AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => The Acoustics Circle => Topic started by: rich2ch on 30 Nov 2013, 02:09 pm
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Any suggestions for dealing with a beam (approximately 6-8" deep parallel to the front wall in the center of the room? It seems to ruin the sound below it.
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Ceiling clouds.
Seaver Franks Architects designed the Casas Barrier Chapel for the Casas Church here in Tucson. "Modeled by an acoustical engineering study, the ceiling “clouds”, splayed walls and sloped floor create an interior for clear speech and music dispersion without mechanical amplification."
(http://www.seaverfranks.com/images/commercial-portfolio/religious/barrier4.jpg)
(http://www.seaverfranks.com/images/commercial-portfolio/religious/barrier5.jpg)
Shameless plug - I designed and made the mesquite veneer entry doors for the chapel.
(http://www.seaverfranks.com/images/commercial-portfolio/religious/barrier3.jpg)
Wayne
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Any suggestions for dealing with a beam (approximately 6-8" deep parallel to the front wall in the center of the room? It seems to ruin the sound below it.
A beam in that location should have no affect on the sound because it's too small to cause substantial reflections, and it's not even at a reflection point. If the sound is poor there, it's probably due to something else. But you could try covering the beam with bath towels folded over a few times to be thicker, as an experiment. If that makes a difference you'd replace the towels with real treatment. My guess is treating the beam will have no effect.
--Ethan
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It's not possible to know if it's at a reflection point without more information. Maybe he sits at the rear wall?
How do you know it changes the sound directly beneath the beam? And if there is a sound change there, how do you know it's not coincidence?
I had a beam that came deeper into the room. I'm not sure whether the beam ever did much to the sound, but I never had enough time to test. At one time, I had hung a Realtrap from the ceiling at what I thought was the main ceiling reflection point. Unfortunately, not only did I change speakers (VMPS RM40 to Salk HT3), I also completely redid the room and took the Realtrap down. And then I had 7 channels of music and surround sound, but even with 2 channel and sitting right in front of the beam, I couldn't tell that there was any effect caused by the beam. But, I also never tried to find an effect, either.
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The room is long and narrow and it actually sounds good at the back wall but the beam is directly over where you want to sit for near field listening. The sound changes a surprising amount below the beam and right at the edges.
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You should expect the sound to be different as you move around the room. As Wayne pointed out many acoustic designs try to avoid a smooth/flat ceiling. Maybe what you need is to add more ceiling beams.