This blog article is about where you can ideally place your sound absorbers in the room to achieve optimal acoustics. We'll give you tried-and-tested tips and various methods so that you can easily find the perfect position for your sound absorbers.
Tips for an optimal position in the room
Sound absorbers are an effective way to improve the acoustics in a room and make the sound clearer and more pleasant. At the latest when you hold your FENNEXT sound absorbers in your hands, you will ask yourself where you should best place the sound absorbers so that they have the best possible effect.
It is difficult to give general recommendations because the optimal position depends on your individual room situation. If you use the tips and methods that we explain to you below, you will be a big step closer to finding the most effective solution possible for optimizing the acoustics of your room.
Finding the best position: direct sound vs. reflected sound
First, you should understand that sound is transmitted in different ways. Direct sound is the sound that travels directly from the sound source to the listener. Reflected sound is the sound that is reflected back into the room by surfaces and is perceived by the listener as an echo or reverberation.
This difference plays a particularly important role in understanding in the first step which acoustic challenge should be addressed. This is the only way you can position your sound absorbers correctly in the next step.
Example call center, office, etc.:
The challenge here is often to generally reduce noise so that employees can work at their workplaces as undisturbed as possible. For this purpose, both the direct sound that moves between the individual workstations and the reflected sound on walls and ceilings should be reduced.
Example streaming, recording studio, etc.:
In these cases, the aim is usually to improve the sound by canceling out only a certain part of the sound, namely the reflected sound on walls and ceilings. This often causes unpleasant reverberations. Direct sound, on the other hand, which comes directly from the transmitter to the microphone, is desirable.
Minimize reflected sound with sound absorbers
To minimize direct noise , elements such as table dividers, room dividers or divider sails hanging from the ceiling are traditionally used. As in the call center/office example, the direct sound that travels between workstations can be reduced. Sound absorbers like our FENNEXT products, on the other hand, play a major role in reducing reflected sound : They isolate the sound source from the reflecting surfaces by absorbing the sound and thus preventing it from being reflected from the walls and ceilings in the room. But how do you find the right position for the sound absorbers on the wall and ceiling?
The best location for sound absorbers depends on various factors, such as the size and shape of the room, the type of sound source and the position of the listeners. A good starting point is to place sound absorbers on the walls facing the sound source. You can also place sound absorbers on the ceiling or other strategic locations in the room to absorb and reduce sound. With the help of the following methods you can easily determine sound reflections and thus find the ideal position for your sound absorbers.
Calculating reflection points: methods
1. Hand clapping
Probably the easiest method to determine sound reflections is by clapping your hand. You stand in different areas of the room and clap your hands. If you hear an echo or reverberation, it means the sound is being reflected there and sound absorbers should be placed in that area.
2. Mirror method
Reflection - be it from light or sound - works according to a simple physical principle: angle of incidence = angle of reflection. Just like light rays, sound waves are reflected at the same angle when they hit a surface. This principle is used in the mirror method.
As a listener, sit in a seat in the room and have someone hold a mirror flat against the wall. If you can see the sound source in the mirror, for example the front of the loudspeaker box, you have found the position where the reflection must be intercepted and the sound absorber must be placed. You repeat this process from different points in the room to determine all reflection points.
3. Other methods
In addition to the mirror method, the reflection points can also be determined using the drawing method . The best thing you need is a scale drawing of the room as well as a pen and ruler. When using the drawing method, you also apply the sound reflection law mentioned above - i.e. the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. Only this time you're taking a graphic approach.
There are also special tools such as sound level meters and frequency analyzers that can help determine the sound reflections in the room and identify the best positions for sound absorbers. However, these tools are often expensive and usually require professional help.
We don't want to include another, although more advanced, method: the string method . To do this, the room is acoustically measured and a so-called ETC (Energy Time Curve) diagram is created using professional software. This data is used to calculate the distance traveled by the reflected sound. Now a long cord is used: it is stretched from the listening point directly to the sound source (e.g. a loudspeaker box) and a first knot is tied at that point, which marks the arrival of the direct sound. The previously calculated distance of the reflected sound is “added” to the length of the cord and marked with a second knot. This new end point of the string is then reattached to the sound source and the sagging rope is guided to the wall to determine the reflection point.
Correct positioning of sound absorbers
It is important to note that the mirror method and hand clapping are not as accurate as using professional tools. However, they are helpful methods for quickly and easily identifying sound reflections and finding good positions for your sound absorbers. However, if you need a more precise determination of sound reflections, we recommend that you seek professional assistance. Of course, you can contact us at any time if you have any questions.