What is acoustics consulting?

Acoustic consulting is the set of answers provided by your contact person concerning noise management.

A technician is able to bring you an expertise on your living room, your open space, your restaurant, your Hifi room or your Home Cinema.

His role is to analyze the nature of the materials, the volumes of the room, the layout and the sources of noise.

All these elements allow the technician to direct his advice and guide you on the improvements to be implemented.

Then, according to the different parameters of your room, we propose different levels of acoustic studies. The choice of the type of acoustic study will depend on the level of difficulty of the treatment of the room.

There are 3 levels of acoustic studies:

1. The study by acoustic measurement
2. The study by ray tracing
3. The alpha sabine simulation

It is the latter, alpha sabine simulation, which is proposed as the first level of analysis within the framework of acoustic consulting.

The other two types of acoustic studies are more advanced and will be more expensive.

What is an alpha sabine simulation software?

An acoustic diagnosis of the room

The alpha sabine simulation software is a simple tool that provides reliable indicators of the acoustic performance of a solution in a given space.

It is based, as its name indicates, on the Alpha Sabine parameters.
The Alpha Sabine corresponds to the characterization of a material by its acoustic behavior.

On certain frequencies, it will have a tendency to absorb sound, or to return it.

This on a scale of 0 to 1.

• At 0 all the sound energy is returned: the material does not absorb
• At 1 all the sound energy is absorbed: the material is absorbent.

Let’s take a concrete example with the image opposite.

The dimensions of the room, the nature of the materials and their surfaces are shown in a clear and legible table.

Advice on the acoustic treatment to be carried out

The Alpha software allows you to model a part according to its physical parameters: its volume and the materials of which it is composed.

All the materials composing the part are identified according to their capacities to absorb and their occupied surfaces. Thus, the software is able to give figures on the reverberation time. This thanks to an algorithm that takes these elements into account.

The integration of these basic elements allows the identification of an initial reverberation time.

Then, by adding new parameters, a reverberation time after treatment.

On this second element (photo) we can see that a curve is generated.

• The red curve represents the initial reverberation time
• The blue curve, the expected reverberation time with the acoustic treatment implemented in the room

In addition to the acoustic properties of the room, the acoustic standards and recommendations in force according to the type of environment are also taken into account. Here, these are the grey lines.

In our example, we are on the French standard for reception rooms.

We see that the acoustic treatment makes it possible to reach the recommendations.

These standards are sometimes strict, sometimes flexible.

Sometimes they are easily accessible. In other cases, they are difficult to reach.

Our advisory role is to guide you on the tolerance to be applied and to help you interpret its elements.

Who is concerned by this type of audio optimization and improvement advice?

The alpha sabine simulation is a simple and efficient testing tool. It finds its interest as a first approach to establish a coherent quotation.

It therefore concerns everyone. This technique will be used whether your room is small or large.

When this alpha sabine simulation can no longer guarantee complete satisfaction, we direct you towards a more thorough study. These studies can be of the ray tracing type or acoustic measurements in situation. They are carried out by our research department in acoustics.

What are the limits of acoustic consulting?

The approach by this alpha sabine simulation has limits. Indeed, this type of acoustic consulting is based on an alpha simulation tool that cannot take into account all the complexity of open volumes.

If a room is too convoluted or too large, the simulations become less reliable.

In these cases, it is necessary to turn to our acoustics research department.

1. Either for ray tracing
2. Either for an acoustic measurement

For which projects should you turn to an acoustics design office and carry out a ray tracing study?

The ray tracing study is the “body” of an acoustic measurement.

It is this study that allows us to diagnose all the reverberations in the room.

It is also this study that determines the quantity, the location and the result that will be obtained by acoustic treatment elements.

This study is a real asset if :

1. Your room is large
2. Your room has a high capacity
3. You are a private individual who wishes to optimize the acoustic result in a large room
4. You are a professional who wants the most reliable elements possible
5. You want a diagnosis enriched by mathematical elements, 3D rendering and audio rendering

For which projects to carry out an acoustic measurement?

Acoustic measurement is the extension of ray tracing.

This study makes it possible to validate, in situ, all the parameters.

This study will also make it possible to control the result expected by the ray tracing predictions.

It is essential when you have to present results to a hierarchy, a works council or a HSE.

This study is also essential when you wish to create a private auditorium, a private cinema, or a studio for which you want a perfect result, especially in the bass.

In fact, the management of low frequencies is the only limit of ray tracing. Indeed, this study cannot anticipate vibratory problems.

How much does an acoustic advice cost?

Acoustic consulting at PYT audio is included in the price of the panels and will not be invoiced to you.

We carry out several acoustic simulations and guide you through all your steps free of charge.