GroundControl TDA — Modal Design Tool

ROOM: 20 × 16 × 8 ft  |  TUNED MODAL ABSORPTION  |  AXIAL MODE ANALYSIS

GroundControl · Integer Audio
55 Hz
50%
LOW SPL HIGH SPL
BASS CHARACTER REFERENCE
> 0.75 s
Boomy
Bass is slow and indistinct — modes overwhelm the mix
0.55 – 0.75 s
Lively
Warm character but definition is suffering — treatment will make a clear difference
0.25 – 0.55 s
Controlled
Defined and workable — but a wide range. Mastering: target 0.20–0.35s. Mixing: 0.25–0.45s. General listening: 0.30–0.55s.
< 0.25 s
Over-damped
Unnaturally tight and dry — too much absorption for musical use
Application targets at 35–80 Hz
Mastering / critical   0.20 – 0.35 s
Mixing / tracking      0.25 – 0.45 s
Listening / project   0.30 – 0.55 s
A reading within ‘Controlled’ does not mean treatment is unnecessary. At 70 Hz, drywall resonance and broadband panels already contribute — the residual RT60 may still exceed mastering or critical mixing targets.

🎧 Listening Position — drag marker on heatmap

Untreated SPL
Treated SPL
Improvement
X position
Y position
Zone
Click or drag anywhere on the floor plan heatmap to place listening position

Room Modes — Axial Modelled · Tangential/Oblique Informational

Treatment Recommendation

s

Saved Configurations

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Model limitations — please read The per-mode decay predictions use a modal loss-budget model (r60) that computes T60 at each axial room mode frequency from the total room surface absorption, using the Sabine-weighted boundary damping term rather than per-surface modal coupling. Construction profiles are calibrated to produce physically correct untreated T60 values — residential drywall gives 1.2–1.5s at 30–35 Hz, concrete 4–5s — consistent with real REW measurements in those room types.

TDA predictions are computed as additional modal damping on top of the measured or modelled baseline. When a REW untreated waterfall is loaded, the baseline is back-calculated from the measurement at each mode, making T60 Post a calibrated prediction rather than a model approximation. Loading an after-treatment waterfall enables G_corner calibration — validating the corner gain assumption against your actual room.

Known limitations: The model treats each mode independently and does not capture mode coupling, oblique/tangential mode interactions, or position-dependent pressure distribution within a mode. TDA absorption is modelled as uniform area loading — spatial placement affects the corner boost factor but not the modal pressure distribution. Predictions are most reliable for axial modes below 100 Hz. For accurate validation, use REW (Room EQ Wizard) with a calibrated measurement microphone before and after treatment using the waterfall export settings shown in the REW Import panel.