Proper acoustics and audiovisual design are essential for any space that will utilize a sound system. Whether it is a concert hall, meeting room, or church sanctuary, ensuring optimal sound requires both an understanding of acoustics principles as well as following industry best practices. The AVIXA (Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association) is the leading trade organization for the AV industry and they provide guidance and recommendations to help designers create high performing sound systems. This blog post will discuss key acoustics considerations and provide an overview of AVIXA recommendations for optimizing sound systems.

Background on AVIXA
Founded in 1943, AVIXA is a non-profit trade group representing over 5,500 member companies in the pro audio, AV and integration industries. Their mission is to advance the industry through standards, guidelines, research and professional development. Some of their major initiatives include:

Developing consensus-based AV standards through their standards development process. This includes standards for loudspeakers, audio measurements and more.

Publishing the Performance Verification Instillation (PVIS) program which provides guidance on testing, calibrating and verifying installed commercial audio systems.

Releasing guidance documents on topics like assistive listening systems, sound system design for houses of worship and audio coverage in venues.

Providing Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) credentials which are a recognized standard for certifying AV professionals. There are also advanced CTS credentials for areas like audio, video and live production.

So in summary, when following AVIXA recommendations, you can be assured you are applying industry best practices that are consensus-based and developed by subject matter experts. Their guidance helps optimize acoustics, coverage and experience.

Key Acoustics Considerations
A strong foundation of acoustics is crucial before even beginning AV system design. Some important acoustical factors to consider include:

Reverberation Time - The amount of time it takes for sound in a space to decay 60dB is known as the reverberation time (RT60). Different types of spaces have ideal RT60 guidelines - for example 0.7 to 1.2 seconds is typical for a lecture hall. An acoustic analysis can determine if RT60 needs adjustment through treatments.

Background Noise Levels - Noise from HVAC, air handlers and external sources impact intelligibility. Keeping background noise at least 15dB below speech levels is recommended. Strategies like acoustic dampening may be needed.

Room Modes & Standing Waves - The physical dimensions of a space can create areas of excess bass or nodes and antinodes that distort sound quality. Absorptive and diffusive treatments help control problematic room modes.

Reflective Surfaces - Hard, flat surfaces cause echoes and reflections that muddy sound. Angling or breaking up reflective surfaces improves directionality through diffusion. Absorptive materials reduce unwanted reflections.

Proper room acoustics lays the sonic foundation for an effective AV system. Addressing RT60, noise levels, modes and reflections ensures optimized playback and intelligibility.

Loudspeaker Placement and Design
With room acoustics addressed, attention turns to loudspeaker placement, selection and design. Key AVIXA guidance in this area includes:

Coverage patterns - When placing speakers, ensure even coverage of the listening area without gaps or hotspots through use of dispersion tools.

Mounting height - For speech reinforcement, place front-fill speakers 6-10 feet above the floor, with wide dispersion for even coverage.

Off-axis response - Choose full-range loudspeakers with consistent on and off-axis frequency and coverage to avoid coloration and gaps.

Driver placement - For point source designs, locate high-frequency drivers on top of woofers for time alignment to eliminate lobing issues.

DSP integration - Processors allow for alignment delays, crossovers, limiting and more to optimize systems.

Subwoofer placement - Strategically locate subs to achieve a smooth low-frequency response without over-emphasis in problem areas.

Amplifier power - Size amp channels properly to meet speaker load and driveability needs without clipping, even at peak levels.

Following these guidelines helps loudspeakers seamlessly integrate into the acoustic environment for clear, consistent coverage throughout the listening area.

Verification and Tuning
No AV system design is complete without thorough verification and tuning processes. Per AVIXA PVIS standards:

Measurements - Take objective measurements of coverage, frequency response, gain before feedback and more to identify issues.

System alignment - Use delay and level alignment to time-align speakers for coherent sound throughout the coverage area.

Calibration - Set maximum levels using pink noise and SPL measurements to avoid overload or distortion.

Equalization - Adjust EQ based on measured frequency responses to achieve a flat response target.

Limiting - Enable limiting on amplifiers and in DSP as needed to prevent damage from peak levels.

Documentation - Compile reports showing measurement results and system configuration for future reference.

Properly verifying and tuning is crucial to achieving the intended design goals and compliant, optimized performance over the life of the system.

Conclusion
Following best practices laid out by AVIXA helps acousticians and designers create high quality, intelligible sound reinforcement in various spaces. From the initial room acoustics assessment through system design, placement, verification and tuning - an understanding of AVIXA recommendations ensures all factors are properly addressed. This comprehensive approach optimizes sound system performance to suit the unique needs of each environment. Adhering to industry standards results in reliable, compliant systems that deliver excellent audio experiences.

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