|
| Acoustically treating a room can be a difficult project. There is a tremendous amount of information available on the subject, but much of it is outdated, conflicting, or confusing at the best. Wouldn't it be nice if someone made a product that solved ALL of a room's problems at once? And was affordable, safe and almost indestructible? A highly regarded european acoustician, Liviu Zainea, asked the same question and set out on a 3-year continuous research project to find the perfect acoustic treatment. The result is the Roundffusor R1 : a broadband diffusor and adaptable low-frequency absorber. |
|
What it is:The Roundffusor is a piece of high-impact plastic that has been molded into a complex shape. The plastic is about 5 millimeters thick. Each unit is about 2 feet by 2 feet, and 4 inches deep. The unit is attached to the wall or ceiling with 2 wooden support rails (included), which hold the Roundffusor about 1 inch away from the wall, increasing the total depth to about 5 inches. For more details, check out the manufacturer's data or the US patent. Studio Outfitters has ISO scattering/absorption measurement data for the R1 available upon request. What it isn't:The Roundffusor is NOT a sound blocking device, used to isolate the sound from one room to another. It is not a tunable bass absorber to eliminate specific room anomolies (although it does smooth the bass response like a broadband absorber would). How it works:The complex front shape of the Roundffusor provides wide-band diffusion. The back of the panel is left open on two sides, creating a "helmoltz resonator" which absorbs low frequencies. When more than one R1 is installed in a column, the wooden supports on each side create a larger enclosed column. By stacking more units, the low frequency limit of the absorber can match the lowest frequency of the sound source. This combination of high-frequency diffusion and broad low frequency absorption can be used to "cure" even the worst acoustic spaces. Applying R1's to about 5-10% of the room's surface area, with NO OTHER TREATMENT, will result in a drastic reduction and evening of the RT60 across the entire audible frequency range. Low frequency modes will be audibly diminished at all listening points in the room (not just a single "sweet spot"). You will find yourself listening to music for longer periods of time. The original timbre and aura of a recording will be more clearly revealed. |
|
How to install it:Installation is particularly straightforward and
well-designed.
You simply screw a wooden support to the wall or ceiling, and then slide the Roundffusor in place.
A 3x3 grid of Roundffusors can be installed in about 10 minutes.
Click to see some Installation pictures.
Roundffusors should be installed in a 3x3 grid or larger.
For normal (front-firing) speakers, the R1s should be installed on the back wall or ceiling.
Speakers with significant radiation from the rear such as dipolar, biopolar or omnidirectional speakers,
will work better with R1s mountd behind the speakers (in front of the listener).
In a performance/recording space, it is best to mount the R1s in "patches" of at leas 3x3, evenly
and symmetrically spaced on the walls and ceiling.
Roundffusors may be painted.
Roundffusors can be solidly installed and then removed and reused with no damage. When needed, a group of
R1's may be mounted to a piece of plexiglass or wood to allow an array to be moved around the room.
See what our customers are saying: I just remixed a song for a client now that I have the R1s up, and here´s what she said about the new mix: "Now I´ve listened a few times and I would say that the old mix sounds almost like it was recorded under water compared to this one. This one really does have a live sound, which you know, I love. Everyone sounds more separated and the parts are just more overall individual. It´s really as good as I could imagine. Thanks again,...." I can attribute this to nothing else but the R1s. Now I´m hearing the reverbs, the spaces I´m putting stuff in. I´m eq´ing less, before I was eq´ing to compensate for my crappy room, now I´m making all the right moves. It really is unbelievable to me. You can quote whatever you want in this email. - Jay Stocker Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Q: How many do I need? As with any acoustic treatment, there is a minimum number of R1's that are needed before the effect is audible or measurable. Generally speaking, a 3x3 array on the back wall of a small room is sufficient to create a diffuse soundfield. 5-10% of the surface area of the room should be covered. Room dimensions, layout and furnishings can have an effect on the number of units needed for your application. Q: Where do I install them? R1s should be installed on the front wall, back wall, or ceiling, depending on loudspeaker type and location. Recording spaces may want to install lateral (side) wall units as well but this is not recommended for playback rooms. Call or write Studio Outfitters to get our expert opinion on your needs. Q: Should I combine the Roundffusors with other acoustic treatment? No, the Roundffusor is designed to be a complete acoustical solution, offering high frequency diffusion and adaptable low-frequency absorption. As with any diffusor, multiple scattered reflections around the room are needed to generate a diffuse soundfield. Absorbent materials will limit or eliminate the effects of diffusion. Room proportions with evenly-spaced low frequency modes is suggested. Construction which uses non-parallel walls is not detrimental to the effect of the R1, but will not be needed in a room treated with R1s. The R1 is NOT a sound blocking device. Construction methods and materials for sound isolation between rooms may still be required. Q: How does the Roundffusor compare to fiberglass or foam acoustic treatments? On a per-square-foot basis, the Roundffusor R1 will reduce the RT60 about as much as a 4" thick piece of absorptive material. However, unlike an absorptive solution, a room treated with R1s will sound subjectively "louder" because the early reflections are dense and enveloping. A highly diffuse room will result in better speech intelligibility than a room deadened by fibeglass or foam. Another subtle benefit is that, unlike traditional absorbers, the R1 does not become "overdriven" at a cetain volume and become ineffective. The R1 will retain its properties at levels of more than 130dB. Unlike foam or fiberglass the R1 will not absorb liquids, can be easily cleaned, is nearly indestructible, and will not retain odors or shed fiberglass particles. This makes it a cleaner, safer alternative. Q: How does the Roundffusor compare to skyline-type or other common diffusors? The more "natural" shape of the Roundffusor results in a wider dispersion pattern and continues to be diffusive at lower and higher frequencies than a traditional diffusor of the same depth. Some diffusors on the market are made of polystyrene (a fancy way of saying styrofoam) which may be easily damaged and are therefore limited in placement options. The Roundffusor is much stronger. Q: How does the Roundffusor compare to a dedicated bass absorber? Some types of bass absorbers are "tuned" to a particular frequency. While this method can be very effective for industrial purposes, in our experience it is not a good way to tune the bass response of a listening room because the effect can be somewhat unnatural. The Roundffusor offers a milder, wide-bandwidth (low-Q) type of absorption which is similiar to the sound of a "flexible wall" bass absorber. Unlike a custom-built soft-wall, membrane, foam, or fiberglass absorber, the Roundffusor is more adaptable (by extending the column length) and movable. Because of the large surface area and the wide bandwidth of the R1's bass absorption, the resulting sound is a modest improvement over a very wide range of listening positions and frequencies. Subjectvely, this results in a truly dramatic improvement compared to a conventional bass absorber. The fact that the Roundffusor does not absorb high frequencies, but diffuses them throughout the room instead, means that the spectral decay (often measured as the RT60) will stay even from the bass to the treble range. |
|
|