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Reverberation is the persistence of sound after it has been stopped by multiple reflections from objects, such as furniture, people, and air.
- A sound is a form of energy that produces a sensation in the ears, sometimes it calms our body, and other times it causes a kind of irritation.
- For example, the sound produced by a clap reaches our ears through a medium.
- It is produced by mechanical energy and if needed it is amplified and then transferred to a wide range of people.
- The mediums also affect the actual sound.
- Reverberation is similar to echo.
- However, the distance between the source of the sound and the obstruction through which it is reflected is shorter.
- The parameter known as reverberation time is mainly used to quantitatively characterize reverberation.
- Reverberation time is referred to as the length of time it takes for a sound to decay by around 60 dB from its initial level.
Table of Content |
Key Terms: Reverberations, Sound, Acoustics, Reverberation time, Echo, Sound energy, Mechanical energy, Reflection, Decibel, Speed of sound, Frequency
What is Reverberation?
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Reverberation is defined as the existence or persistence of sound although the sound from the source has stopped.
- It is mainly due to multiple reflections from the walls, furniture, people, and other aspects.
- This persistence of sound only stops after it is completely reduced due to multiple reflections.
Examples of ReverberationExample 1: Take a big hall in which a motivational speaker is delivering a speech. Then there is a fraction of a second difference between the original sound to that of what we heard. During the checking of the mic also the word “hello” is heard multiple times. It is mainly due to reflection from the walls of the hall. Example 2: In a hilly area we can hear a word multiple times after shouting it out loud. It is also a phenomenon of reverberation which often causes an echo. |
Reverberation is frequency dependant and the time of reverberation is also calculated.
- The reflections that arrive in a sequence in less than 50ns are said to have the presence of reverberations.
- Reverberation time is calculated based on the sound to decay up to 60 decibels starting from the initial level when the original sound is stopped.
- This time calculation varies from narrow bands to broad bands.
- Reverberation time is not less than 0.1 seconds and this reverberated sound is not stored in our memory.
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Types of Reverbs
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Though there is a loss of original sound due to reverberation certain types of reverbs are used to add special effects to the sound.
Hall Reverb
These replicate the sound of a concert hall.
- These are great for adding space to strings and pads and thickening up.
- It makes the original sound coordinate with other instruments.
Chamber Reverb
These reverbs are similar to halls, and give you a lush and ambiance-soaked sound.
- In addition to that, these give you extra clarity that safeguards against the washed-out effect.
- These are used to amplify a specific track of sound and are comparatively better than Hall Reverbs.
Room Reverb
These are limited to rooms and are known for delivering natural sound to users.
- These are useful for all kinds of instruments such as guitars, pianos, and drums.
- These give us an experience of the real world.
Plate Reverbs
In this, vibrations are passed through a large plate and captured with a microphone.
- It was used in the early '80s and '90s, especially for high-pitch songs.
- These are known to elevate a certain soundtrack.
Advantages of Reverberations
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The following are the advantages of reverberations
- These often enhance the original sound quality.
- Some of the concerts sound magical due to reverberations.
- Increases depth of sound without changing pitch.
- It makes music sound even much better than the original.
Disadvantages of Reverberation
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The following are the disadvantages of reverberation
- If it is just a normal room then reflections won't stop and sound will not stop.
- It sometimes results in a loss of originality of words.
- The listener will be confused between the original and reflected sound and he can't even understand anything
- It is highly undesirable and causes anxiety in listeners.
- It affects communication and sometimes confuses the speaker due to repeated reflections.
Applications of Reverberations
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The following are the applications of reverberations
- Used in enhancing soundtracks, and quality.
- Chamber reverbs use these to increase the listener experience.
- Plate reverb collects the vibrations and transforms them into microphones.
- Used in guitars, digital workshops drums, and other instruments.
Ways to reduce Reverberations
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Though it has some advantages it is undesirable so here are some ways to reduce it-
- Sound-absorbent materials such as fiberboard, rough plaster and draperies, and compressed materials are used to seal the roofs of auditoriums.
- Porous materials like miner wool and fiberglass are also used as absorbents.
- Heavy curtains to doors and windows can absorb the sound.
- Panels and cardboard materials are also used for the ceiling of auditoriums.
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Things to Remember
- Reverberations happen in a period of 0.1 seconds.
- Reverberation time is calculated after the original sound is stopped.
- Chamber reverbs are comparatively better than hall reverbs because they provide extra clarity.
- Plate reverbs were found to have a great demand in the early 70s for Western music.
- Proper ceilings with sound-absorbent materials should be done in closed halls for proper propagation of sound.
Sample Questions
Ques. What is reverberation? (1 Mark)
Ans. In acoustics, reverberation is the persistence of sound after it has been produced. When a sound or signal is reflected, reverberation occurs.
Ques. Explain the relation between reverberation time and volume. (2 Marks)
Ans. Reverberation time is directly proportional to volume. In the case of the auditorium, reverberation time is directly proportional to the volume of the hall and inversely to the amount of sound absorbed by the ceilings of the auditorium.
Ques. Define decibels. (2 Marks)
Ans. A decibel is a unit of measurement used to indicate the ratio of one value of a power or field quantity to another on a logarithmic scale, with the logarithmic number referred to as the power level or field level.
Ques. What is a decibel metre? (1 Mark)
Ans. A decibel meter is a device that measures sound. It measures and samples sound. Decibel meters are commonly referred to as sound-level meters.
Ques. On which factors does reverberation time depend? (2 Marks)
Ans. Reverberation time depends on the size and shape of the space. It also depends on the amount and quality of the sound-absorbing surface in that space.
Ques. What are the advantages of reverberation? (3 Marks)
Ans. When it comes to musical symphonies and orchestra halls, reverberations perform amazingly; when the proper amount of reverberation is present, the sound quality improves dramatically. This is why sound experts are employed during the building of these halls.
Ques. Explain about Chamber reverb in detail. (2 Marks)
Ans. Chamber reverb is used for closed chambers. In this, a track would be amplified to the speaker, picked by a microphone then routed to the recording desk. This applies to all kinds of instruments guitars, vocals, and strings.
Ques. What is the decibel scale? (2 Marks)
Ans. The human ear is capable of handling a wide variety of different sound intensities. As a result, rather than a linear scale, a logarithmic scale is used to represent sound levels in more flexible numbers. This is known as the decibel scale or dB scale.
Ques. How echo is produced from a reverberation? (2 Marks)
Ans. Reverberation time is calculated from the time when the original sound stops within 50ns. Sometimes it lags more than this time and thus in those cases, it is called an echo.
Ques. How can reverberation be reduced? (2 Marks)
Ans. Reverberation can be reduced by using sound-absorbent materials. For example- Heavy curtains and carpets are used in rooms, and seats in the cinema hall are made of sound-absorbent material.
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