Hire a professional acoustician

[DanielT]

Hire a professional acoustician. Anyone done that? I can suspect that it is well-invested money regarding the hunt for good sound. Or what do you think? A professional acoustician who goes through the conditions in the listening room who gives tips and advice on how the room can be optimized based on maximum best sound reproduction. For example furniture, acoustic panels, subwoofers (how many and placement ), what type of speakers are best suited for the listening room and so on.

If you intend to create a dedicated listening room (for home cinema and / or for two channel music), I can imagine that it really makes sense to hire a professional.

Nowadays with the internet you can always ask on a forum like this where there are knowledgeable and experienced people who can give tips and advice regarding acoustics. But sill.

 

[fredoamigo]

It's a good idea but it's very difficult to get the right number while avoiding being judge and jury .

 

[alex-z]

You don't need a professional in order to optimize speaker placement, subwoofer tuning, and acoustic treatment. All of that stuff can be done yourself if you have a cheap measurement mic, and a couple hours to spare. Software like Room EQ Wizard gives you heaps of information to work with.

You might hire a professional in order to design the room itself, looking for properties like good noise isolation. You could DIY this area, but it requires a broader skill set, like building an isolated floor, damped HVAC system, etc.

If your budget doesn't allow that, you can do the room design yourself, and only pay to have it built. Following basic principles like non-multiple length/width/height ratios, thick drywall layers, metal studs, and good insulation will get you far.

Just my opinion, but avoid 8ft ceilings at all costs. Really highlights bad vertical dispersion present in most speakers.

 

[DanielT]

It's a good idea but it's very difficult to get the right number while avoiding being judge and jury .

Well, but you have to go through the conditions.

If the listening room is also a living room, you may not want to sprinkle a lot of subwoofers in the room. It takes place and in most cases they are not directly aesthetically pleasing, to be honest. In addition, there may be neighbors who may have views regarding the creation of abysmal subbas from hell.

How much money you want to spend on good sound and HiFi, of course a factor to consider

Regarding hiring for help. Come to think of this program/show. Not that those who were re-styled had much to say what I remember of that series. But the principle of hiring to get tips, advice and inspiration is not so stupid, I think.

 

[DanielT]

You don't need a professional in order to optimize speaker placement, subwoofer tuning, and acoustic treatment. All of that stuff can be done yourself if you have a cheap measurement mic, and a couple hours to spare. Software like Room EQ Wizard gives you heaps of information to work with.

You might hire a professional in order to design the room itself, looking for properties like good noise isolation. You could DIY this area, but it requires a broader skill set, like building an isolated floor, damped HVAC system, etc.

If your budget doesn't allow that, you can do the room design yourself, and only pay to have it built. Following basic principles like non-multiple length/width/height ratios, thick drywall layers, metal studs, and good insulation will get you far.

Just my opinion, but avoid 8ft ceilings at all costs. Really highlights bad vertical dispersion present in most speakers.

Hire a professional if you build a listening room from scratch. Matrial walls, the design of the listening room itself. What gives the most bang for the bucks so to speak. That might be smart.

Otherwise, there is a lot in what you say. Besides, it's fun to fix it yourself. Part of the Hifi hobby. Maybe get tips from more
knowledgeable people from time to time during the hifi journey. To see that you are on the right track. This happens on a daily basis here and on other hifi forums. That is, get tips and advice from knowledgeable, skilled experienced people.

If the question is, what has been the biggest development in Hifi in recent decades, I answer the Internet and the development of computers and computer programs (what you now as a happy amateur, for cheap money, in the digital world can do is now incredible).

 

[fredoamigo]

Well, but you have to go through the conditions.

If the listening room is also a living room, you may not want to sprinkle a lot of subwoofers in the room. It takes place and in most cases they are not directly aesthetically pleasing, to be honest. In addition, there may be neighbors who may have views regarding the creation of abysmal subbas from hell.

How much money you want to spend on good sound and HiFi, of course a factor to consider

Regarding hiring for help. Come to think of this program. Not that those who were re-styled had much to say about what I remember of that series. But the principle of hiring to get tips, advice and inspiration is not so stupid, I think.

if it is a question of calling on a professional to understand the modal behavior of a room with an unusual architecture or to know the exact rt at various frequencies in several places in the room I am for this kind of service.
On the other hand, for what is an acoustic treatment by a professional it is necessary to be very careful on its choice because it is a field or it is easier to make evil than good more especially as the obediences are various... of which will inspire it? of a professional studio type LEDE or research of Floyd Toole?

 

[DanielT]

if it is a question of calling on a professional to understand the modal behavior of a room with an unusual architecture or to know the exact rt at various frequencies in several places in the room I am for this kind of service.
On the other hand, for what is an acoustic treatment by a professional it is necessary to be very careful on its choice because it is a field or it is easier to make evil than good more especially as the obediences are various... of which will inspire it? of a professional studio type LEDE or research of Floyd Toole?

Thanks for the tip.

I am most curious from a general perspective. At the moment, I am looking for new accommodation so it is not relevant for me. Once the accommodation is arranged, I thought I would start from scratch. Most probes the terrain now. It is undeniably interesting with room acoustics.

By the way. This is a classic measure, as Amir, points out in many reviews, of different speakers, I have noticed.

best to use a thick carpet

 

[Frgirard]

This composer hired a professional acoustician.

It is a massacre.

Home Studio Build: Sharing my step by step build done by Professional Acoustic Engineers - Gearspace.com

Hey everyone! Tomorrow I'm receiving the first documents from a company that will design and build my home recording studio. I'm excited! They've build studios for famous musicians here in France, and while I should be in good hands already, I thought I'd

gearspace.com

Before hire a pro train yourself with the books write by Toole, Rod Gervais or read what Jens Eklund, Bert stoltenborg, Thomas Jeanjouan, Éric Desart ... Write on Gearslutz, John's layer forum

If you don't want to invest yourself intellectually, go headphone fishing.

In France, except Jean Pierre Lafont it's the desert.

 

[DanielT]

This composer hired a professional acoustician.

It is a massacre.

Home Studio Build: Sharing my step by step build done by Professional Acoustic Engineers - Gearspace.com

Hey everyone! Tomorrow I'm receiving the first documents from a company that will design and build my home recording studio. I'm excited! They've build studios for famous musicians here in France, and while I should be in good hands already, I thought I'd

gearspace.com

Before hire a pro train yourself with the books write by Toole, Rod Gervais or read what Jens Eklund, Bert stoltenborg, Thomas Jeanjouan, Éric Desart ... Write on Gearslutz, John's layer forum

If you don't want to invest yourself intellectually, go headphone fishing.

In France, except Jean Pierre Lafont it's the desert.

Uff, 66 pages long thread. Summary? So it went to hell? What went wrong?
But is not it like with everything else? There are good and bad craftsmen, car mechanics and so on.

I think it's fun to learn more about acoustics.

Speaking of Floyd Toole. Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers.

Is available to download free online. I do not know if the free version is legal to take home. It can also be nice to have a physical book. To be able to take notes in.

You learn. I had no idea about this:

Understanding Audio Frequency Response & Psychoacoustics

Basic for you who measure and EQ. For me, it was new information, knowledge.
Very interesting.

It is smart to EQa what matters and avoid irregularities in the frequency curve that our ears, hearing system, anyway make sure to sum up to a smooth whole.

 

[youngho]

Hire a professional acoustician. Anyone done that? I can suspect that it is well-invested money regarding the hunt for good sound. Or what do you think? A professional acoustician who goes through the conditions in the listening room who gives tips and advice on how the room can be optimized based on maximum best sound reproduction. For example furniture, acoustic panels, subwoofers (how many and placement ), what type of speakers are best suited for the listening room and so on.

If you intend to create a dedicated listening room (for home cinema and / or for two channel music), I can imagine that it really makes sense to hire a professional.

Nowadays with the internet you can always ask on a forum like this where there are knowledgeable and experienced people who can give tips and advice regarding acoustics. But sill.

It's mostly either hiring someone to help you build something from the ground up or hiring someone to help take measurements, advise on treatments, and assist with speaker setup and subwoofer integration and calibration. For examples of the former, see here or here. For the latter, see here or here. Some may have access to sophisticated modeling software like REDI, others may have relationships with acoustic product vendors like RPG, RealAcoustix, and others. Despite what one can read on the Internet, and I believe that I've read a fair amount, I would truly be a loss to advise on purchasing a Modffractal vs a Diffractal from RPG, for example.

 

[DVDdoug]

Before you hire someone it would be a good idea to know what you want...

Mixing & mastering studios are generally "dead" and some people like that for playback. You might want some ambience while toning-down any nasty resonances... My ideal is a large "lively" music hall or theater but I can't have that at home!

...I haven't measured or treated my living room, but I do use a "soundfield" setting on my AVR to get rear-channel reverb.

 

[pozz]

I think I'd hire WSDG and discuss things with them, if I had the money and the real estate.

 

[DanielT]

I think I'd hire WSDG and discuss things with them, if I had the money and the real estate.

It can probably cost a lot to hire a professional. I do not have the money for that. I do not think so anyway. Or rather money can be obtained, but then it should REALLY be worth it.Maybe that's why the person Frgirard referring to who hired professionals was disappointed? Very high (too high?) expectations that were not met.

I mostly created the thread of general interest.

It is always possible to hire a student who is studying to be an acoustician. Note at the moment there is nothing I will do because I am looking at new housing.Maybe in the new accommodation. It depends and it depends on a lot. But you should never say never.

 

[DanielT]

Before you hire someone it would be a good idea to know what you want...

Mixing & mastering studios are generally "dead" and some people like that for playback. You might want some ambience while toning-down any nasty resonances... My ideal is a large "lively" music hall or theater but I can't have that at home!

...I haven't measured or treated my living room, but I do use a "soundfield" setting on my AVR to get rear-channel reverb.

Well you are in a way right. The crux is more that if you do not know what the most exquisite sound is then it is difficult to put into words what you are looking for. Which of course does not make it easier for a professional, or so it does. Much like saying to a chef you hire: I do not really know what I am looking for, cook something that you think is really good.

 

[Hipper]

Speaking of Floyd Toole. Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers.

Is available to download free online. I do not know if the free version is legal to take home. It can also be nice to have a physical book. To be able to take notes in.

Buy his Third Edition. You will use it for years to come. It will give you a good understanding of what is going on. He deals with stereo and home theatre.

After that you will have to decide how far you are willing to go to get the best sound which will depend on your finances and domestic circumstances (wife, children, dedicated room etc.) and could involve placement, subs, room treatment (bass traps etc.) and DSP/EQ.

One of the problems is knowing what good sound actually is. The ideal would be to visit some people who do have a good sound. If you hire a professional acoustician point this out and ask if you can visit someone (or more then one) who are happy with his work.

Another problem is that it takes time for your brain to adapt to a new sound. For example, bass is the biggest issues. Most rooms have some bass frequencies that are boomy but make it seem like you have a strong bass sound. Once you've smoothed/flattened the bass it can sound weak in comparison but you will notice that you can hear the musical side to bass playing as you can now hear all the notes. This takes getting used to.

Psychoacoustics is another fascinating subject.

 

[dmac6419]

Hire a professional acoustician. Anyone done that? I can suspect that it is well-invested money regarding the hunt for good sound. Or what do you think? A professional acoustician who goes through the conditions in the listening room who gives tips and advice on how the room can be optimized based on maximum best sound reproduction. For example furniture, acoustic panels, subwoofers (how many and placement ), what type of speakers are best suited for the listening room and so on.

If you intend to create a dedicated listening room (for home cinema and / or for two channel music), I can imagine that it really makes sense to hire a professional.

Nowadays with the internet you can always ask on a forum like this where there are knowledgeable and experienced people who can give tips and advice regarding acoustics. But sill.

Why?

 

[DanielT]

Why?

Why not?

Most people sometimes hire
professionals in other contexts,
different types of craftsmen, car mechanics, wedding planners and so on. That in itself is not strange, so why not a professional acoustician?

 

[DanielT]

Buy his Third Edition. You will use it for years to come. It will give you a good understanding of what is going on. He deals with stereo and home theatre.

After that you will have to decide how far you are willing to go to get the best sound which will depend on your finances and domestic circumstances (wife, children, dedicated room etc.) and could involve placement, subs, room treatment (bass traps etc.) and DSP/EQ.

One of the problems is knowing what good sound actually is. The ideal would be to visit some people who do have a good sound. If you hire a professional acoustician point this out and ask if you can visit someone (or more then one) who are happy with his work.

Another problem is that it takes time for your brain to adapt to a new sound. For example, bass is the biggest issues. Most rooms have some bass frequencies that are boomy but make it seem like you have a strong bass sound. Once you've smoothed/flattened the bass it can sound weak in comparison but you will notice that you can hear the musical side to bass playing as you can now hear all the notes. This takes getting used to.

Psychoacoustics is another fascinating subject.

Karin Boye - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

On The Move
The satiated day is never the greatest.
The best day is a day of thirst.

There is probably purpose and meaning in our journey but it is the pathway there, which is worth our while

 

[Frgirard]

It can probably cost a lot to hire a professional. I do not have the money for that. I do not think so anyway. Or rather money can be obtained, but then it should REALLY be worth it.Maybe that's why the person Frgirard referring to who hired professionals was disappointed? Very high (too high?) expectations that were not met.

I mostly created the thread of general interest.

It is always possible to hire a student who is studying to be an acoustician. Note at the moment there is nothing I will do because I am looking at new housing.Maybe in the new accommodation. It depends and it depends on a lot. But you should never say never.

Do not forget
1 acoustic is also the soundproofing and demand knowledge in building.
2 The acoustic study is one point. Not the most difficult. The realization is another challenge.

In the thread I linked, the acoustic study is flawed. The construction is flawed.
The client have not knowledge in soundproofing. He could not understand the pre-requisites and follow the good progress of the construction.

Example : his drums reach 120dB
The soundproofing study has been made with measurements at 103 dB.
You can not respect the law in matter of sound émergences when you have two coupled volumes with a drum without heavy works.

 

[DanielT]

Thanks for all the tips and advice!

Speaking of learning. Saw that this classic is on the web now. Tip:
(legal download or not, I do not know)