Index
Absorbers, 105
active, 336
behind consoles, 487
effect of angle of incidence, 138
Helmholtz, 93–4
in floor, 297
quarter wavelength, 17
rear wall, 541
room absorption, definition of, 151
Absorption, 86
effects of thickness and density, 87
frequency dependence, 66
interrelation with reflexion and transmission, 49
loss in dry air, 86
wavelength dependence, 32, 91–2
Acoustavoicing, 535
Acoustic centre, 422
Acoustic disturbance by mixing consoles, 5
Acoustic source, 422, 433, 490
Acoustic waves, velocity and pressure components, 32
Acoustical Manufacturing Company, 361
Acoustics, non-intuitive nature of, 6
Activated carbon, 90
Active room control, 290
Adaptive digital filtering, 288, 289
Adiabatic losses, 32
Adiabatic propagation, 90
Advertising, cost of, 361
Aesthetics, importance of, 239
Air:
density, 142
non-linearity, 455
pressure relative to altitude, 143
propagation distortion, 456
weight of, 31
Air conditioning, 232–4
split type, 233
Altec, 535
Ambisonics, 25
Amplifiers:
choice of, 477
class ‘A’, 468
for active monitors, 471
instantaneous current capability, 471
sonic differences, 466
valve (tube), 471
Amplitude phase grating, 201
Amplitude reflexion grating, 100
Anechoic chambers, 17, 18, 65, 283, 303
free-field responses, 260
Auratone 5C Sound Cube, 309, 371, 442–7
Bank and Wright, 489
Banzai Mobile Lda, 531, 536, 554–5
Bass/bass-drum, relative levels, 358, 443, 452
Batchelor, Tony, 26
BBC, 305
Belendiuk and Butler, 26
Bell laboratories, 387
Berger, Russell, 318
Bernstein, Leonard, 155
Bi-directional stereo rooms, 505
Bi-directionality of stereo rooms, 511
Bi-wiring, 471–2
Black art:
perception of acoustics as, 203, 293, 351
Blackwing Studios, 164, 168, 175
Blumlein, Alan, 387–8
Bonello, Oscar J., 112
BOP TV, 398
Brain, human, perception of speech vis-à-vis music, 14, 161
Branson, Richard, xvi, xvii, 163
Briggs, Gilbert, 295, 331, 427, 455
Brownian motion, 24
B-weighting, 20
Cable tubes in floors, 45
Cables for interfacing, 463, 465–6
Cables for loudspeakers, see Loudspeaker cable
Cables for power:
section size, 241
mains feed, 242
Camden partitioning, 558
Cannon experiments, 141
Canon wide image stereo, 365
Capitol records, 318
Car parking, 229
Ceiling height:
lack of, 8
Ceiling traps, (panels), 563, 568, 571, 573
Central mono source, 342
Cepstrum analysis, 498
Cepstrum, power, 437
Chanting of masses, 180
Characteristic sounds:
of guitars, 153
Chess Records, 154
Chess Studios, 156
Class ‘A’ amplification, 459, 468
Classical music, 528
recording monitor loudspeakers, 525
Clearmountain, Bob, 443
Close-field monitoring, 309–11, 371–2, 376, 454, 515
orientation of loudspeakers, 418
positioning at loudspeakers, 417
Coaxial loudspeakers, 546
Cobalt, 492
Cocktail party effect, 186
Collins, Phil, 163
Colouration, 82, 108, 130, 201, 301–2, 320, 334, 403, 469, 487, 495–6, 517
Comb filtering, 123, 266, 342–4, 413, 450, 535, 544
Community M4, 497
Complete frequency response, 422, 424
Computer modelling, 156, 178, 255, 258, 574
Concredamp, 45
Constrained layers, 52, 140, 212
Control room decay times, 4
Control rooms:
as working environments, 407
digitally adaptive, 536
in the days of mono, 295
noise floors, 234
Controlled reflexion room, 306
Converters, A-D, D-A, 376, 464, 465, 481, 483, 516
Cost ratios:
as perceived, 40, 45, 147, 217, 233, 526
Cotton-waste felt, 113
Creativity, importance of, 108
Critical distance, 278–80, 282, 309, 311, 371, 383
Crossover distortion, see Distortion
Crossovers:
Butterworth, 483
digital, 481–3
Kinoshita, 466
Linkwitz-Riley, 482–3
orders of, 481–2
Crown amplifiers, 442–3
Crown effect, 43
Cycle of a sine wave, 15
Damping agents, 45
Davis, Chips, 318
Davis, Don and Caroline, 318
Daylight, 227
dBA/dBC scales, 20–1
Dead rooms, 189
definition of, 151
Deadsheets, 97
Decay time, 85
Decay times of control rooms, 4
Decoupling of structures, 35
Delta function, 346
Densities of materials, 44, 46
De-pressurisation of aircraft, 31
Dictionary of Acoustics, 151
Diffraction, 101
by edges of loudspeaker cabinets, 276–7
Diffusers, 98, 127, 333, 405, 512
actively driven, 201
Schroeder, 100
Diffusion, 128
by stone walls, 174
Digital equalisation artefacts, 299
Digital reverberators, 162, 166–7, 383
Digitally adaptive control rooms, 536
Dipole radiators, 80, 509–10, 518
as acoustic sources, 261, 270–1, 275–6, 329
Direct sound:
importance of, 535
Directivity response, 422, 429
Discrete research, 496
Distortion:
absence of, 460
(in) air, see Air
(in) amplifiers, 467
crossover, 469
Doppler, 490
equivalent quantities, in dB’s and percentages, 424
harmonic, 363, 365, 370, 422, 427–9, 449, 454, 459
intermodulation, 363, 427–9, 454–5, 458–9
non-linear, 427–8
(in) suspension systems, 429
(in) tweeters, 471
Distributed mode loudspeakers, 295, 509, 512, 519
Dobrolyot Studios, 193, front cover
Dolby Digital, 353, 399, 512, 520
Dolby Stereo, 352, 508, 512, 514
Dolby Surround, 504
Domes:
damping of, 496
Domestic listening practises, 377, 384, 389
Domestic responses of loudspeakers, 295
Door handles:
cost of, 238
Doppler effect, 490
Double distance rule, 18
Double leaf partitions, complexity of, 49
Double sloped wall concept, 218
Drum rooms, 155
DTS, 512
Dual Concentric loudspeaker, 498, see also Tannoy Dual Concentric
Ear (the), 23
Early decay time, 246
Earthing, 243
Edinburgh Festival Choir, 155
Eigentones, 73
Elasticity, 84
Electrostatic loudspeakers, 261, 275–6, 329, 350
step function responses, 437, 439
Ely cathedral, 155
EMT reverberation plates, 154
Energy/time curves (ETC’s), 249, 252, 318, 565
Equalisation for room correction, 283, 289, 551
limitations of use and effect, 291
one-third octave, 288
position dependence of, 284
signal dependence of, 284
traditional use, 296, 299, 316
Equipment racks, 417
Euphonies CS3000, 537
Experts:
when best to consult, 22
Fabrics, 149
calico, 147
Lycra and stretch, 130
Fahy, Professor Frank, 49, 573
Fantasia, 503
Feedback, 188
Ferrofluid, 494
Fibrous absorbers, 86
Filters:
digitally adaptive, 288, 289, 299
state variable, 478
Filters, decay time:
effect on RT plots, 563
time responses, 147
Financial considerations:
bad debts, 2
loans, xxiv
under-financing, 8
Fletcher-Munson contours, 13, 181
Flindell, Ian et al., 390
Floated floors, 40
domestic types, 111
on weak sub-floors, 45
spot loads, 41
Floating materials:
selection for given uses, 37
Floating of structures, 35
steel reinforcement, 9
Floor reflexions, 565
Flush-mounting of loudspeakers, 68–9, 285, 324, 326, 335, 370, 379, 395, 404, 450, 510, 517, 561
Foldback, 234–7
via loudspeakers, 237
Fold-down, 350–1
Fourier transform, 15, 289, 368
Frequency:
definition of, 15
description of, 14
Frequency modulation, 490
Fresnel, Augustin, 101
Frictional losses, 91
Frontal sound stage:
importance of, 506
Fuses in loudspeaker circuitry, 473
Galaxy Studios, 217
Geddes, Dr Earl, 218
Genelec S30D, 582
Geometric control, 122
Geometrical effects, 546
Gerzon, Michael, 166, 387, 433
Gilford, C. L. S., 112
Glossop, Mick, 445
Grounding, 243
Guitars:
characteristic sounds of, 153
Half-vibrations, 14
Harmonic distortion, see Distortion
Hawkins, David, 217
Headphones:
open or closed, 236
perception via, 363
Hearing:
compression, 23
critical bands, 296
directional detection, 23
directivity, 350
doubling and halving of loudness, 12–14, 37
(the) ear, 23
ear canal responses –0° and 90° incidence, 27
ear drum displacement, 23
equal loudness contours, 12–13
horizontal sensitivity, 508
human auditory system, 23
integration time, 368
logarithmic nature, 14
pinnae, see Pinnae
sensitivity threshold, 18
variability of perception, 25
vertical discrimination, 253
Heaviside function, see Step-function
Helmholtz, Hermann von, 368
Helmholtz resonators, 536
Hemi-anechoic chamber, 320, 382
Hidley Infrasound, 380
Hidley, Tom, xvi, 315, 320, 380, 397, 535–6
Hilbert transform, 252
Hirata et a/., 320
Holland, Dr Keith, 341, 375, 398, 421, 447, 557
Holman, Tomlinson, 509–10, 512
Holophonics, 186–7
Horn effect, 573
Horns:
compression drivers, 498
constant directivity, 499
general rules for highest fidelity in mid-range, 498
mid-range horns, 498–500
spheroidal radiation from, 500
tweeters, 494
Humidity control, 234
IEC, 301
Impact noises, 56
Infinite baffles, 263–4
Instantaneous current requirements, 471
Interference, harmonic, 241
Interleaved studs, 140
Ishii Mizutoni rooms, 304–5, 320
Isolation:
as a specialist subject, 60
by reflexion, 63
Isolation shells, 561
repercussions of, 104, 156–7, 180, 335, 405
Isothermal propagation, 90
ISVR (Institute of Sound and Vibration Research), 303, 341, 364–5, 398, 421–2, 447, 489, 544, 557, 559, 563
Jeans, Sir James, 23
Jensen, Wolfgang W., 317–18, 320, 584
Johns, Andy, 152
Jones, John Paul, 152
Keele, Don, 499
Kelly, Stanley, 496
Kinetic barriers, 114
Kingsway Hall, 155–6
drive requirements, 478
Kinoshita, Shozo, 397
Kustom Konstructions, 537
LA5, 541
Lab (The), 398–9
Lagadec, Dr Roger, 14
Laplace’s Correction, 90
Large-room frequency, 176, 178
Led Zeppelin, 152
LFE channels, 514
Light ray models, 257
Lights, 227–9
dimming of, 228
fluorescent, 227–8
tungsten, 228
Limpness, 34
Listening rooms:
‘golden’ dimensions, 112
Live room, definition of, 151
Live-End, Dead-End control rooms, 208, 318, 327, 402–8
Liverpool Cathedral (Anglican), 186
Location of studios:
choices, 3
Lockwood/Tannoy monitors, 534
London Symphony Orchestra, 155
Louden, M. M., 112
Loudness:
doubling and halving of, 19
Loudspeaker cable, 471–3
coaxial, 473
Loudspeakers:
band-pass enclosures, 358
cabinets, 485–90
coaxial, 547
cone decoupling, 491
cone materials, 493
dipole, see Dipole radiators
distributed mode, (DML), 295, 509, 512, 519
domestic, 283
domestic on-axis responses, 283
flush-mounted, see Flush mounting
focus point, 487
horn loaded, see Horns
(as an) information channel, 369
low frequency time responses, 453
magnet systems, see Magnets
mounting height, 486
(as a) musical instrument, 361
on meter bridges, 453
on stands, 487
panel vibrations, 485
performance below resonance, 328
ribbon, 492
sealed box responses, 453, 490
spikes for mounting, 485–6
suspension stiffness, 484
suspension systems, 429, 459, 491
time responses, 438
voice coil resistance, 491
voice coil temperature, 492
Loudspeakers vis-à-vis microphone techniques, 528
Low frequency management, 512, 514
Lycra fabrics, 130
Lycra ‘stretch’ fabrics, 130, 540
Magnets:
Alcomax, 492
Alnico, 492
BL non-linearity, 459
ferrite, 491–3
material costs, 491
rare-earth, 493
Ticonal, 492
Majestic Studios, xv
Manor Mobile, xvi, 531–4, 536–7, 539, 554–5
Marketing:
adverse effects of, 471
Mass control, 269
Mass law, 34–5
Massenberg, George, 320, 365, 445–6
Mastering, 452
Materials, characteristic sounds, 157–8, 161
McKenzie, Angus, 427
Mean free path, 84
Measurement in a reverberation chamber, 340
Membrane absorbers, 540
Memphis Minnie, 153
Microphone techniques:
Microphones, positioning and directivity considerations, 159, 183, 190, 194, 220–1
Middle/side microphone technique, 378
Minimum and non-minimum-phase responses, 285, 288, 535
acoustic, 551
(in) crossovers, 475
(of) equalisers, 285
Mirrored room analogy, 66–7, 84, 270
Mixing consoles:
acoustic disturbance by, 5
AMS/Neve 88R, 411
digital, 411
monitor circuitry, 463–4
reflexion suppression, 412, 414, 552
as pathways, 72
coincident, 112
damping of, 333
density of, 74
distribution patterns, 76, 112, 334
energy of, 76
golden proportions for distribution of, 112, 300–1
oblique, 73–4
spacing of, 75
standing wave patterns, 121
structural, 254
tangential, 73–4
Monitor equalisation, 535–6, 550
of sub woofer, 554
special circumstances, 551
Monitor loudspeakers:
high mounting of, 486
mounting of, 418
Monitor Mobile, xvi, 531–4, 536–7,
Monitor systems:
high resolution, 441, 462, 465
subtle differences only heard in good rooms, 529
Mono source, (central), 342
Monopole sources, 80, 264, 267, 270–1, 275–6
Morimoto and Ando, 26
Moulton, David, 361
Multi-amplification, 473
Musical instruments, true sound of, 107
Musicians:
comfort of, 110–11, 135, 157, 182, 229, 237
loss of motivation, 235
unease with environment, 187
Mutual coupling, 267, 276, 344,
Near-field effects, 546
Neve Series 80 consoles, 534
New, Anthony, 459
Newman, Tom, 153
Nodes, and anti-nodes, 159
pressure, 159
velocity, 159
Noise:
modulation related, 455
Noise Criteria, 22
Noise Rating, 22
Non-Environment rooms, 320–2, 327, 375–400, 558
Non-intuitive nature of acoustics, 6
Norris-Eyring equation, 85
NS10M, 309–10, 371, 442, 445, 464, 529
Ohm, Georg Simon, 368
Oldfield, Mike, 153
Open baffles:
roll off, 489
Page, Jimmy, 152
Panel absorbers, 114
Pan-pot dilemma, 349
Parking of cars, 229
Perception of detail, 384
Perception of speech and noise (not music), 297
Phantom sound stages, 352
Phase, 241
Phase deafness, 368
Phase dispersion, 31
Phase law (of Ohm and Helmholtz), 368
Phase responses, 385
importance of, 369
Phase shifts, 82, 292, 433, 475, 481
Phases:
optimum number of for mains supplies, 240
Pink Museum, 225
perceptual differences via, 26, 29
positional cues, 26
transformations, 26
Piston radiator, 280
Pit-traps, 297
Plant, Robert, 152
Planta Sonica 171
Plywood beams, 116
PMC, 496
Poly-amplification, 473
Polyurethane foam, 44, 48, 56, 135, 211
traction limits, 51
Power cepstrum, 437
Precedence effect, 544
Pressure amplitude response, 422, 425, 568
smoothing of plots, 261
Pressure gradient sources, 275, 350
equalisation, 139
frequency, 327
Psychoacoustics, 23
Pumice, 92
Purple, Dave, 154
Pye records, 534
Q (directivity), 279
Q (quality factor), 97–8, 115, 438, 476, 573
Quad amplifiers, 443
Quad Electrostatic Loudspeaker, 437
Quadratic residue sequences, 125
Quadrophonics, 503
pan-pots, 507
Quested loudspeakers, 445
VS115, 552–5
Radian, 15
Radiation impedance, 346
Radio compatibility of mixes, 371
Rayleigh, Lord (Baron), 23, 28, 365
RCA Studios, 318
Real-time analysers, 296
Rear wall absorbers, 541
Reflectors, acoustic 183
Reflexion density, 332
Reflexion-free zones, 318, 403
Reflexions:
discrete, 127
from mixing console, 552
Refraction, 103
Relays in loudspeaker circuitry, 473
Response contouring:
at high frequencies, 426
Reverberation chambers, 64, 84, 153, 167, 171, 280, 340
measurement in, 340
Reverberation plates, 154
Reverberation time:
equations for calculation of, 85
presentation of, 245
Reverberation times for orchestral
recordings, 181
Reverberators:
acoustic, 64, 84, 153, 167, 171, 280
mechanical, 154
Rigidity, 34
Ring radiator, 496
Rodgers, Caroline (Puddie), 25, 318
Rolling Stones (The), 152, 154
Rolling Stones mobile studio, 152, 157, 534
Room constant, 279
Room control, active, 290
Room cut-off frequency, 327–8
Room standardisation, 336
Rooms:
dead, 209
drums, see Drum rooms live, 209
reflective and reverberant, 158
Rotating acoustic panels, 197,
Russell, Scott, 258
Sabine formula, 85
Sabine, Wallace Clement, 49, 85, 257
SAE TM160A, 582
Satellite loudspeakers, 356
Scale models, 254
Scaling limitations, 201, 305, 334, 537
Schroeder integration, 563, 567
Schroeder, Professor Manfred, 100, 125, 251, 368
Shaw, E. A. G., 27
Shoebox halls, 180
Shufflers, 387
Signal processing artefacts, 362, 369
Sine wave:
amplitude and phase components, 14, 15
perfect, 228
Sintonia Studios, 584–5
Small room reflexion density, 332
Soares, Luis, 398
Sofas, 416
Soffits, 325
Sound, 14
Sound fields, 364
perception of, 26
Sound intensity, 19
Sound level meter, 20
Sound power, 18
Sound pressure relative to decibels, 19
Sound propagation:
adiabatic, 90
isothermal, 90
Sound pulse modelling, 257
Sound spectrum, 29
Southampton University, see ISVR
Space:
owners wish to see it all, 114, 334
requirements, 6
Specialist manufacturing, demise of, 416
Specific heat of air, 90
Speed of sound:
frequency dependence, 31
in air, 16
in other materials, 33
Springs:
stiffness, 36
resonant frequency, 36
Staff, importance of, 5
Standardisation of rooms, 301, 336
patterns, 121
Step-function responses, 424, 433, 447–8
of electrostatic loudspeakers, 438–9
Steradians, 19
Stereophonic sound reproduction, 377
Stradivari, 256
Stud walls, 114
interleaved, 140
Studio monitor systems:
not for enjoyment, 369
Sub-woofer, 356–9, 513–14, 551, 553–4
equalisation of, 554
positioning, 357–8
stereo, 359
temporal misalignment, 357
Surround sound, 326, 358–9, 384, 507, 510
channel delay, 521
channel limitations, 521
Dolby, 504
(for) TV, 504
mastering for, 515
pan-pots, 507
ten channels, 508
use of dipole radiators, 354, 511–12
TAD monitors, 476
Tannoy, 432
factory, 466
Tannoy Dual Concentrics, 432–3, 534
Tannoy monitors, 444
Tape One, 537
Tennis racquet analogy, 336
Teopler, 257
Thomas, Chris, 443
Tiles, used for acoustic variability, 128
Time base whistles, 208
Time Delay Spectrometry, 318
of small rooms, 202
Toilet paper, 443, see also Loo roll
Toole and Olive, 366, 372, 527–8
Toole, Floyd, 377, 389, 390, 392
Total power response, 340, 429, 548
Townhouse Studios, xxiv, 154, 163, 361, 535, 585
Toyashima, Sam, 198, 320, 323, 505, 585
Transmission, 33
flanking, 55
Transmission line cabinets, 534
Tuning, 5
Turbulance, 491
Tweeters, horn-loaded, 494
Uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), 241
Uzzle, Ted, 255
Valdigem, Eliana, 78
Variable acoustics, tile system, 128
Variacs, 228
Velocity component of wave motion, 71
Vented enclosures, 489
Ventilation, 229–32
acoustic ducting, 231–2
duct size considerations, 232
over-pressure, 230
speed control, 232
system noise maxima, 232
Vibration conduction via ground, 40
Video monitors, 416
Virgin Records, 154
Virgin Studios, 535–6
Viscous losses, 91
Vocal recordings, 134
Voishvillo, Dr Alexander, 454–5, 458
Volume/velocity sources, 269, 275, 490
Waktinson and Salter, 369
Wally Heider Studios, 318
Walter, Alistair, 544, 559, 573
Walthamstow Town Hall, 155
Waterfall plots, 253, 438, 447–8, 561, 563
Wave number, 16
Waveform distortion, 368
Wavelength, 16
Wedges, fibrous, 17
Weeks, Alex, xvii
Westlake monitors, 535
Window systems, 213–17
laminated glass, 213
Wonder, Stevie, 397
Woodman, Bill, 496
Workhouse Studios, 154
Worm and snake analogy, 78
Wrightson, Jack, 318, 390, 402
Yamaha NS10M, see NS10M
Zuccarelli, Hugo, 186