Chp. 3 Studio Acoustics and Design Flashcards
Define acoustics.
Acoustics is the science of dealing with the production, effects and transmission of sound waves; the transmission of sound waves through various mediums, including reflection, refraction, diffraction, absorption and interference; the characteristics of auditoriums, theaters and studios, as well as their design.
What is acoustic isolation?
Acoustic isolation prevents external noises from transmitting into the studio environment through the air, ground or building structure.
What is frequency balance?
Frequency balance occurs when the components of a room do not adversely affect the acoustic balance of instruments and/or speakers. The acoustic environment should not alter the sound quality of the original or recorded performance.
What is acoustic separation?
Acoustic separation means that the acoustic environment does not interfere with intelligibility, and should ensure that the sounds from one instrument aren’t unduly picked up by another instrument’s mic.
What is reverberation?
Reverberation is the persistence of a signal (in the form of reflected waves within an acoustic space) that continues after the original sound has ceased.
What is transmission loss of a signal?
Transmission loss of a signal occurs when sound energy passes through an acoustic barrier of a certain mass and the sound-pressure level is reduced.
What is a soffit?
A soffit is a specially designed cavity which houses larger studio monitors. The purpose of a soffit is to enclose the speaker surfaces so that they don’t interfere with the acoustics of the room.
What is a riser?
A riser is a structure used to decouple a drum set’s low-frequency energy from the studio floor.
What is an acoustical sound lock?
An acoustical sound lock is a double-door design used to reduce sound leakage between two rooms.
What is a flat or gobo?
A flat or gob is an acoustic partition used in studios to provide on-the-spot barriers to sound leakage.
What is a standing wave?
A standing wave occurs when sound is reflected off of parallel surfaces and travels back on its own path, thereby causing phase differences to interfere with a room’s amplitude response.
What is flutter echo or slap echo?
Flutter or slap echo is a condition that occurs when parallel boundaries are spaced far enough apart that the listener is able to discern a number of discrete echoes.
What is a quarter-wavelength bass trap?
A quarter-wavelength bass trap is an enclosure with a depth that’s one-fourth the wavelength of the offending frequency’s fundamental frequency and is often built into the rear facing wall, ceiling or floor structure, and covered by a metal grating to allow foot traffic.
What is a pressure-zone bass trap?
A pressure-zone bass trap is absorptive material placed at a boundary point or points (walls and ceilings) to partially absorb and reduce the built-up low-frequency pressure
What is a functional bass trap?
A functional bass trap is absorptive material generally formed into a tube or half-tube structure that is rigidly supported so as to reduce structural vibrations. These traps are placed into corners, room boundaries or in a freestanding spot in order to help reduce bass build-up frequencies.
