How To Stop Or Reduce Echo In A Large Room

[@2rdwikborg40]

Thank you for the idea of using horizontal wires below the ceiling. Less work and more flexible adjustments than wires directly from ceiling to panels.

[@philipperessos5499]

yes, it is more cost effective that way.

[@sheldonwilliams4442]

Can you provide links to the products you used?

[@timchambers5242]

The light polyester (or foam) absorbs or diffuses the higher frequencies ( 0.8) much better than the low frequencies (

[@philipperessos5499]

Thank you for your comment, of course, what you are suggesting would improve the result but increase the cost as well; the polyester I was using was not that light, 56kg/m3, it's a good density that's not available in the market, I had that manufactured specialty for this particular project. I didn't try to achieve the best result but being the most cost effective as possible to win the job and make my client happy but I appreciate you mentioned and described how the system could be improved.

[@DamianBrown]

I'm researching if it's possible to have a portable panel system to use in my garage gym when / if want to use the space go record videos with dialogue. Currently it's quite echoey and I don't want a permanent solution.

[@nikilragav]

I'm not sure if this was on purpose but I can't understand a thing you said in the first 2 min

[@philipperessos5499]

Yes Nikil, it was on purpose to show how bad the echo was before treatment!

[@marcocabrera4072]

Effective video

[@popothebright]

? There's still a ton of echo in your voice at the end. No carpet?

[@soundproofingexpert]

Yes, there is a bit of echo left and that is because the ceiling is very high and the walls offer much more surface for the sound to reflect; we could have add more sound absorber panels on some walls but in this case the client was satisfied with the result and didn't find necessary to spend extra money for it. If the ceiling is low, we won't have echo anymore but if the ceiling is very high then, we'd still have some echo left. There was no carpet in the room,, hard reflecting surface. The echo in that room was probably the worse I ever seen.

[@mooncakeforabby]

You are a genius!

[@cesarrios9110]

Great video, very well explain, thank you!! Do you recommend this for an audio studio inside a domed cellar?

[@soundproofingexpert]

thank you Cesar, yes, absolutely, baffles would be very useful to reduce echo in a domed cellar; domes create a lot of echo.

[@jayadalja5746]

There is a big rectangular classroom (length double its width) with very few members. Does it have an echo or reverberation?

[@martin_wood]

Huge difference

[@philipperessos5499]

Yes, it is!

[@J7-Steny]

Since the ceiling is concrete, Why not spray cement stucco on the ceiling and spray it with the color you like!? Its cheaper, effective and easy to maintain.

[@philipperessos5499]

This is a very good point! It all comes to cost effectiveness. I don't know the NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) of cement stucco but following the same idea, spraying the concrete with cellulose fibers would give around 50-60 % sound absorption; the system I am using here, is providing 100% sound absorption. If you are leasing the place, you can still take the acoustic batts with you but if you own it, spraying with cellulose fibre could be a good idea and with the money saving you could install some sound absorber panels on the walls as well, that could gives a better balance if the ceiling slab is very high.

[@J7-Steny]

@@philipperessos5499 makes sense... My idea was, dissipate sound that doesn't hit the listener directly like from overhead and absorb the rest. So dissipate ceiling reflections and absorb sound that hits the side walls.

[@jos1nueve]

Hello @soundproofingexpert. Where can you find those panels? I have tried all over the web but I cannot find it. I also noticed that after the job was done there was still some echo in the room. Is it still appropriate for turning a warehouse into a conference room?

[@soundproofingexpert]

Hi, I had made this polyester baffles directly from the factory, according my specifications, it doesn't exist in the market as such. Yo can use glasswool or something similar with densities going from 32kg/m3 to 60kg/m3 and between 50 to 100mm thick. I use polyester because I can use the product directly as it is, there are no health hazards associated with that product, so it doesn't have to be covered with some kind of fabric. There is still a bit of echo, but the difference was huge, the ceiling here was quite high so I could reduce more the reverberation time by installing some sound absorber panels on the walls as well, so for a conference room I would have done that because when you are using microphones the sound may not be clear enough. You can definitely turn a warehouse into a conference room, no problem at all.

[@cremefresh1]

Merci! Hehe! Thanks for this knowlege! Awesomely practical!

[@rbe1983]

very nice video. I'm new in acoustical treatment and my first project is to treat a multipurpose gym that can be used as a concert stage. I'm a broadcast engineer by the way and have limited experience in acoustic treatment. May I ask what is the best panel I can use for both ceiling and wall?

[@soundproofingexpert]

There are of course different products available in every country but my first concern, is safety and some sound absorbers are not fire rated, so that's the first thing to check, specially in public places, even if the owner accept your product, few mounts later the insurance company may refuse to insure you. For a gym, 25mm thick would be ok but for a concert you'd need minimum 50mm thick and 48kg/m3 density or 32kg/m3-75mm thick or more. I wouldn't use less than NRC 1.00 and more better, like 1.10. The coverage should be at least 50% of the floor surface and you can spread your panels on ceiling or walls or both.

[@hoangphan8280]

@@soundproofingexpert i have a coffee shop 220m2 and have echo. minium is 25mm or 50mm? Thank you for answer

[@philipperessos5499]

@@hoangphan8280 Minimum is 25mm, still ok for people talking, for music room, minimum 50mm

[@Oneness100]

I didn't hear you talk about how to choose an absorption material. From what I've read and heard is that each material has an "absorption coefficient" curve, and then there is the hearing curve of humans, and picking an absorption coefficient curve to match closely with human hearing curve with yield a more natural sound when using that treatment. Also, there are absorption materials that I wouldn't recommend due to their levels of toxicity as it's typically with building insulation that's made from toxic materials where respirators and protective clothing is recommended to be used when working with those materials. I would stay away from those types of materials. I have tried using a variety of materials in my own home and found one brand to be quite natural sounding instead of sounding over absorbed or underabsorbed, so I do know there are at least one company that makes it. From those panels in the ceiling, that seems to work quite a bit, but there's still more that I think should be absorbed, so I think in this room in the video, I would think that adding more absorption is necessary on the walls. Unfortunately, glass is a hardsurface and that's always going to cause a problem, but on the walls where there isn't glass, I would probably put absorption to tame that room..

[@philipperessos5499]

Good, interesting issues you are pointing out; you are absolutely right about toxicity, some foams create VOC (volatile Organic Compounds) and disintegrate after roughly 10 years and some insurance company don't want to insure your premises for fire because they burn creating toxic fumes. Some other sound absorbers, such as fiber glass need to be covered with a cloth or something. That's why, for all the reasons above, I am using polyester batts, no fire issues, no health hazards, no VOC and last forever. As a rule of thumb, I am using 25mm thick batts, at least 32kg/m3 or more dense for voices and for music at least 50mm thick, minimum 32kg/m3 density, for recording studio I can use sometimes 60kg/m3, 100mm thick and a combination of different thickness.

[@Oneness100]

@@philipperessos5499 What companies make the materials you are using? And do they have absorption coefficients to review and compare to others? I've used a lot of different types of absorption materials over the years and I stumbled across one company that makes their own foam, and they also use activated carbon in their diaphragmatic low frequency absorption devices. For the first time in my life, I actually was in a room with such a natural quality to it. It was absolutely the best room I've ever been in. After talking to the owner/head engineer, he explained that he spent a number of years trying to create a material (foam) with an absorption coefficient curve to come as close as he could to the Fletcher Munsen hearing curve, especially in the 125hz to 500hz range, which he said is the biggest area that each absorption material differs.

[@emilemils]

How do you dimension the suspended baffles?

[@betterlife8114]

Great Video! What is the size of the panels?

[@soundproofingexpert]

Thank you, the size was 600mm x 1200mm x 50mm thick; those panels were custom made, sometimes I am using 400mm or 800mm or even 1200mm x 1200mm

[@betterlife8114]

@@soundproofingexpert It is really useful. We implemented the same in a big hall, and the echo was reduced greatly.

[@philipperessos5499]

@@betterlife8114 Thank you, I am very grateful my video did help you!

[@boagothibedi1636]

Hi, quick question. What is the material you used to reduce the echo?...the one that is hanged on the ceiling

[@soundproofingexpert]

I am using high density polyester, 32, 48 or 60kg/m3

[@14-gauravjha50]

Hi, we have a big hall which need to be fixed echo problems. Let me know if you can solve it.

[@soundproofingexpert]

Echo can always be fixed if you can install sufficient m2 of sound absorber panels.

[@soundproofingexpert]

you can email me at [e-mail] and send me some pictures of the room to treat, we'll go from there.

[@Mythbuster42]

how do we determine whether is the ceiling or wall that must be treated?

[@soundproofingexpert]

Hmm! Good question, we try to cover roughly 70% of the floor surface wherever it is practical, floor or ceiling or both. the shape of the room is important as well, for example, if you have a large room with a low ceiling, it will be more efficient to install the sound absorber panels on the ceiling but if the ceiling is very high, and the room narrow than it will works better on the walls.

[@Mythbuster42]

Is it better to treat the ceiling rather than the walls?

[@soundproofingexpert]

Not necessary, both works, you can use the ceiling, or the walls or a combination of both

[@bombraja248]

Sir my room size 10by16 fit & i have purchased 20 piece accoustic foam then were i stick it to remove eco from my room

[@philipperessos5499]

It can be installed where convenient but if possible not everything on one wall. It can be spread on the ceiling or installed on two walls but not on two parallel walls, works better on a wall and adjacent wall. You can install on the ceiling and one wall also. In any case, even the worse case scenario it will reduce the echo. The room being relatively small, it will work in any case, so you can chose where it's convenient or aesthetic. If you play music, put a bit more on the corners because you have there a maximum sound reverberation.

[@RADIOTONTA]

is the foam simply foam, or something special?

[@soundproofingexpert]

Foam can be used too but what I've used here is polyester fibre, high density (56kg/m3) because it last forever, it is cost effective and there is no health hazards associated with this product. Foam will disintegrate within 10 years and will have to be replaced.

[@samueladera2566]

What is the material?

[@philipperessos5499]

High density polyester, 60kg/m3

[@CallOfDerzy]

anyone know if this would be good to acoustically treat a recording studio

[@soundproofingexpert]

You can use that way for a recording studio, if you have enough hight, of course, otherwise, there are many other ways

[@jameslabs1]

Cool

[@gauravjha6615]

Awesome

[@antenehgetachew7115]

Great video. I'm facing a problem with a church hall I'm working in. Can you please give me your email? I'll send you pictures and details of the hall.

[@soundproofingexpert]

my email is [e-mail]

[@antenehgetachew7115]

Thank you

[@АнетаИванова-и1у]

Dear Philippe, we're facing also sound issue in our church hall. May I contact you via your email address, again with photos? :-) @@soundproofingexpert