and close to the listener. 9everberation is then heard by the listener and is caused by the reflections of sound from the surfaces of the room. This can be changed by the surfaces in the room and the material they are constructed from. Lvery material has an absorption coefficient that describes the materials absorption resulting in the reflected sound being reduced in energy before striking the next surface. This process continues until the sound energy is reduced by J&d= resulting in the rooms 9TJ&. $owever the absorption of sound in a room cannot be reduced simply as the absorption coefficient table shows that each material does not absorb sound at the same rate for all frequencies. 6nstead the table shows that each material has a value between & and : for each material shown at the frequencies of :%0$z, %0&$z, 0&&$z, :k$z, %k$z and 1k$z. 6t is also only a rating giving the absorption of the material at :m%. / rating of : shows complete absorption of sound at that frequency by that material, this results in no reflected sound at that frequency. / rating of & will result in no absorption at that frequency and the sound wave is reflected back into the room only loosing a small amount of energy as it travels through the air. This rating is given as a abine or . o with the information from the absorption coefficient table and knowing the room size calculations can be performed to determine the absorption of frequencies in that particular space. Brom this the 9TJ& can be determined using abine?s equation of4

(T)* / *$1)1 ' 2 / n n / !a1 ' = a2 ' = a3 ' # Where4 (T)* D 9everberation time. *$1)1 D Constant. n D The sum of multiplying the surface of each area by and summing together. 2 D Folume of the room. D The sum. D The absorption coefficient of the surface at a particular frequency given as a abine. a1 D /rea of the ceiling. a2 D /rea of the floor. a3 D /rea of the walls. o using the equation the 9TJ& for all frequencies in the coefficient chart will be performed to determine how well the fictitious >live room? will be suited for its purpose and what can be done to help facilitate that purpose. The room consists of four walls layered with wood panelling a plaster on brick ceiling and a heavy carpet floor with a heavy foam underlay. The diagram below shows the dimensions of the room and with this information tables will be made to determine the absorption of each surface at the frequencies provided by the absorption coefficient chart.

The room volume can be found by the following formula where4 2 / 9oom volume. > / Width of the room. H / $eight of the room. ? / ,ength of the room.

2 / !> ' H ' ?# 2 / !5 ' 3 ' 8# 2 / 12*m3 o now that one part of abine?s equation is known #2(, it is now time to find out the value of n so that the equation can be completed to give the 9TJ& values for the >live room?. > / 0m H / 'm ? / Hm / /bsorption coefficient rating for the materials surface at the frequency shown in a measurement of abine?s at :m%. S / /bsorption coefficient for each surface area at the frequency shown and given as a measurement of abine?s.

Sur3ace$ Ceilin4 !Pla ter on Bric@#$

%rea$
a1 / #? ' ># / !8 ' 5# / 1* a1 / 1*m2 a2 / !? ' ># / !8 ' 5# / 1* a2 / 1*m2

125H9
S / !a1 ' # / !1* ' *$*13# / *$52 S / *$52 S / !a2 ' # / !1* ' *$15*# / )$** S / )$**

25*H9
S / !a1 ' # / !1* ' *$*15# / *$)* S / *$)* S / !a2 ' # / !1* ' *$25*# / 1*$** S / 1*$**

5**H9
S / !a1 ' # / !1* ' *$*2*# / *$8* S / *$8* S / !a2 ' # / !1* ' *$5**# / 2*$** S / 2*$**

.loor !Hea6+ Carpet 5it- Hea6+ .oam ;n"erla+#$ >all !>oo" Panellin4#$

a3 D 2 !? ' H# = 2 !> ' H# / 2 !8 ' 3# = 2 ! 5 ' 3# / 2 !21# = 2 !15# / !2 ' 21# = !2 ' 15# / 18 = 3* / :8 a3 / :8m2

S / !a3 ' # / !:8 ' *$21*# / 18$:2 S / 18$:2

S / !a3 ' # / !:8 ' *$19*# / 11$82 S / 11$82

S / !a3 ' # / !:8 ' *$11*# / 1*$92 S / 1*$92

Sur3ace$ Ceilin4 !Pla ter on Bric@#$

%rea$
a1 / #? ' ># / !8 ' 5# / 1* a1 / 1*m2 a2 / !? ' ># / !8 ' 5# / 1* a2 / 1*m2

1@H9
S / !a1 ' # / !1* ' *$*3*# / 1$2* S / 1$2* S / !a2 ' # / !1* ' *$)**# / 21$** S / 21$**

2@H9
S / !a1 ' # / !1* ' *$*1*# / 1$)* S / 1$)* S / !a2 ' # / !1* ' *$:**# / 28$** S / 28$**

1@H9
S / !a1 ' # / !1* ' *$*5*# / 2$** S / 2$** S / !a2 ' # / !1* ' *$8**# / 32$** S / 32$**

.loor !Hea6+ Carpet 5it- Hea6+ .oam ;n"erla+#$ >all !>oo" Panellin4#$

a3 D 2 !? ' H# = 2 !> ' H# / 2 !8 ' 3# = 2 ! 5 ' 3# / 2 !21# = 2 !15# / !2 ' 21# = !2 ' 15# / 18 = 3* / :8 a3 / :8m2

S / !a3 ' # / !:8 ' *$*8*# / )$21 S / )$21

S / !a3 ' # / !:8 ' *$13*# / 1*$11 S / 1*$11

S / !a3 ' # / !:8 ' *$1**# / :$8* S / :$8*

o now that the total absorption for each surface area is known at each frequency the value of n for each frequency can now be calculated by adding the numbers together. The measurement for the total will be in abine?s. :%0$z D #&.0% G J.&& G :H.3%( D %0.%1 n at 125H9 / 25$21 %0&$z D #&.J& G :&.&& G :1.H%( D %0.1% n at 25*H9 / 25$12 0&&$z D #&.H& G %&.&& G :&.-%( D ':.3%

n at 5**H9 / 31$:2 :k$z D #:.%& G %1.&& G J.%1( D ':.11 n at 1@H9 / 31$11 %k$z D #:.J& G %H.&& G :&.:1( D'-.31 n at 2@H9 / 39$:1 1k$z D #%.&& G '%.&& G 3.H&( D 1:.H& n at 1@H9 / 11$8* /lthough the value for n at each frequency is now known, the equation can be shown in a simpler form by using this formula.

.ormula to obtain t-e total ab orption ratin4 3or a ur3ace in Sabine< & n / !a1 ' = a2 ' = a3 ' # Total ab orption ratin4 in Sabine< 3or eac- 3re7uenc+ 5-ere& T-e ur3ace area 3or eac- ur3ace i & a1 / 1*m2 a2 / 1*m2 a3 / :8m2 an"& / %b orption coe33icient ratin4 obtaine" 3rom t-e ab orption coe33icient c-art abo6e 3or eac- ur3ace at a mea urement o3 1m2$

125H9 n / !1* ' *$*13 = 1* ' *$15* = :8 ' *$21*# n / !*$52 = )$** = 18$:2# n / 25$21 %b orption coe33icient at 125H9 i 25$21 Sabine< $

25*H9 n / !1* ' *$*15 = 1* ' *$25* = :8 ' *$19*# n / !*$)* = 1*$** = 11$82# n / 25$12 %b orption coe33icient at 25*H9 i 25$12 Sabine< $

5**H9 n / !1* ' *$*2* = 1* ' *$5** = :8 ' *$11*# n / !*$8* = 2*$** = 1*$92# n / 31$:2 %b orption coe33icient at 5**H9 i 31$:2 Sabine< $

1@H9 n / !1* ' *$*3* = 1* ' *$)** = :8 ' *$*8*# n / !1$2* = 21$** = )$21# n / 31$11 %b orption coe33icient at 1@H9 i 31$11 Sabine< $

2@H9 n / !1* ' *$*1* = 1* ' *$:** = :8 ' *$13*# n / !1$)* = 28$** = 1*$11# n / 39$:1 1@H9 %b orption coe33icient at 2@H9 i 39$:1 Sabine< $ n / !1* ' *$*5* = 1* ' *$8** = :8 ' *$1**# n / !2$** = 32$** = :$8*# n / 11$8* %b orption coe33icient at 1@H9 i 11$8* Sabine< $

o now that the values of 2 and n are known, abine?s formula can now be used to determine the 9TJ& value of the room for each frequency.

Sabine< .ormula& (T)* / *$1)1 ' 2 0 n

125H9 (T)* / *$1)1 ' 2 0 n / !*$1)1 ' 12*# 0 25$21 / 19$32 0 25$21 / *$:) (T)* at 125H9 / *$:)

25*H9 (T)* / *$1)1 ' 2 0 n / !*$1)1 ' 12*# 0 25$12 / 19$32 0 25$12 / *$:) (T)* at 25*H9 / *$:)

5**H9 (T)* / *$1)1 ' 2 0 n / !*$1)1 ' 12*# 0 31$:2 / 19$32 0 31$:2 / *$)* (T)* at 5**H9 / *$)* 1@H9 (T)* / *$1)1 ' 2 0 n / !*$1)1 ' 12*# 0 31$11 / 19$32 0 31$11 / *$)1 (T)* at 1@H9 / *$)1

2@H9 (T)* / *$1)1 ' 2 0 n / !*$1)1 ' 12*# 0 39$:1 / 19$32 0 39$:1 / *$18 (T)* at 2@H9 / *$18

1@H9 (T)* / *$1)1 ' 2 0 n / !*$1)1 ' 12*# 0 11$8* / 19$32 0 11$8* / *$1) (T)* at 1@H9 / *$1) The room shows a very short 9TJ& at each frequency and would sound quite >dead?. $owever with the introduction of equipment into the room, this would change, creating more surfaces made form a variety of different materials causing the room to become a more >lively? and natural sounding environment. This would help the character sound of a >live room? become more natural as when people listen to instruments in the >real world? they are usually in an environment with many ob5ects and surface areas, so having a >live room? with the same characteristics as the >normal? listening environment will help people recognise the instruments characteristics. The next step now that the 9TJ& values are known is to determine what type of recording environment is best suited to the >live room? given its reverberation times. ;ifferent 9TJ& values in a space can have a ma5or effect on the sounds that are generated, recorded and listened to in that particular environment. / churches design and shape #along with the usually hard materials their made from( make a very distinctive impression on the sounds that are generated and heard within that environment. / choir comprising of ten people can sound up to !' times as large with larger reverb times" #.nknown. %&:'( as the sounds produced take longer to die away in a >lively? environment like that of a church. This helps the choir

sound more powerful and although intelligibility may be compromised, the sustained singing methods of a choir usually translate the message to the audience quite well and can be heard right at the back of the environment. $owever this may not be suitable for general speech as the sound would become muffled the further it travels as the listener at the back of the church would hear the original sound source #the voice( along with several reflections simultaneously. This would create quite an unbalanced and unnatural environment for recording or critical listening and would not allow a microphone to capture an accurate representation of the sound source. /s the 9TJ& values are quite small it could be assumed that the space would be well suited for recording speech for voice over work or dialogue for a film. peech would come across as being intelligible due to the rather short 9TJ& values but also quite natural as these values aren?t too short which would cause the speech to sound too dry as the >normal? listening environment for everyday speech isn?t devoid of reverberation. $owever although the 9TJ& values for %k$z and 1k$z are quite small which creates good intelligibility as speech usually ranges between ! '&&$z to '0&&$z" where !consonants have most their energy above :&&&$z" #Lllis. %&&:(. Foices with a lower frequency range may become muddy as the lower frequency 9TJ& values are larger which would lower the intelligibility for speech in this frequency range. /ccording to an article in > ound 7n ound? !a typical living room as a TJ& of around &.0 seconds" #White. :--H(, and with the results of the >live room? being of similar value, we can assume that speech would sound similar to that of the natural listening environment for everyday speech. 9ecording speech in this environment could save the recording engineer having to use reverb units to try and recreate a natural sounding environment. This could also be enhanced by using an omnidirectional microphone to help capture the natural reverberations of the room. $owever some engineers may require a room that is almost completely >dead? with even smaller 9TJ& values, as this would allow them to use convolution reverb software on the recording to emulate another environments acoustically properties. tarting with a very dry recording will help this, as when a signal that already contains reverb properties is sent through a convolution reverb unit, the unit will not only act upon the speech but also on the reverb that is already contained within the recording. This will cause the resulting audio to not sound as if it is entirely within the space set by the convolution reverb software but also in the room in which the recording was made. Brom this it can be said that there is no optimum 9TJ& value for any one environment. There is however preferred reverberation times for what a particular environment will be used for. Bor example orchestral music usually is played in a space that has quite a large 9TJ& value across the frequencies. This may be due to the fact that a full orchestra requires a large space for performing and usually draws in a large audience and therefore a large space is required. This large space usually won?t be constructed of materials with high absorption ratings and as a consequence has quite large 9TJ& values across the frequencies. $owever according to some people even different types of orchestral music can be enhanced by different reverberation times and one particular genre should not be pigeonholed with one optimum value. ;avid =undler states that !=eethoven or

=rahms sounds best in an acoustic of % seconds" while !;ebussy and more contemporary fare that involves complex harmonies is better at :.J seconds" #=undler. %&&:(. This may be due to the type of piece played and the focus that is put on particular instruments within the orchestra. /s low frequency instruments such as the double bass and large drums need quite a large space to propagate their sound waves it makes sense that the 9TJ& value at !:%0$z is up to :.0 times the value at 0&&$z4" #=ond. %&&H(. This gives the instruments time to portray their sound waves fully and space to provide a reverberated version to the listener that adds character, depth and a sense of space that can play an integral part to how the piece is perceived creating the impact and style that the conductor and orchestra wish to portray. Knowing that there isn?t an optimum 9TJ& value for overall recording a system that can be used is to design the room to accommodate different recording requirements. /s the room can be modified using soundboards and curtains, the room can have a more permanent solution. =y designing the room to be a different size and shape in different places, acoustic treatment can be added to the different sections of the room to help achieve a different 9TJ& value for the different sections of the room. This can help create a relatively dead zone at one end of the room while the other end of the room can be made quite lively and reflective. This would be useful when recording live performers, when the drums need a live environment and the singer needs a relatively dead environment. This can also be aided by the removable sound boards and walls to help reduce spill and isolate the character of the different sections of the room for recording. Brom the research conducted it can be determined that when designing and constructing a recording space it is important consider4 What the space will be used to record. $ow much space is needed for the purpose of the room. What type of character you wish to add to the recordings through reverberation. With these points in mind it should also be said that the 9TJ& values of the room and the character that is added by them could be changed and altered by some simple addition of different materials around the room. This can really help when recording different material and can alter the character to suit the needs of the recording. The 9TJ& values of the room will also alter with the addition of instruments, people and equipment within the room, and by adding moveable soundboards covered in different absorbent materials, the 9TJ& values across the frequencies will be changed helping create a character more suited to the type of recording that will be carried out. This can also be done quite easily on a larger scale with the addition of detachable wall panels and curtains that will change the 9TJ& values of the room without having to alter the size of the room or reconstructing the design of the room. o with planning, knowledge, understanding and some simple calculations an appropriate recording space can be constructed to suit almost any recording situation required by the user. Biblio4rap-+$ =ond. ;. #%&&H(. Reverberation Time. /vailable4 http4EEwww.noisenet.orgE)oiseP9oom<%&/cousticsP9everb.htm. ,ast accessed

::E&'E:'. =undler. ;. #%&&:(. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Concert Hall Acoustics. /vailable4 http4EEwww.angelfire.comEmusic%EdavidbundlerEacoustics.html. ,ast accessed ::E&'E:'. Lllis. K. #%&&:(. Sound And ight Training SA T !anual. /vailable4 http4EEwww.kodachrome.orgEsaltEsunderst.htm. ,ast accessed &-E&'E:'. $ass. 2. #%&&'(. What are re"lection# reverb# and standing waves$ /vailable4 http4EEwww.indiana.eduEQemusicEacousticsEreverb.htm. ,ast accessed ::E&%E:'. ,educ. A. #%&&-(. istening Room Acoustics% Room !odes & Standing Waves 'art (. /vailable4 http4EEwww.audioholics.comEeducationEacoustics-principlesElisteningroom-acoustics-:. ,ast accessed ::E&%E:'. Binn 2acobsen, Aogens 7hlrich 8 Torben Moulsen. #%&&3(. )undamentals o" Acoustics and *oise Control. ;enmark4 7rsted. pH0. ;avid Ailes $uber 8 9obert L. 9unstein. #%&&-(. !odern Recording Techni+ues. 3th ed. 7xford4 Bocal Mress. p-3. ;avid Ailes $uber 8 9obert L. 9unstein. #%&&-(. !odern Recording Techni+ues. 3th ed. 7xford4 Bocal Mress. p:&H. wedien. =. #%&&'(. ,ruce Swedien-s Westvi.ing Studio. /vailable4 http4EEwww.asc-studio-acoustics.comEwestviking.htm. ,ast accessed :HE&%E:'. Torborg. 2. #%&:'(. Home Theater /esign. /vailable4 http4EEwww.5aytorborg.comEhomePtheaterPdesign.htm. ,ast accessed :-E&%E:'. .nknown. #%&:'(. 0lossary% /ead S1ot. /vailable4 http4EEwww.sweetwater.comEexpert-centerEglossaryEt--;ead pot. ,ast accessed %&E&%E:'. .nknown. #%&:'(. Room Acoustics. /vailable4 http4EEwww.pcmus.comE9oom/cou.htm. ,ast accessed ::E&'E:'. .nknown. #%&&1(. Room !odes. /vailable4 http4EEwww.roommodes.comE. ,ast accessed %&E&%E:'. White. M. #:--H(. 'ractical Acoustic Treatment# 'art (. /vailable4 http4EEwww.soundonsound.comEsosE5ul-HEarticlesEacoustics:.html. ,ast accessed %&E&%E:'. White. M. #:--H(. 'ractical Acoustic Treatment# 'art 2. /vailable4 http4EEwww.soundonsound.comEsosE5ul-HEarticlesEacoustics'.html. ,ast accessed %&E&%E:'. White. M. #%&&%(. !onitor 'lacement. /vailable4

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