Recording control room design incorporating a reflection‐free zone and reflection phase grating acoustical diffusors

Abstract

The acoustical diffusing properties of flat, mono, and bicylindrical surfaces, alternating absorptive and reflective panels, and a wide variety of reflection phase grating diffusors (RPG) will be discussed. Experimental TEF measurements including energy‐time, energy‐frequency, time‐energy‐frequency, and polar angle‐energy‐frequency curves plus theoretical Kirchhoff modeling calculations will be presented. A new control room design incorporating a reflection‐free zone (RFZ), in the front half of the room, and a diffuse zone, in the rear half of the room created with RPG diffusors, will be described and documented. The RFZ minimizes the speaker boundary interference over a wide volume surrounding the mix position. The RPGs provide a diffuse sound field which enhances the perception of spatial textures and helps maintain the stereo perspective across the entire width of the mixing console and in the rear of the room. The RFZ/RPG design minimizes frequency coloration, image shifting, and provides accurate stereo imaging.