Room Modes
Explore standing-wave modes inside a room
Explore why some frequencies build up in a room and where pressure maxima and minima occur in an idealized rigid-wall model.
Key idea
A room mode is a standing-wave pattern associated with the room’s dimensions and boundaries. Pressure varies by position: a mode’s frequency alone does not tell you how strongly it will be heard at a particular seat.
Try this first
Enter a simple rectangular room and inspect a low-order mode. Look at where pressure is high and low, then change one room dimension. Compare the resulting mode frequency and spatial pattern before combining more modes.
How to get started
- Choose a room shape and enter its dimensions in meters. Wait for the mode calculation to finish.
- Select a mode from the list to inspect its frequency and pressure pattern.
- Rotate the view and compare modes. Change one room dimension to see which resonances move.
Explore a little further
Try another experiment
Compare a mode before and after lengthening one room dimension. Keep the other dimensions fixed. Look for changes in both frequency and the positions of high- and low-pressure regions.
Good to know
The model assumes an idealized room. Real acoustic response also depends on boundaries, absorption, openings and sound-source position; this is not a substitute for room measurements.
Public Lite tools share 20 free minutes a day, without an account. New accounts receive a 10-day full-access trial without a card. Paid access continues under the selected plan.
Compare access options →