Enhancing Sound Quality with Acoustical Design to Suit the Space

Posted by Waveform Acoustics on April 1st, 2019

Acoustical designs in Melbourne are used in classrooms, boardrooms, libraries, courtrooms, theatres, studios and concert halls.

Criteria in Acoustical Design

Multipurpose spaces are designed keeping their intended function in mind. Proper acoustical designs in Melbourne facilitate multiple functions, catering to different kind of sounds.  Large spaces can be used for both lectures as well as music recitals although it may require a more complex acoustic treatment. The reverberation time for speech and unamplified music differs and therefore, combining the two requires a compromise. Imaging or the location of sounds in an audio reproduction is another important criteria. The design needs to accommodate changes in imaging, sound reflections, echoes and sound threshold. Spaces that lie below the audio imaging threshold are designed to be neutral. This can be achieved by treating all the surfaces in a room in order to produce the right sound reflections. Metal fixtures in a room such as furniture, lights, and diffusers can create resonance or vibrations affecting the sound quality. To resolve this a damping material or a sheet with adhesive backing is used. This damping material also comes in liquid form and can significantly reduce the velocity of the panel vibrations.

Room Acoustics

The propagation of reflected sound differs indoors and outdoors and can be divided into three categories. The first category is the early reflection or reverberation cause by direct sound. When the sound reflections build up to a point of being imperceptible, only then does the next category of late reverberation occur. By analyzing the space, the path of sound reflection and level of echo, sound and acoustic engineers create rooms or spaces with proper acoustical designs in Melbourne. A space that distributes sound uniformly provides consistency to the human ear.While all materials can absorb sound they do so in different levels and good sound absorbers easily transmit sound while solid, porous sound reflectors prevent transmission of sound. Carpets, plaster, wool, foam and ceiling tiles are all porous absorbers which allow air to flow into the structure and converts sound energy into heat. These materials are usually thicker and are a very common way of dampening sound. Panel absorbers on the other hand are made of non- porous material such as wood. The surface resonates in response to sound and are ideal in absorbing low frequency noises. Resonators are materials that have holes or slots and absorb narrow frequency sounds. The use of a specific type of absorber will depend on the function and requirement of the space.

An acoustician’s job is quite a tightrope, having to balance the art of acoustical designs in Melbourne and other top cities with the science of sound absorption and reflection. By introducing variables and specific design additions, the quality of acoustics in a room can be dramatically enhanced.