Hi Ethan,
You said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ethan Winer  Not so. The peaks become wider which is good. And some nulls may appear to get wider, but only because the nulls are less deep and the adjacent peaks changed shape. I have never observed bass traps removing null energy either at the null center or on either side - the energy is always increased. |
We'll just have to agree to disagree on this point. A resonant system, when damped, "spreads" the energy over a wider spectrum ( My math is a little rusty but I do have a degree in engineering, and I remember that much ). A "null" of course, is not really a lack of energy but instead an overlap of pressure waves at different phases that sum to null. So when you lower the Q of the room I'd expect the "nulls" to get wider because the underlying resonaces are getting wider. Because I've always had this concept in my head, I've tended to "see" this phenomenon when I'm tuning a room.
Maybe there is a study somewhere which would change my thinking. A quick google provides this chart:
Untitled Document which would seem to agree with my view. Nevertheless I think we can agree that lower Q means less resonance and therefore a shorter decay time which is a good thing.
Where we don't agree is whether bass traps are the ultimate solution for all room problems but I don't think we can have an objective discussion about that.
Best Regards,
-Ben Loftis
Studio Outfitters