How Does the Shape of a Room Affect Reverberation Time?
Measuring Time, Space and Vibrations Reverberation time is the length of an echo you hear in a room. In the study of acoustics, when the room has no echo it is called a “dead room” whereas if a room produces an audible echo it is called a “live room.” As sound vibrations trail off you hear a “decay.” In a more strict definition, reverberation time measures the length of time for sound to decay. When sound bounces off a surface it produces reflections which are absorbed or bounced to other surfaces depending on the surface composition. Reverberation time is expressed as RT60, which equals the number of seconds needed for reflections to decay by 60 decibels below the direct sound level. Rooms where speech is intended require low reverberation time (less than 1.5 seconds) whereas bigger halls for music performance usually sound best with longer reverberation time (2.0 or more seconds). Walls and Dimensions Room dimensions and shape are major factors in determining room reverberation time,
