Fostex 3180 - INTRODUCTION; Understanding Reverberation

3. INTRODUCTION - Why Reverberation?
Reverberation is an important part of our everyday experience
of sound. Without the natural ambience caused by multiple reflec-
tions and gradually decaying sound sources, music, especially,
would sound flat, empty.
Figure 1 shows a typical response -- growth and decay -- of
sound in a room.
ENERGY DENSITY
PLAN View wl TIME
ENERGY DENSITY.
1B; TIME
ENERGY DENSITY.
PLAN VIEW w TIME
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8 $
o 3
3 &
2
PLAN VIEN m TIME
A two-dimensional version of the growth and decay cf
the souná in a room. Here, S is the source of sound and O the
observation point. (A) The direct sound energy D and the
reflected sound energy Ri, Rz, Ra; and Rae, from the four walls
(B) The addition of the second reflections Rs, Re, Ry, and Re.
(C) A large number of reflections which approximate steady-
state conditions. (D) The decay of sound energy after the
source has stopped.
Source: Journal of the Audio Enginecring Society, Vol. 6, No. 1.
Used with permission.
Fig. 1l.