Room Acoustics

Book excerpt: Since publication of the first edition in 1973, this professional and scientific reference has become the standard work in the field, providing detailed analysis of the state of the art in room acoustics. It outlines the theory and practice of sound behaviour in enclosed spaces. Particular emphasis is given to the properties and calculation of reverberation, the most obvious acoustical feature of a closed room. Further key topics include the mechanisms of sound absorption and psychoacoustical factors, from which design parameters and figures of merit are derived. Two chapters are devoted to practical questions such as measurement techniques and the procedures of room acoustical design. The interaction between a room's acoustic properties and its electroacoustic systems is also considered, and refined systems for optimizing listening conditions in a room are presented. This edition includes a new list of symbols, and updated sections include the measurement of the impulse response including a discussion of distortions, sound propagation as a diffusive process and scattering by wall irregularities.