While good design practices and basic analysis can go far toward creating a good acoustical environment, some spaces benefit from a detailed, 3-D computer analysis.  When a space warrants this level of attention, Soundscape Engineering uses modeling software to study how sound will travel within a space and make recommendations to enhance the listening experience.

Modeling in 3-D allows us to optimize the beneficial reflections for even distribution of sound over the audience, to precisely place absorption and diffusion materials for preventing excessive reverberation and detrimental echoes, and to predict music and speech quality parameters such as Early Decay Time, Bass Ratio, Speech and Music Clarity, Lateral Sound Energy, Echoes in Speech and Music, and Sound Strength.

In addition to mapping acoustical parameters, we use the 3-D software to track the paths of sound travel and investigate reflections from various room surfaces.  Knowing how the room will behave before construction begins allows us to shape and treat the surfaces for optimal performance and cost savings.

In addition to aiding us in the design of a space’s acoustical environment, 3-D computer models allow us to predict loudspeaker performance in sound reinforcement systems for auditoriums and other large spaces.

Overhead paging system and voice evacuation system also benefit from our modeling through project specific loudspeaker selection and placement to improve coverage and speech intelligibility.