Worked Example: Band Practice Room — DIN 18041 Music Rehearsal
100 m³ band room with Rockfon ceiling, mineral wool walls, and rubber floor
A 100 m³ recording studio designed to DIN-18041 requires RT60 ≤ 0.8s. With Rockfon Sonar 25mm ceiling tile on the ceiling and Mineral wool 50mm (wall) on walls, the calculated RT60 is 0.41s — PASS.
Room Setup
Total surface area: 129.5 m². Calculation method: Sabine equation (ISO 3382-2:2008 Annex A).
Surface Materials
| Surface | Material | Area (m²) | NRC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceiling — Rockfon | Rockfon Sonar 25mm ceiling tile | 18.0 | 0.82 |
| Ceiling — plaster | Painted plaster | 7.0 | 0.04 |
| Floor | Rubber sport floor | 25.0 | 0.09 |
| Walls — mineral wool | Mineral wool 50mm (wall) | 14.0 | 0.73 |
| Walls — exposed concrete | Exposed concrete | 40.0 | 0.02 |
| Wall — foam (drum corner) | Acoustic foam 50mm | 10.0 | 0.63 |
| Walls — plasterboard | Plasterboard on studs | 12.0 | 0.07 |
| Door | Solid timber door | 3.5 | 0.09 |
Absorption coefficients sourced from manufacturer datasheets and ISO 354 test reports. Browse the full acoustic materials database.
Step-by-Step Calculation
- 1
Room Volume
V = L × W × H = 5 × 5 × 4 = 100 m³
- 2
Total Surface Area
Stotal = 18.0 + 7.0 + 25.0 + 14.0 + 40.0 + 10.0 + 12.0 + 3.5 = 129.5 m²
- 3
Absorption per Surface at 500 Hz
Ceiling — Rockfon: 18.0 m² × 0.82 = 14.76 Sabins
Ceiling — plaster: 7.0 m² × 0.04 = 0.28 Sabins
Floor: 25.0 m² × 0.08 = 2.00 Sabins
Walls — mineral wool: 14.0 m² × 0.70 = 9.80 Sabins
Walls — exposed concrete: 40.0 m² × 0.02 = 0.80 Sabins
Wall — foam (drum corner): 10.0 m² × 0.55 = 5.50 Sabins
Walls — plasterboard: 12.0 m² × 0.05 = 0.60 Sabins
Door: 3.5 m² × 0.08 = 0.28 Sabins
- 4
Total Absorption at 500 Hz
Atotal = 14.76 + 0.28 + 2.00 + 9.80 + 0.80 + 5.50 + 0.60 + 0.28 = 34.02 Sabins
- 5
Sabine RT60 at 500 Hz
RT60 = 0.161 × V / A = 0.161 × 100 / 34.02 = 0.47s
- 6
Compare to Target
Mid-frequency RT60 (avg of 500, 1k, 2k Hz) = 0.41s. Target: 0.4--0.8s per DIN-18041. Verdict: PASS
Octave Band Results
| Frequency | 125Hz | 250Hz | 500Hz | 1kHz | 2kHz | 4kHz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Absorption (Sabins) | 13.7 | 23.6 | 34.0 | 41.4 | 42.2 | 43.6 |
| RT60 (s) | 1.17 | 0.68 | 0.47 | 0.39 | 0.38 | 0.37 |
| Target (s) | — | — | 0.80 | 0.80 | 0.80 | — |
| Verdict | — | — | PASS | MARGINAL | MARGINAL | — |
Compliance Verdict
Reference:
Open the AcousPlan calculator pre-loaded with the exact room dimensions (5m × 5m × 4m) and RT60 target (0.8s).
Open CalculatorField Story
A community music centre in Hamburg is building six band practice rooms in a converted industrial unit. Each 5 m by 5 m room with 4 m ceilings must handle sound pressure levels exceeding 110 dB from amplified instruments without causing hearing damage from excessive reverberation build-up. Rockfon Sonar tiles cover 70% of the ceiling for high-frequency absorption. Mineral wool panels on two walls absorb broadband guitar amplifier energy. Acoustic foam in the drum corner targets high-frequency transients from snare and hi-hat. A large area of exposed concrete walls is retained for structural reasons, contributing the room liveliness musicians need. The rubber sport floor withstands heavy equipment while providing minimal absorption. DIN 18041 classifies band rooms as Group B with a target of 0.4-0.8 s, protecting hearing while maintaining ensemble monitoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
What RT60 does a Band Practice Room — DIN 18041 Music Rehearsal achieve?
With the specified materials and dimensions (5m x 5m x 4m, volume 100m3), the calculated mid-frequency RT60 is 0.41s using the Sabine equation. The target under DIN-18041 is 0.4--0.8s. The result is a PASS.
What materials are used in this performance acoustic example?
This example uses Rockfon Sonar 25mm ceiling tile on the Ceiling — Rockfon (NRC 0.82), Painted plaster on the Ceiling — plaster (NRC 0.04), Rubber sport floor on the Floor (NRC 0.09), Mineral wool 50mm (wall) on the Walls — mineral wool (NRC 0.73), Exposed concrete on the Walls — exposed concrete (NRC 0.02), Acoustic foam 50mm on the Wall — foam (drum corner) (NRC 0.63), Plasterboard on studs on the Walls — plasterboard (NRC 0.07), Solid timber door on the Door (NRC 0.09). The total absorption at 500 Hz is 34.0 Sabins.
How much does acoustic treatment cost for this room?
Cost data is not available for this example. Use the AcousPlan calculator to estimate treatment costs for your specific room configuration.
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All calculations are advisory and based on the Sabine equation (ISO 3382-2:2008 Annex A). Results require professional verification for compliance submissions. Absorption coefficients are sourced from manufacturer datasheets and ISO 354 test reports.