Acoustic characterization of Penn State’s recording studio above and below the Schroeder frequency

Abstract

In most performance spaces, rooms are large enough that most of the audible frequency range falls above the Schroeder frequency, whereas smaller spaces have a significant audible range below the Schroeder frequency. The goal of this study was to characterize the acoustic performance of the control room and live room of Penn State’s recording studio. Both rooms have important roles to play in the operation of a studio which depend on their acoustic character. COMSOL models for each room were created to understand the modal behavior below the Schroeder frequency and measured modes were visualized from frequency response measurement points in one plane at a one foot spacing. For frequencies above the Schroeder frequency, an ODEON model was created and validated against measured impulse responses, where metrics such as T60 and EDT have been considered. By comparing the computer simulations to the measurements, one is able to make recommendations for improvements and provide audio engineers with insight on how...