Determine the acoustic panels required to reach your target RT60.
Note: This formula handles general reverb (mid/high frequencies) only, not low-frequency bass problems. To design room dimensions, use the Room Dimension Calculator.
A room can sound very different depending on how long sound energy remains active after a source stops. Hard surfaces can create long decay times, while added absorption can shorten reverberation and improve clarity for studio work.
The Acoustic Treatment Calculator estimates how much absorption is needed to move a room from its current modeled RT60 to a selected target. It converts room dimensions, existing absorption, panel NRC, and panel size into Panels Required, Treatment Area, Surface Coverage, and Total Cost.
Use the result as an early planning estimate. It does not replace acoustic measurement, frequency-specific analysis, isolation design, or professional room tuning. Actual performance depends on materials, placement, mounting, furnishings, and frequency.
RT60 is the estimated time, in seconds, for sound energy in a room to decay by 60 decibels after the source stops. Lower values generally describe a drier room, while higher values indicate more reverberation.
The calculator first determines room volume and total surface area:
Room volume = Length × Width × Height
Surface area = 2 × ((Length × Width) + (Length × Height) + (Width × Height))
It then converts the average existing absorption coefficient into sabins, a measure of total sound absorption.
Existing absorption = Surface area × Existing absorption coefficient
Current RT60 is estimated using the Sabine relationship:
Current RT60 = (0.049 × Room volume) ÷ Existing absorption
The target RT60 is converted into required absorption, and the difference becomes the absorption that must be added.
Enter the room dimensions first, then describe the current acoustic condition and the panel system you plan to use.
Enter Room Length, Room Width, and Room Height using internal dimensions in feet. These values determine room volume and total wall, floor, and ceiling surface area.
Use Existing Absorption Coefficient as an average across all room surfaces. The default is 0.10. The interface notes 0.10 for bare drywall and 0.20 for a carpeted and furnished room.
If the space contains a mix of absorptive and reflective materials, choose a representative average rather than assuming one surface type applies everywhere.
Enter Target RT60 in seconds. The default is 0.4 seconds. The calculator also provides example targets of 0.3 seconds for voiceover, 0.4 for a control room, 0.6 for a live room, and 0.8 for a general stage.
These are planning references, not universal specifications. The right target depends on room use, volume, and desired acoustic character.
Required absorption = (0.049 × Room volume) ÷ Target RT60
Absorption to add = Required absorption – Existing absorption
Use Panel Absorption Coefficient for the rated NRC of the panel. The default is 0.85.
Because the existing surface already contributes some absorption, the calculator uses the difference between panel NRC and the existing coefficient:
Net panel coefficient = Panel NRC – Existing absorption coefficient
Treatment area = Absorption to add ÷ Net panel coefficient
Enter Panel Size as the face area of one panel in square feet. The default is eight square feet. Enter Panel Cost Each for delivered material cost and Installation Cost per Panel for labor and fixings. The default installation cost is $12 per panel.
The results show both the amount of treatment required and how aggressively that treatment changes the modeled room.
Panels Required is the rounded number of panels needed at the selected size.
Panel count = CEILING(Treatment area ÷ Panel size)
Treatment Area is the square footage of additional absorption calculated from the current condition, target RT60, and selected panel performance.
Current RT60 is the room’s estimated existing-condition reverberation time. Absorption to Add is the difference between the absorption required for the target and the room’s modeled existing absorption.
Surface coverage = Treatment area ÷ Total surface area
The calculator labels coverage under 20 percent as Light Treatment, 20 to 40 percent as Standard Treatment, and over 40 percent as Heavy Treatment.
These badges are planning signals. Heavy Treatment means the selected target requires treatment across a large share of the modeled room surface. Before ordering that quantity, confirm that the target RT60 and existing absorption assumption are appropriate.
Panel and installation costs are calculated separately:
Panel cost = Panel count × Panel cost each
Installation cost = Panel count × Installation cost per panel
Total cost = Panel cost + Installation cost
Cost per Sabin Added divides total cost by the added absorption requirement. It can help compare treatment options.
The Absorption Build-Up table shows Stage, Sabins, RT60, and Change so you can see how the modeled room moves toward the target.
Consider a room measuring 40 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 16 feet high.
40 × 30 × 16 = 19,200 cubic feet
Total surface area is:
2 × ((40 × 30) + (40 × 16) + (30 × 16)) = 4,640 square feet
With an existing average absorption coefficient of 0.10:
4,640 × 0.10 = 464 sabins
Estimated current RT60 is:
(0.049 × 19,200) ÷ 464 ≈ 2.03 seconds
At a target RT60 of 0.4 seconds:
(0.049 × 19,200) ÷ 0.4 = 2,352 required sabins
The room therefore needs:
2,352 – 464 = 1,888 additional sabins
With panels rated at 0.85 NRC and an existing coefficient of 0.10, the net coefficient is 0.75.
1,888 ÷ 0.75 ≈ 2,517 square feet of treatment
At eight square feet per panel, the calculator rounds up to 315 Panels Required. That treatment area represents about 54.2 percent of total room surface, placing the example in the Heavy Treatment range.
At $65 per panel, panel cost is $20,475. Installation at $12 per panel adds $3,780. Total modeled cost is $24,255, or about $12.85 per sabin added.
The modeled RT60 reduction is:
2.03 – 0.40 = 1.63 seconds
This does not guarantee that the installed room will measure exactly 0.4 seconds. The calculation uses average coefficients and a simplified reverberation model.
Use the calculator to compare treatment scenarios before purchasing panels.
If Surface Coverage is very high, check whether the target RT60 is appropriate for the room’s use and volume. Then review the Existing Absorption Coefficient. Underestimating existing absorption can overstate the additional treatment required.
A higher-rated panel can reduce the face area required in the model, but real-world performance varies by frequency and mounting method. Placement matters too, especially at first reflection points, rear walls, and ceilings.
The calculator estimates broadband absorption quantity. It does not calculate bass trapping, frequency response, isolation, flutter echo, or room modes.
Acoustic treatment planning is more useful when room information, facility records, maintenance activity, equipment, and project requirements stay current.
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RT60 is the time it takes for sound energy in a room to decay by 60 decibels after the source stops. The calculator estimates RT60 from room volume and average absorption.
The calculator determines treatment area from the absorption needed to reach the selected Target RT60, then divides that area by Panel Size and rounds up to a whole panel count.
No. NRC is a single-number rating based on absorption performance across selected frequencies. Review product data when frequency-specific performance matters.
No. It estimates broadband absorption using an average coefficient and NRC. Low-frequency treatment and room-mode control require separate analysis.
No. It uses room dimensions to estimate treatment. Room proportions and dimension design belong to separate room-dimension and room-ratio planning.
No. It is based only on the entered panel and installation costs. Additional design, freight, hardware, access, finishing, taxes, or specialty installation costs may apply.
A low target RT60, large room volume, low existing absorption, or lower panel performance can increase the required treatment area. Review those assumptions before purchasing a large quantity of panels.
Update the estimate when room dimensions, furnishings, surface finishes, target RT60, panel specifications, panel size, or project costs change materially.
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