With this definitive guide to sound reinforcement design and optimization, Bob McCarthy shares his expert knowledge and effective methodology developed from decades of field and teaching experience. This book is written for the field professional as well as the consultant or student, in a clear and easy-to-read style and illustrated with color diagrams and screenshots throughout. McCarthy's unique guide reveals the proven techniques to ensure that your sound system design can be optimized for maximum uniformity over the space. The book follows the audio signal path from the mix console to the audience and provides comprehensive information as to how the sound is spread over the listening area. The complex nature of the physics of speaker interaction over a listening space is revealed in terms readily understandable to audio professionals. Complex speaker arrays are broken down systematically and the means to design systems that are capable of being fully optimized for maximum spatial uniformity is shown. The methods of alignment are shown, including measurement mic placement, and step-by-step recipes for equalization, delay setting, level setting, speaker positioning and acoustic treatment. These principles and techniques are applicable to the simplest and most complex systems alike, from the single speaker to the multi-element ''line array.'' * The first book devoted exclusively to the emerging field of sound system optimization using modern tools and practices. * Offers you expert guidance on the popular tools of the trade, including line arrays and digital signal processors * Color images and diagrams throughout aid understanding and clearly illustrate topics within the book
Author(s): Bob McCarthy
Publisher: Focal Press
Year: 2007
Language: English
Commentary: 84108
Pages: 527
Front Cover......Page 1
Sound Systems: Design and Optimization......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Preface......Page 10
Acknowledgements......Page 17
SECTION 1: SOUND SYSTEMS......Page 20
Transmission Goals......Page 22
Time and Frequency......Page 23
Wavelength......Page 24
The Waveform......Page 27
Decibels......Page 29
Power......Page 35
Frequency Response......Page 36
Analog Audio Transmission......Page 38
Line Level Devices......Page 39
Line Level Interconnection......Page 51
Speaker Level Devices—Power Amplifiers......Page 54
Speaker Level Interconnection—Speaker Cables......Page 59
Digital Audio Devices......Page 61
Digital Audio Interconnection......Page 62
Power, Pressure and Surface Area......Page 63
Environmental Effects: Humidity and Temperature......Page 65
Acoustic Transmitters: Loudspeakers......Page 66
Reference......Page 78
Overview......Page 79
Summation Criteria......Page 80
Electrical vs. Acoustical Summation......Page 82
Summation Math......Page 83
Summation Amplitude......Page 84
Summation Phase......Page 85
Response Ripple......Page 89
Summation Zones......Page 90
Comb Filtering: Linear vs. Log......Page 97
Summation Geometry......Page 98
Acoustic Crossover Defined......Page 106
Crossover Classes......Page 107
Spectral Dividers and Spectral Crossovers......Page 108
Spatial Dividers and Spatial Crossovers......Page 120
Speaker Array Types......Page 131
Coupled Arrays......Page 134
Uncoupled Arrays......Page 144
Analogous Functions......Page 159
Speaker/Room Summation Types......Page 162
Environmental Effects......Page 166
Introduction......Page 169
Loudness and dB SPL......Page 170
The Equal Loudness Contours......Page 171
Sonic Image......Page 172
Vertical Localization......Page 173
Horizontal Localization......Page 176
Introduction......Page 183
Tonal Perception......Page 184
Echo Perception......Page 186
Spatial Perception......Page 187
Introduction......Page 188
Panoramic Field......Page 189
Stereo Scaling......Page 190
Stereo Side-Effects......Page 194
False Perspective......Page 195
Comparing Microphones to Our Ears......Page 197
Measurement Microphones......Page 198
References......Page 199
SECTION 2: DESIGN......Page 200
Introduction......Page 202
Natural Sound vs. Amplified Sound......Page 203
Contrasting Emission, Transmission and Reception Models......Page 204
Transmission Path Differences......Page 205
Comparing Our Goals......Page 210
The Middle Ground......Page 217
Moving Forward......Page 220
Reference......Page 224
Introduction......Page 225
2-D Drawing Types......Page 226
2-D Drawings in a 3-D World......Page 227
Introduction......Page 231
A Very Brief History......Page 232
Speaker Data Files......Page 233
Acoustic Transmission Properties......Page 239
Material Absorption Properties......Page 244
Characterizing Summations......Page 245
Applications......Page 248
Conclusions......Page 249
Introduction......Page 251
Causes and Standard Progressions of Variance......Page 254
Protractors and Pizza......Page 261
Asymmetric Coverage Considerations......Page 262
The Forward Aspect Ratio......Page 263
The Proximity Ratio......Page 265
Minimum Level Variance......Page 266
Single Speakers......Page 267
Coupled Speaker Arrays......Page 272
Uncoupled Speaker Arrays......Page 279
Relating Aspect Ratio, Beamwidth and Speaker Order......Page 284
Speaker Array Methods......Page 293
Subwoofer Arrays......Page 322
End Fire......Page 323
Inverted Stack......Page 324
Coupled and Uncoupled Line Source......Page 325
Coupled and Uncoupled Point Source......Page 327
Speaker Order and Beamwidth......Page 328
Minimum Variance Coverage Shapes......Page 329
Specification Defined......Page 333
Specific Questions......Page 334
Specific Answers......Page 337
Compromise......Page 338
Channel/System Types......Page 339
Stereo......Page 340
Surround......Page 341
System Subdivision......Page 343
Main Systems......Page 344
Infill......Page 346
Delays......Page 347
Overlapping for Power......Page 349
Main System Design......Page 350
Symmetric Coupled Point Source......Page 351
Asymmetric Coupled Point Source......Page 352
Asymmetric-Composite Coupled Point Source......Page 356
Symmetric Uncoupled Line Source......Page 360
Symmetric Uncoupled Point Destination......Page 361
The Diagonal Plane......Page 362
Balcony Battles......Page 365
Multichannel Sound......Page 369
SECTION 3: OPTIMIZATION......Page 372
Examination Defined......Page 374
Origami Angle Finder......Page 375
Laser Pointer......Page 376
Volt/ohm meter (VOM)......Page 377
Impedance Tester......Page 378
Real-Time Analyzer (RTA)......Page 379
Complex Audio Measurement Tools......Page 381
Analyzer Basics......Page 382
Signal Averaging......Page 389
Single-Channel Spectrum Applications......Page 391
Transfer Function Measurement......Page 393
Other Complex Signal Analyzers......Page 416
Analysis Systems......Page 418
Reference......Page 419
Test Structure......Page 420
Testing Stages......Page 421
Test Setup......Page 422
Noise Over Frequency......Page 425
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (THD + n)......Page 427
Maximum Input/Output Capability Over Frequency......Page 428
Latency......Page 431
Frequency Response......Page 434
Phase Response over Frequency......Page 436
Compression......Page 437
Microphone Verification......Page 438
Microphone Response......Page 439
Post-Calibration Verification......Page 440
Additional Considerations......Page 442
Calibration Defined......Page 443
Strategies......Page 444
Anarchy......Page 445
Democracy......Page 446
Calibration Subdivision......Page 447
Electronic Access......Page 449
Acoustic Access......Page 451
Microphone Position Strategies......Page 464
Acoustic Evaluation......Page 471
Level Setting......Page 472
Speaker Position Adjustment......Page 474
Equalization......Page 477
Delay Setting......Page 482
Order of Operations......Page 486
Listening......Page 492
Using Program Material as the Source......Page 493
Audience Presence......Page 494
Stage Leakage......Page 495
Stage Microphone Summation......Page 496
Multichannel Program Material......Page 497
Show Mic Positions......Page 498
Final Word......Page 499
Afterword......Page 500
A......Page 501
C......Page 502
D......Page 503
F......Page 504
M......Page 505
P......Page 506
R......Page 507
S......Page 508
V......Page 509
W......Page 510
Bibliography......Page 511
A......Page 512
B......Page 513
C......Page 514
D......Page 515
F......Page 516
H......Page 517
L......Page 518
M......Page 519
P......Page 521
R......Page 522
S......Page 523
V......Page 526
X......Page 527
