Acoustics

As an audio engineer, you’ll be judging, shaping and assembling sound elements. To do this you must develop intuitive responses to the audio frequency spectrum.

This course will teach you how. First you’ll investigate the essential physical nature and behaviour of sound. Then you’ll study room acoustics, until you can predict, design, analyze and modify environments to get a specific acoustic result.

As well as fine-tuning your personal aural abilities, through workshops in the Acoustics Research Lab you’ll also master Acoustic X and ETF software — outstanding tools that measure, analyze and calculate acoustic phenomena.

Course Outline

Topic Format
Simple Vibrating Systems, Basic Terminology Lectures
Superposition of Waves, Phase and Interference Lectures
Examining Vibrations in Musical Instruments Lectures
Properties of Sound Waves Lectures
Doppler Shift and The Universal Wave Equation Lectures
Room Acoustics Lectures
Room Modes, Calculations and Effects Lectures
RT 60, Absorption Coefficients, Sabine Equation Lectures
Room Control Devices - Diffusers and Absorbers Lectures
Control Room Design Principles Lectures
Modal Response Lectures/Labs
Speaker Placement Guidelines Lectures/Labs
Ray Tracing Lectures/Labs
Optimizing RT60 Lectures/Labs
Room Analysis and Testing Lectures/Labs
Studio Construction Techniques Lectures
Isolation and Transmission Lectures
Total Class Hours 18
Total Lab Hours 7
Course Length 1.5 Semester