# Calculator for placement?



## tuborg (Oct 4, 2009)

I recently read a part of an acoustics book which I found especially interesting.
I'm afraid I don't recall the title of atm.

In this book the author is talking about/showing example of a program where you can input your room dimensions (maybe other stuff too..) and then the program will tell the user where the optimal listening position will be in this room & where to place speakers. 
The author does not write the name of this program, is this because it doesn't exist? 

Anybody know programs/calculators that will do this?

edit: title of the book. Master handbook of acoustics


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## collo (Dec 23, 2006)

Perhaps this one from Cardas


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

I believe what you're referring to is CARA.

Bryan


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## Moonfly (Aug 1, 2008)

I know of room mode calculators, but nothing that will actually calculate your entire setup.


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## tuborg (Oct 4, 2009)

Maybe I have misunderstood from the book, but it seemed like one could input the room dimesions and you will have an output that will tell you;
"Positions of listener and loudspeakers for the best solution:"

I have read so many tutorials regarding this subject and I was thinking
YES, finally something that tell me exactly where the best locations for the listening position and monitors are


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## Moonfly (Aug 1, 2008)

bpape said:


> I believe what you're referring to is CARA.
> 
> Bryan





tuborg said:


> Maybe I have misunderstood from the book, but it seemed like one could input the room dimesions and you will have an output that will tell you;
> "Positions of listener and loudspeakers for the best solution:"
> 
> I have read so many tutorials regarding this subject and I was thinking
> YES, finally something that tell me exactly where the best locations for the listening position and monitors are


I'm not sure if CARA will or wont do that, do you now much about it Brian?


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## SierraMikeBravo (Jul 1, 2007)

CARA will indeed "tell" you where the best placement is. However, the software is not for the faint of heart and is a bit complex. You can even auralize your room. However, CARA can be VERY effective, but the calculation time needed to do this is enormous. I am not talking hours here, I am talking months if not years! CARA uses ray tracing to calculate the best optimization. Depending how much furniture, how many walls, how many speakers you have, is the time it takes by using thousands of ray tracing points and optimization movements within a user specified area. The bigger the area the user specifies the longer it takes. I let it churn for a month one time just for kicks and grins and I cut it off at that time as it would have taken months to reach a very accurate placement point. Lower the values and it becomes much less accurate.

The OP may have read about RPG's Room Optimzer. It uses the correct math, but the problem with that program is that it doesn't use enough of it. 

So, there really isn't an efficient means of computer calculation of where to place things. Here is the problem. The math required is usually called FEM (Finite Element Method), which takes an enormous amount of computer processing power to reach an optimized solution (although I have a friend who figured out a much eaier way to do it but it requires a software program called MATLAB which ain't cheap and he is isn't willing to give the program up). If you have the time, go for it, but I think you'll find that it really isn't worth the time or the expense. I have both programs and don't use either as a result. My two cents. Best wishes!


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## Moonfly (Aug 1, 2008)

Excellent feedback Shawn, thanks for the input :T


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

RPG's Room Optimizer will do it but I think its major limitation is the presumption of a perfectly regular and rectangular room and its inability to account for doors/windows and other room features.

CARA, otoh, will do all that and more but there is a lot of work involved in modeling the room and speakers via its CAD module before you can get any results.


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## tuborg (Oct 4, 2009)

I found an interesting site with a calculator which I will test.

If you are interested you can find here;

http://www.hunecke.de/java/lautsprecher/test-stereoplay-en.html

the RPG's Room optimizer looks also interesting.

the CARA looks too advanced for me

thanks for all inputs!


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## robbo266317 (Sep 22, 2008)

Another place to investigate is Ethan Winer:-

http://www.realtraps.com/art_room-setup.htm


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