Identifying Acoustic Problems

Logarithmic Thinking in a Linear World

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Pro Audio Classroom

Balanced Input or Stereo Input
Crictical Distance & Mic Placement
Design Principles; Part 1
Five Faces of Distortion
Haas Effect (Precedence Effect)
How to Set Delay Speakers
Inverse Square Law
It's in the Specs !
What is Sound?
Power Amps Without Controls; What Gives?
Time Alignment; Part I
Identifying Acoustic Problems

Acoustic Problems & Solutions

Large Auditorium Nothing creates doubt in the mind of your client like being unable to diagnose the cause of their grief. It’s important to not confuse “diagnose” with “resolve”. Having the ability to quickly identify the problem creates confidence in the mind of your client (or employer) that you can adequately address their problem and provide the proper solution. Here I am going to assist you in identifying some of the most prominent problems with acoustics that includes but is not limited to sound systems. The key to making quick and decisive diagnosis is being able to interpret the client’s comments or complaint and incorporating that with your own personal observations. So we are going to examine the most common customer complaints, how these complaints translate into acoustical terms and the most likely solutions to these problems.

PROBLEM:	POSSIBLE CAUSE:	SOLUTION:
Speech & Music are intelligible & muddy.	Long reverb time.	Proper absorption.
There is a distracting “echo”.	Echo flutter (not to be confused with reverb)	Design of proper room shape.
	Focusing effect (most commonly associated with concave surfaces).	Break up offensive surface or suppress with absorption.
	Long reverb time.	Proper absorption.
You can clearly hear normal conversation from across the room.	Room is acoustically “dead”.	Optimize reverberation through use of reflective surfaces.
	Noise constant or background level is too low.	Background noise and masking system.
	Focusing or reflection (commonly known as a whisper gallery).	Break up offensive surface or suppress with absorption.
The room feels “heavy” or “muted”.	Reverberation times are too short.	Optimize reverberation through use of reflective surfaces.
	Noise constant or background level is too low.	Background noise and masking system.
The room has “dead spots”.	Poor sound system coverage.	Properly engineer speaker coverage.
	Echoes (causing localized cancellation).	Modify room shape or proper application of absorption.
Cannot hear at the rear of the room.	Sound system inadequate for room size.	Additional amplification and/or speakers.
	Poor room shape.	Modify room shape.
	Inadequate useful reflective surfaces.	Creation of useful reflective surfaces.
	Overabundance of absorptive surfaces.	Selective removal of reflective materials.
The room sounds “unnatural”.	Improper sound system design and/or setup.	Properly engineered sound system that is tuned & commissioned by professional.
	“Dead” room with short reverberation times.	Proper use (removal or addition) of absorption.
	Echo Flutter.	Break up offensive surface or suppress with absorption.
Sound from adjacent rooms is excessive.	Sound gaps.	Close/seal gaps (HVAC, doors, windows, etc.)
	Sound transmission.	Increase sound isolation through additional mass in structure (walls, doors, ceiling, etc.)
	Vibration	Reduce vibration transmission by decoupling parallel surfaces through dampening.
	Noise constant or background level in receiving room is too low.	Implementation of sound masking system.

by Jason Levert

Balanced Input or Stereo Input::Crictical Distance & Mic Placement::Design Principles; Part 1::Five Faces of Distortion::Haas Effect (Precedence Effect)::How to Set Delay Speakers::Inverse Square Law::It's in the Specs !::What is Sound?::Power Amps Without Controls; What Gives?::Time Alignment; Part I::Identifying Acoustic Problems