What RT60 should a home recording studio have?

A home studio control room should aim for an RT60 of 0.3–0.6 seconds across mid frequencies. Too short (below 0.2s) and the room sounds unpleasantly dead. Too long (above 0.8s) and the room's reverb masks detail in recordings and mixes. A vocal booth should be even drier: 0.15–0.3s.

How does surface material affect RT60?

Hard, non-porous surfaces (concrete, tiles, glass) reflect most sound energy, giving a long RT60. Soft, porous materials (carpet, curtains, acoustic foam) absorb energy and shorten RT60. A bare concrete room might have an RT60 of 2–4 seconds; the same room with carpet and curtains could fall to 0.6–1.0 seconds.

What is the difference between early reflections and reverb?

Early reflections are the first discrete echoes that arrive within roughly 80ms of the direct sound. They contribute to the sense of room size and can cause comb filtering at a listening position. Reverb is the dense buildup of reflections that follow, characterised by the RT60. In a mix, pre-delay on a reverb plugin simulates the gap between the dry signal and the onset of reverb.

What pre-delay should I use on my reverb plugin?

Pre-delay separates the dry signal from the reverb tail, preserving intelligibility especially on vocals. A good starting point is the time it takes sound to travel from the source to the nearest wall and back: roughly 10–30ms in a small room. Use the early reflection delay value from this calculator as a reference point.

How much acoustic treatment do I need?

The calculator shows how many additional sabins of absorption are needed to reach the ideal RT60. Each square metre of acoustic panel with an absorption coefficient of 0.85 provides roughly 0.85 sabins. So if you need 10 extra sabins, around 12m² of treatment is needed. Bass traps in corners are especially effective for low frequencies.

Room Reverb Time Calculator — RT60, Early Reflections & Optimal Reverb Setting

Calculate RT60 reverberation time from room dimensions, surface material and furnishing level. Get early reflection delay and optimal reverb plugin settings for your recording space.

Room Length

Longest wall length in metres

Room Width

Shortest wall length in metres

Room Height

Ceiling height in metres

Primary Surface Material

Dominant wall and ceiling finish — choose the most common material

Furnishing Level

Soft furnishings and equipment in the room add absorption

Intended Room Use

Used to assess RT60 against ideal target range

How We Calculate This

This calculator uses your room dimensions and surface properties to compute RT60 using both the Sabine and Eyring equations, then provides early reflection timing and reverb plugin guidance.

Sabine Equation

RT60 = 0.161 × V / A

V = volume (m³), A = total absorption in sabins. Most accurate for rooms with low average absorption.

Eyring Equation

RT60 = 0.161 × V / (−S × ln(1 − ᾱ))

More accurate for treated rooms. S = total surface area (m²), ᾱ = average absorption coefficient.

Early Reflection Delay

Delay (ms) = Room diagonal (m) / Speed of sound (m/s) × 1000

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: March 2026

All calculations are estimates based on standard formulas. Always verify results for critical applications.