Venue - Empire Theatre Church - Neil Street, Toowoomba

Dates - 28 February - 2 March 2012 
(4 days total, or 1.5/2.5 days part 1/part 2)

Time - 9.30am - 4.30pm

How to get there -

If travelling by car and parking there is a paid parking station opposite the venue on Neil Street

The venue is also within easy walking distance of first class hotels such as the Toowoomba Central Apartment Hotel 

Pre-requisites -

Attendees are advised to bring a laptop with Google Sketchup installed and operable as a pre-requisite of the 2nd part of the first workshop.

Topic outline -

Part 1 model creation:-

1.     Overview  By Peter Patrick

1.1.   What EASE does and what it does NOT do. A broad brush picture of what EASE is designed to achieve and what sets it apart from other software programs. (Bear in mind the author has not used many other programs but is aware of the general thrusts of programs like CATT, Odeon, & Ulysses )

2.     Model construction in EASE By Peter Patrick

2.1.   Before creating a model of the venue itself some items in overview : -

2.1.1.The Ease main menu system – where it stores data and a few hints (F9 key)

2.1.2.EASE modules – separate functioning –

2.1.3.Room Edit

2.2.   Create a model of the venue itself from data gathered on the spot using a laser measuring instrument. During the process the following items will be addressed : - 

2.2.1.Face data – how and what to include – including scattering and the scattering wizard.

2.2.2.Single coat faces – double coat faces

2.2.3.Using the tables

2.2.4.Checking data, checking for holes & repairing holes

2.2.5.Finding items

2.2.6.Object creation saving and re insertion. – listing active items and displaying active items.

2.2.7.How much detail to include and what not to include – why detail is important.

2.3.   Materials

2.3.1.The material database and how to make your own

2.3.2.The scattering wizard

2.3.3.Scattering – what it affects – what it does not affect.

2.4.   Loudspeakers

2.4.1.EASE Data – what it includes and what it can cater for. EASE 3.x Vs EASE 4.x data

2.4.2.The Loudspeaker engine and it’s capabilities

2.4.3.Creating and saving a Cluster – what to look for in cluster performance – show

2.4.4.Installing loudspeakers in a model – Aiming Loudspeakers

2.4.5.Grouping loudspeakers in an object – group adjustments

2.4.6.Line Array *.dll’s include Graph\frequency response, Render balloon etc.

2.5.   Mapping Planes and Listener Seats

2.5.1.Installing a mapping plane –

2.5.2.shape size –

2.5.3.location (area above face) –

2.5.4.location with respect to loudspeakers (Not above speakers)

2.6.   Installing Listener seats – location – location with respect to loudspeakers

2.7.   Edit – area layout

2.8.   The EASE Help PDF – where to find it –  Appendix A

2.9.   Test the room’s reverberation time & reconcile models reverberation time.

3.     AUTOCAD – EASE by Tim Kuschel 

Modelling for EASE using Autocad to create the building then importing into EASE – use of layers – colours etc

Tips in modelling in Sketchup

Part 2 Peter Patrick:- 

1.     Standard Mapping

1.1.   When to use standard mapping when not to use it. ( Statistical calculations STI-RaSTI differences ) 

1.2.   Naming and saving

1.3.   Mapping instructions – level of detail – selecting items (active items from the model etc)

1.4.   Mapping with shadow

1.5.   Interference sum – when to use and when not to use.

1.6.   Evaluation Window

1.6.1.Changing frequency

1.6.3.Probe readings

1.6.4.Distribution

1.6.5.Options

2.     3D Mapping

2.1.   Available mapping surfaces – when to use

2.2.   Dye settings – uses.

2.3.   The walker and probe – selecting loudspeakers

2.4.   Probe functions – setting delays

3.     Ray Tracing

3.1.   Ray Trace principles – moving collector sphere – increasing Ray density with distance / reflection order

3.2.   Items to use in Item menu

3.3.   Ray Trace menu – Impacts – Rays – TRC & MPC files

3.4.   Quick Ray Trace & produce reflectogram

3.5.   Showing and displaying reflections

3.6.   Probe feature

3.7.   Reflections at 0 dB – surfaces & loudspeaker settings

3.8.   Opening and re-displaying MPC files.

3.9.   Updating MPC files to reflect Loudspeaker data and room surface data.

1.1.   Opening MPC files

1.2.   Adding random impulses to form an ETC

1.3.   Noting differences between ETC and Reflectogram

1.4.   Generating an RSP file – switching to EARS

1.5.   Generating the BIR file

1.6.   Converting to a WAV IR for testing in EASERA

2.     Auralisation

2.1.   EARS – Creating and listening to the convolved signal

2.2.   Lake Real time ( not so real time )

3.     EYES re-visit

3.1.   Creating an AURA Response

3.2.   Differences between AURA generated etc and standard reflectogram *.RSP file from AURA

3.3.   BIR file / Wav file creation & Auralisation

4.     Standard Mapping Re-Visit

4.1.   Creating an AURA map – seats – mapping planes

5.     General Acoustics – what to check for – design objectives

Day 4:-Peter Patrick

1.     A walk through some of the authors models – what worked what didn’t

1.1.   W 201 - ray trace etc.

1.2.   C of C Hume St

1.2.1.Loudspeaker Location

1.2.2.Slap Echo mechanism

1.3.   Allison Dickson

1.3.1.Compound curves

1.4.   BCC

1.4.1.Show Balcony Tests

1.5.   Caboolture Aquatic Centre

1.5.1.Demo IR from Gratis Volver

1.5.2.Show model

1.6.   St Lukes

1.6.1.Too much detail

1.7.   St Mary’s

1.7.1.Sound System Performance – Photograph

1.8.   St Paul’s

1.8.1.Fix Holes

1.8.2.Vision Rendering

1.9.   St Monicas

1.9.1.Vision Rendering

1.10.Road Tunnels – model limitations – delays – loudspeaker selection 

2.     Useful details

2.1.   Objects Need for asymmetrical project when object spans both sides.

2.2.   Degraded STI in AURA from limited range loudspeakers. (Horns etc)

2.3.   Transmuting activated faces from Edit to EYES

2.4.   Two vertices in same location – from DXF imports

2.5.   Same Vertice inserted in faces – from DXF imports

2.6.   Line Array *.dll’s – pitfalls when swapping back to plain speakers

2.7.   d&b Q Line *.dll mind the switched off speakers

2.8.   Large delays > 80ms in standard mapping

2.9.   Noise in STI calculations

3.     EASE Speakerlab 

3.1.   GLL’s and their application

3.2.   Where to find the tutorial

4.     EASERA test & acoustic analysis package

4.1.   Overview

4.2.   Hardware requirements

4.3.   Test signals – available variety – Pink Noise, Sine Sweep, Log Sweep, White Noise, MLS

5.     Gathering an Impulse Response

5.1.   With a PA system

5.2.   Without a PA system

5.3.   Other files suitable for analysis in EASERA

5.4.   Analysing a typical IR

5.5.   Field test – Site Visit – St Lukes Anglican Church or Empire Theatre – not yet finalised

6.     SysTune in use – comparison with Easera – The AUBION X8 – SysTune capabilities

7.     Other AFMG products – an overview : -

7.1.   Ease Address

7.2.   Ease EVAC

7.3.   Ease Focus

7.4.   SOUNDFLOW

7.5.   REFLEX