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How to Calculate RT60

RT60 is the time it takes a reflected sound to become inaudible, around 60 db below the level of the original sound, and is used to measure the acoustical qualities of a room. The "RT" stands for "reverberation time." The RT60 equation takes the absorption qualities of all materials in a room to determine the rate of audio decay. The RT60 measurements are important for sound engineers attempting to emphasize a certain sound in the recording process. The measurements are also important to achieve the best acoustics for a live performance.

Instructions

    • 1

      Open your Web browser and navigate to the RT60 Acoustic Reverb Calculator Web page on the CSGNetwork website (see Resources).

    • 2

      Enter the width, length and height of the room in the "Width," "Height" and "Length" boxes. Place a mark next to "Feet" or "Meters" according to how you measured the room.

    • 3

      Choose the construction material of the front wall in the "Front" row and "Construction Material" drop-down menu.

    • 4

      Select any additional surfaces that make up the front wall in the "Front" row and "Deflection Material" column of the "Windows, Doors And Other Surfaces" section of the calculator. Do not change the selection if there are no other materials that make up the front wall.

    • 5

      Enter the size of the additional surface that makes up the front wall in the boxes in the "Size" column. Do not change the information if there are no additional surfaces.

    • 6

      Type the number of additional surfaces that make up the front wall in the box in the "Quantity" column. If there are no additional surfaces, leave the number "0."

    • 7

      Repeat Steps 3 through 6 for the "Back," "Left," "Right," "Ceiling" and "Floor" rows of the calculator.

    • 8

      Place a mark next to the closest approximation of sound frequency.

    • 9

      Click "Calculate" to calculate RT60. The results will show up in the "Calculated Results" section of the calculator.

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