Absorbers

The multi-type Absorber calculator combines four acoustic construction types in one interface: porous absorbers, Helmholtz resonators, membrane (panel) absorbers, and multi-layer systems. For each type you specify construction parameters — material thickness, air gap, density, perforation size and spacing — and receive a predicted absorption coefficient across frequencies from 50 to 5000 Hz. Why it matters: real acoustic treatment projects rarely use a single absorber type. A control room may need membrane-based bass traps for 40 – 80 Hz, thick mineral wool panels for 80 – 300 Hz, and thin absorbers for mid and high frequencies. This calculator lets you compute all elements in one place, switching between types, and visually compare the results. How to read results: the chart shows the absorption coefficient (0 – 1) across frequency for the chosen construction. Values above 0.8 represent high absorption. Note the frequency of peak absorption — it should align with the problem range of your room. Common mistakes: designing "by eye" without calculating specific parameters; applying one absorber type across the full frequency range; ignoring the air gap behind the panel, which significantly improves the low-frequency performance of porous materials. Next steps: use the Treatment Planner to place calculated absorbers in the room and assess their combined effect on RT60.