Room Analysis Programs Using Laptop- What Is Available? (1 Viewer)

[James Edward]

What, if anything, is a reliable room analysis(RTA?) program that I can run on my laptop to check room response, speaker placement, sub x-over, etc.?

Does such a thing exist, and if so, what would be involved? I have recently purchased a laptop and want to broaden my horizons in this area. I would imagine several microphones are needed, and who knows what else. I understand there is probably considerable cost involved for some programs, but I'd at least like to look at my options.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[PaulT]

Here's a few

Free:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/john.mu...meq/index.html

Buy:
http://www.trueaudio.com/
http://www.etfacoustic.com/
http://www.siasoft.com/

Requirements are on the web pages.

 

[MikeNg]

Cool stuff. Along the same line, how does one go about determining what acoustical treatments, if any, should be applied to a room, and figuring out which is best? Are there analysis programs for this?

EDIT: In an effort to answer my own question, I found this handy little XLS program that calculates the room modes according to the room dimensions. I suppose this is a starting point in figuring out what to neutralize...
Room Mode Calculator

Mike

 

[PaulT]

You would use any of the above programs to do sweeps of the room, then decide what you want to treat and how (absorbers at first reflection points, diffusers on rear wall, bass traps, etc etc). Would depend on the results of the sweeps.

For a rather lengthy 30 page post on some of this subject, you could read this:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=255432

Realise that quite a few of the guys posting there are manufacturing acoustic products, so some of it you can take with a marketing slant

 

[MikeNg]

Paul, any good books/online references on the topic?
Don't mean to hijack the thread James. I'll be happy to take a response in PM. BTW, interesting AVS thread.

Thanks.

Mike

 

[PaulT]

Mike - your questions could be of use to James as the OP, so here's a start (Ethan Winer is one of the posters in the AVS Forum thread):

http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html
http://www.realtraps.com/art_etf.htm

Google Room Acoustics and there is a huge amount of info out there.

 

[JeffreyDurbin]

I'm a relative newbie here so it won't let me post a URL to another site but go to the avsforum.com mentioned above and type in thread #529224 for a free room analysis program.

 

[PaulT]

Jeffrey - my first link above (the Free one) is the home page of the program (Room EQ Wizard) in that AVS thread

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=529224