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General Discussion / Re: Building a Music Room
« on: January 07, 2010, 12:20:19 PM »
Given a corner location for the bass speakers, it becomes important to look at the first few room modes. If we assume an adequate amount of low-frequency acoustic absorption - and that's a might big if, as well as being ill-defined! - then you can simplify to the longitudinal modes in the expectation that the 2- and 3-wall modes are more heavily damped.
Given that, the smoothest bass response is going to happen when the modes, and hence the room dimensions, are space at 1/3 octave intervals. That means room dimensions in the 1:1.26:1.59 ratio. For example, a room 20 feet by 25 feet, with a 16 foot ceiling.
Adequate damping is an issue. Corner horns like the Klipsch require rigid walls or else the bass gets absorbed before it escapes to the room, but the rest of the room is going to get its bass absorption from wall vibrations or massive amounts of tube traps, tuned appropriately.
This is only talking about the very low frequencies, say below 100 or 150Hz. Others have made excellent points about initial reflection delay time, diffusion, live/dead distribution, all of which are relevant in the more critical midrange and high frequencies and may have constraints incompatible with the bass requirements. It's not a subject with a simple answer!
Given that, the smoothest bass response is going to happen when the modes, and hence the room dimensions, are space at 1/3 octave intervals. That means room dimensions in the 1:1.26:1.59 ratio. For example, a room 20 feet by 25 feet, with a 16 foot ceiling.
Adequate damping is an issue. Corner horns like the Klipsch require rigid walls or else the bass gets absorbed before it escapes to the room, but the rest of the room is going to get its bass absorption from wall vibrations or massive amounts of tube traps, tuned appropriately.
This is only talking about the very low frequencies, say below 100 or 150Hz. Others have made excellent points about initial reflection delay time, diffusion, live/dead distribution, all of which are relevant in the more critical midrange and high frequencies and may have constraints incompatible with the bass requirements. It's not a subject with a simple answer!