Room Acoustics: Strategies for different room shapes
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- Опубліковано 6 чер 2021
- Asymmetric rooms can be difficult treat as reflections off the side walls bounce back to the listening position out of sync and distort the stereo image. In this video we outline some of the methods you can use to reestablish acoustic symmetry in an odd shaped room.
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"We get asked alot about how to treat asymmetric rooms. Most guides for setting up a space acoustically cover a rectangular room as that’s the ideal starting point for any kind of listening space or mixing and mastering studio.
The reason why it’s always better to start with a rectangular room is that acoustic symmetry is necessary for accurate stereo imagining. The sound reflecting off your sidewalls is going to combine with the original sound, so if one set of reflections is closer than the other then that reflected sound will arrive at the listening position out of sync creating all kinds of distortion.
Sometimes a symmetrical room isn’t an option and we’re forced to work with rooms that have outcrops or angled or even curved walls. Oftentimes people want to treat their living room but the floor plan is asymmetrical or the room extends in other parts of the house.
While all these scenarios can be challenging they aren’t without solutions. The key to treating an asymmetric room is to create acoustic symmetry through thoughtful placement of the listening position and treatments. Arriving at an optimal treatment might require you to test and experiment with different listening positions and treatments.
One method is to try to find a section of the room where you can place the listening position and have the first reflections be symmetrical. This is easy to do in “L” shaped rooms as each line of the “L” offers a potential listening position. Knowing which position is best is just a matter of experimenting and testing.
First reflections aren’t the only elements of your room that will be affected by a non symmetrical layout. It’s possible to end up with bass resonances that only occur on one half of the room.For instance, let’s say you have a 55Hz resonance, that corresponds to the low A on a piano. If that resonance is localized to the left side of the room then that low A note will be left of center at the listening position.
In rooms with large open areas that extend into the building, you can re-introduce acoustic symmetry by adding Gobo’s or free standing panels that mirror the opposite wall.
Sometimes these large openings can act as broadband traps as sound travels into them but doesn’t have enough energy to reflect back to the listening position. In these instances a sound well can actually be used to our advantage as it effectively absorbs low frequencies. Placing large bass traps opposite the opening can help mimic the opening and create acoustic symmetry.
The more comprehensive the treatment the less the room will contribute to the perceived sound, so one way to compensate for an asymmetric room is to make sure you have as much acoustic coverage as possible.
With any oddly shaped room, experimentation is going to be key. You’ll want to test a variety of listening positions by listening and with tools like REW. "
this guy’s eyebrows have exactly 2 resting states while speaking
fun to watch
thanks for the info
Thank you!
Very useful!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you mane
Hi nice video. I have a room 9.5 feet by 11.5 feet by 8 feet high. Also the door to in is on 11.5 end on a corner degrees and window opposite end in the center. What would you suggest in terms of my bass traps thx.
Thanks @Gary Shirinian, while we can't exactly approach this subject on here, one of our designers can take a look at these dimensions personally and give you not only advice on products and placement, but can help you with your overall understanding of acoustics. Visit gikacoustics.com/acoustic-advice/ to get your dimensions over to one of our talented designers.
@@GIKAcousticsLLC thx
I have an asymmetric T shaped studio with large windows at the bottom of the T. It's frustrating trying to treat it just right but also fun and challenging
Can u do this for ideal recording treatment LOL
When using the length of the room will the French doors.mess me up. my room is 10ft by 11ft long.
Any advice for partially vaulted ceilings? Only part of it is sloped and it is a rather large one at that. Lowest ceiling height drops to 3'8" at the lowest point (150 year old home)
This sounds like a case by case basis, as with slanted ceiling new reflections and new bass hotspots can occur that wouldn’t occur in “standard” shaped rooms. We'll need more details about your room to give you a better idea on where to place acoustic treatments. We give out 100% FREE acoustic advice, so just fill out the form on our site and we'll be able to have one of our designers reach out to you. www.gikacoustics.com/acoustic-advice/
I've heard before that too much treatment can be bad, but I don't know why. It seem that you're preaching the opposite. Is it different for a home theater setup vs. a 2 channel stereo setup?
Typically the reason why "too much treatment is bad" is when it is a specific type of treatment - more specifically to absorb only in the high frequency range.
Here's our video on what happens when a room is treated with too much high frequency absorption which is typically in the form of 1"-2" foam: ua-cam.com/video/HXtsMz5345E/v-deo.html
i think it's safe to say that gik constantly says the more acoustic treatment the better since they are selling you the panels. i certainly fell for it.
I spent an hour trying to draw my room out on your roomie software, it's a nightmare to use, can I send a drawing in instead? Thx
Of course you can! We ask for all the information we would need on our form. You can include drawings and plans as well, but we do not force you to use the visualizer at all to get us drawings. gikacoustics.com/acoustic-advice/
LOL
So; asymmetric rooms are ideal for recording, but horrible for listening?
I suppose expensive acoustic treatment is required in both situations.
No. Asymmetrical rooms are not ideal for either scenario. You want a more rectangular room with symmetry in the walls, if at all possible.