How Does Sound Absorbing Room Work Like?

[Fangen]

Hey all.

I was recording a voice acting (supposed to scream like I was stabbed to death and things) for our company's audio technician. So he tried to show me how it is done, kind of what painful death scream I should go for etc. Suddenly he started to shout really loudly (he played some clip for his computer first so I didn't think he'd start doing it too) and I was terrified. I got my hands almost to my face until he saw my reaction and apologized.
I tried to explain my maybe weird behavior and told him I had T, turns up (or not really since he works with music) that he also have T. He told me that I could scream as loud as I wanted since the room is absorbing so the noise is not as loud (?), so I didn't need to worry about his ears.

Questions:

1) How does a sound absorbing room work like? This room was rather small, maybe 8-10 kvm (not sure how much that is in American standards). Does the room stop the sound from bouncing back only or is it that the decibels in there are lower (is it lower before it reaches my ear or do I still hear the "real" db first?")

2) At what decibel is an average male shout? He lasted around 2-4 seconds of real shouting in a tiny space. I googled and it said around 88 for an average shout by humans but yeah, still like a second opinion

3) Should I be worried about any damage? Got caught in a loop of idiotic thoughts again, I can't feel calm until I really do some research and get advice from here. I tried to use logic and BTS but still, it'd be nice to know for future references so I don't need to be all jumpy like this again.

Thanks!

 

[glennr]

I don't have any good answers for the 2 first questions, but for number 3, i would recommend some custom earplugs ( they will surely come in handy some time). Its not always easy to know if you are gonna experiance loud noises, like shouting or whatever, so getting a pair of custom earplugs would surely come in handy since they are smaller and more discrete then normal plugs and have quality filters which lets you hear everything around you, but removes a lot of the higher pitched sounds like screaming etc.

I personally always use mine when on my children birthday parties etc. ( there's quite alot of screaming going on usually )

And as you say, if you do feel jumpy you have the option to dampen the sound around you

 

[Fangen]

so getting a pair of custom earplugs would surely come in handy since they are smaller and more discrete then normal plugs and have quality filters which lets you hear everything around you, but removes a lot of the higher pitched sounds like screaming etc.

Hey!

I have a bunch of different plugs (not custom) for different occasions, but this time it was not something I couldn't predict. I can't wear plugs all day, just in case of some random noise, but I see your point of course. It is just hard to think about ear plugs once it happens.. My worry is more if the shouting would be harmful, or rather, if it harmful enough for a spike or change in the T?

 

[glennr]

I can absolutely see you're point. I cant speak for everyone, only myself and with my T, and sudden or none sudden high sounds/noises have never had an effect in worsening my T at all.. Even though it indeed have worsened it havent been connected to any loud sounds as i know off.

Hopefully maby somone else here can bring forth some better information

 

[Fangen]

I can absolutely see you're point. I cant speak for everyone, only myself and with my T, and sudden or none sudden high sounds/noises have never had an effect in worsening my T at all.. Even though it indeed have worsened it havent been connected to any loud sounds as i know off.

Thank you for that It of course depends on the db of the noise, hence my 2nd questions but if it is around 90db it should be okay with 2-4 seconds. I had a fire alarm go over my head in beginning of Jan, that was supermega loud with that high frequency tone, cut through my head but it seemed I was fine from that so this should be okay too (talking to myself again haha)

Anyone else that have more info?

 

[STi]

It's to keep sound from leaving room...Think it also prevents echoes. ...Either way it will still be loud and I would be careful.

 

[Reinier]

1) How does a sound absorbing room work like? This room was rather small, maybe 8-10 kvm (not sure how much that is in American standards). Does the room stop the sound from bouncing back only or is it that the decibels in there are lower (is it lower before it reaches my ear or do I still hear the "real" db first?")

Just talk into a heavy curtain. Practically no reflection of sound. It sounds different. Try it (-;
Same happens in a sound proof room. No reflections of sound. Also nothing in the room is supposed to resonate with generated sounds in this room. (This would "colour" the original sound). So: al sounds in this room are sounds without reflection. This is in normal/avarage rooms not the case.

2) At what decibel is an average male shout? He lasted around 2-4 seconds of real shouting in a tiny space. I googled and it said around 88 for an average shout by humans but yeah, still like a second opinion

I do not know how loud on average. But if after a Google you came up with 88 dB on average you will understand that it can vary between people. Also realise that usually dB values are given for a distance of 1 mtr. if not stated otherwise. So 0.5 mtr the sound will be louder. And 2 mtr a lot less. And very close to your ear louder again. So in effect it is impossible to know how loud the scream was.
All these values are for a room without echo or outside when there is nothing for sound to bounce back from.
Sound is complicated. This is why I was fascinated by it.

But for shouting to damage your ears I think would be very unusual. As long as it is not a few cm from your ear.

 

[Fangen]

But for shouting to damage your ears I think would be very unusual. As long as it is not a few cm from your ear.

Phew, no he was standing in front of me with "normal" distance between us. 0,5m maybe? But he was also facing the side a little so the sound didn't face me directly.
I think google said 88 db from 1m away, so it should be a little over 90 if it was closer to 0,5. Sound really are complicated. I understand your fasinaction for it, if I wasn't damaged by it i'd learn more about without recent hahaha.
Thank a lot for the answers, it feels calmer to know that it is probably nothing to worry about. Just having this spike today so I get a little scared it had something to do with the shouting.