What Type of Material Do I Use for Sound Absorption?
Sound proofing and sound absorption are used in a variety of applications, notably in construction to create sound barriers between rooms and in recording studios to manipulate the acoustics of a room. There are a variety of sound absorbing materials, which have distinctly different characteristics. In the end, however, the goal remains the same: to absorb sound and prevent redirection.
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Porous
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Porous sound absorbers are the most commonly used materials. They tend to be lightweight, airy materials like foam rubber, carpet or felt. The idea is that sound waves travel into the open spaces among the fibers or foam and bounce around until their energy is converted into heat.
Panel
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Panel absorbers are thin, flexible materials that catch or deaden sound by stretching when exposed to the air pressure exerted by a sound wave. Common materials include thin wooden paneling laid over a sparse frame, lightweight ceilings (not plaster or drywall) and gelatinous coatings.
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Resonators/Diffusers
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Resonating or diffusing sound absorbers operate on a different principle than porous or panel absorbers in that resonators capture only a narrow frequency of sound, usually in the lower frequencies. Resonators are common in speaker cabinet design. Diffusers are an array of irregularly aligned resonators that scatter sound waves, making them inaudible.
Studio Design
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Ever notice the speaker arrangement and sound absorbing materials in big-box electronics stores' display rooms? Acoustic treatment of a room can transform the environment from one with muddy, unclear sound to a pleasurable environment for recording and listening to music and movies. Store owners do this to maximize the performance of their demonstration products, and even the most expensive home theater systems will under-perform in a living room with poor acoustics.
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References
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