ESS and RFZ hybrid

I initially planned to post this in my other topic found here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19297 However I decided this deserved it's own post. Though it is connected to that particular build, it is also a separate curiosity. I initially planned to build a rectangular room using a version of the Early Sound Scattering model as I am a huge advocate of diffuse sound - as found in nature. The rectangular room also allows for easier predictability with modes. However, I am also toying with the idea of shaping the control room to allow a more unique live room design. RFZ tends to allow for a smaller front-end as well, which is of great interest as it allows some extra floor space for the live room. Ultimately, I don't like the idea of throwing the sound to the back and creating a "sweet spot", and I also want to be able to track in the control room. For these reasons, I'm wondering about a hybrid between the two. I want to possibly angle the walls and ceiling, but to a lesser extent than a true RFZ design, instead simply redirecting some to most of the first reflections toward the back, while allowing the remaining reflections to arrive adequately diffused. It seems to me that, if properly built, this should allow a slightly more narrow rear end of the control room (to give me an extra couple of feet in the live room) with a much more consistent response and larger "sweet spot". Plus, you know... Diffuse sound... It's a very pleasurable environment. I'm having a difficult time finding real-world examples of this. Is it a silly idea? Thanks.

What type of diffusion are you planning to use? The room has to be pretty big before you can consider using any type of diffusion based on number sequences. There has to be enough space between the diffuser and your ears for the lobing artifacts to smooth out, and that can only happen in fairly large rooms. Unless the diffusion is tuned to high frequencies only, which sort of defeats the purpose... D'Antonio and Cox recommend at lest 3 full wavelengths of the lowest cutoff frequency of the diffuser, while others say you should go to 7 full wavelengths. However, they all agree that you need at least ten feet, regardless of frequency. So if you plan to use diffusion on your side walls, the room has to be at least 21 feet wide, and if you plan to use diffusion on the ceiling then your ceiling has to be at least 14 feet high. So the first question is: does your room have large enough dimensions to use numeric-based diffusion? - Stuart -

Hi again, Stuart. The ceiling is 16', so no worries there. Width and depth depend on the design, but I'm thinking of a width between 10 and 15' max. Haven't gotten far enough in to decide on any particular type of diffusers yet, just pondering on the idea. I could diffuse the front wall, rear wall, and ceiling, then have a semi reflection-free sidewall setup with an absorber at the sidewall first reflection point to just handle the remainder of what is reflecting back to mix position, although that sort-of defeats the purpose, I suppose. That would still be a hybrid of sorts. I just don't want to use up 19' or whatever in the back of the room to accommodate rfz. Just for my own curiosity, let's pretend that my room size meets the 7 wavelength criteria; is the idea first theorized a valid one? Could there be an rfz/ess hybrid? Would it be a desirable room? Thanks again!