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Primitive Root Diffusers

PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:09 am
by Mathieu Benoit
Anyone ever built one?

This winter I have 3 projects in mind. One is to build a few more smaller gobos. Second is to build some bass traps for the control room. Third is to maybe build a diffuser for the control room.

Re: Primitive Root Diffusers

PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 1:21 pm
by Malcolm Boyce
No... Curious to hear about you doing it though... :-)

Re: Primitive Root Diffusers

PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 1:26 pm
by Mathieu Benoit
Malcolm Boyce wrote:No... Curious to hear about you doing it though... :-)


I need to find ways to get the control room in better shape acoustically that I can take upstairs with me when we move the control room upstairs. So bass traps were always a consideration, but now I'm wondering how much a proper diffuser (or several diffusers) would help.

Re: Primitive Root Diffusers

PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 1:28 pm
by macrae11
I've designed a few diffusers before back in school, but never actually built them, and it's been a long time since I had to do math! What's the lowest frequency you're trying to work on?

Re: Primitive Root Diffusers

PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 1:30 pm
by Mathieu Benoit
macrae11 wrote:I've designed a few diffusers before back in school, but never actually built them, and it's been a long time since I had to do math! What's the lowest frequency you're trying to work on?


How low can you go?

Re: Primitive Root Diffusers

PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 1:38 pm
by Malcolm Boyce
Mathieu Benoit wrote:How low can you go?
:lol:

Re: Primitive Root Diffusers

PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 1:59 pm
by Mathieu Benoit
If the answer is anywhere near 80Hz then you win.

Re: Primitive Root Diffusers

PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 4:32 pm
by macrae11
Mathieu Benoit wrote:
How low can you go?

You can go as low as you want to go big. First off you have to calculate the wavelength of the lowest frequency you want to affect. So since λ=v/f .......λ=343m/s(speed of sound at sea level)/80Hz........λ=4.2875m. Now I can't remember if you need a half wavelength of depth, or quarter wavelength. Either way 80Hz is a big diffuser. More likely you'd want to have a diffuser to target from the low mids up and then some type of resonator to focus in on problematic lower frequencies. Some Helmholtz resonators might be useful, although they wouldn't be as transferable to the new room because you will most likely have different frequency issues. That's about as far as I can take you. You'll have to do some reading on the quadratic equation, and a whole bunch of other crap that I'm about ten years of memory loss behind.First thing you need to do is get a good book on acoustics. I've heard good things about this one, but haven't read it myself so can't say. Either way, you've got some dry reading ahead of you. Second thing you need to do is shoot your room. This will identify where the problems are and what needs to be fixed. Then you can start formulating a plan about how to fix it. Seems like a lot of work, but I would look at it like a practice run on what you'll have to do for your new room. You'll learn a ton, and probably avoid a lot of headaches by being able to plan ahead better for the new room.