This article covers frequently asked questions regarding the Dolby Atmos Room Design Tool (DARDT) HE+Music. If you have questions that are not covered in this article, feel free to ask them via the forum.

 

Is Microsoft Excel required to use the DARDT?

Do I need to use DARDT to design a Dolby Atmos mix room?

Can someone help me create a DARDT for my space?

What is the 'working space?'

What is 'monitoring level' and how do I change it?

How does the DARDT calculate SPL/headroom?

What does '80Hz BM' indicate?

What does an asterisk (*) after the speaker model name indicate?

How do I add a speaker model to the drop-down menu?

What are design delays?

Can I manually adjust speaker positions in the DARDT?

What self-help resources are available for DARDT creation and mix room design?

 

Is Microsoft Excel required to use the DARDT?

The DARDT is designed to be compatible with the Microsoft Excel (Office 365) desktop application. Other applications, online viewers, and previous versions of Excel are not supported.

Do I need to use DARDT to design a Dolby Atmos mix room?

The DARDT is designed to help select suitable speakers and create suggested Dolby Atmos speaker layouts. The underlying design guidelines are available in written form in the How to Design a Dolby Atmos Mix Room document, which can be referenced to create designs in a graphic/modeling software.

Can someone help me create a DARDT for my space?

Absolutely! Our Certified Service Partners have engineering staff that are trained in room design and DARDT creation. See our list for a local partner. If you do not see a partner in your area, feel free to reach out via the forum for a recommendation.

What is the 'working space?'

The ‘working space’ is a 3-dimensional approximation of your mix room, formed from a length, width, and height measurement. In a standard rectangular room, the working space dimensions will be the same as the room dimensions, measured wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling. For irregular room shapes, the working space is an approximation of the room dimensions. For more information, see the How to Design a Dolby Atmos Mix Room document or view the Working Space Dimensions Help Guide in the DARDT.

What is 'monitoring level' and how do I change it?

Monitoring level (sometimes called reference level) refers to the sound pressure level (SPL) measured at mix position when generating pink noise on a single loudspeaker in the renderer software. The monitoring level selected in the DARDT is used to determine the maximum loudspeaker and amplifier output levels required for full-range dynamic mix playback. Monitoring level can be manually adjusted in the Design Creation sheet.

How does the DARDT calculate SPL/headroom?

The ‘Active Speaker Max. Peak SPL’ column shows the maximum peak SPL a speaker is capable of at 1 meter in free field conditions and is supplied directly by the manufacturer (or the specification entered by the user via the Alternate Equipment Entry sheet). The ‘Estimated Max Cont. SPL @ Mix Position’ column shows the estimated maximum continuous SPL a speaker can produce at mix position. The calculation makes a -6dB adjustment to convert the maximum peak SPL supplied by the manufacturer to a maximum continuous SPL, adds 2dB to approximate typical acoustic loading, and then applies the inverse square law to account for the distance to the mix position. The ‘Estimated Headroom Above Target SPL’ column shows the difference between the estimated maximum continuous SPL a speaker can produce as calculated above, and the chosen monitoring level + 20dB for the left/center/right speakers, + 17dB for the surround and overhead speakers, and + 30dB for the LFE.

The DARDT uses specification data provided directly by equipment manufacturers and makes several assumptions about speaker mounting and room acoustics. As such, the SPL and headroom figures should be considered estimates. Consult your equipment manufacturer or local reseller to discuss real-world performance and ensure equipment suitability.

What does '80Hz BM' indicate?

Speaker entries with the suffix 80Hz BM appended to their name use speaker performance data considering a working frequency range of 80Hz and above and must be used with a bass management solution. High pass filtering a speaker can reduce overall stress on the low frequency transducer and in some cases enables an increased maximum SPL in the passband.

What does an asterisk (*) after the speaker model name indicate?

An asterisk after the speaker model name indicates that we have received notification from the relevant manufacturer that the model is out of production.

How do I add a speaker model to the drop-down menu?

Users working in Advanced or Music Advanced mode can use the Alternate Speaker + Amp Entry Sheet to enter manufacturer specifications for speaker, subwoofer, and amplifier models that do not exist in the database. A video tutorial and step-by-step instructions can be found on Professional Support.

What are design delays?

If speakers cannot be placed at equal distances from the mix position, the sounds from the speakers closer to the mix position should be delayed to create a virtually equidistant layout. Delay values in the Design Creation sheet are based on the speaker positions entered and the resulting time of flight to the mix position.

The Commissioning sheet (available in Advanced and Music Advanced mode) provides a delay calculator where measured system propagation delays can be entered and individual speaker delays are displayed, accounting for studio monitor latencies and slightly inaccurate speaker positions.

Can I manually adjust speaker positions in the DARDT?

Speakers are positioned in the DARDT using either a 3-coordinate system or by angle relative to the mix position. Both methods pinpoint the position of the center of the speaker baffle. The 3-coordinate system consists of width (x), length (y), and height (z), and has an origin (0,0,0) of the front of the center line of the working space.

When the working space dimensions and mix position are first entered, the DARDT will automatically populate the x/y/z and angle cells with grey text using the “ideal” positions. The x/y/z values can then be overwritten and will be displayed in black text. Alternatively, the DARDT can be switched into angle entry mode by clicking the “switch to angle entry” button.

To review the recommended angular tolerances for each speaker position, see the Technical Guidelines or view the Layout Help Guides in the DARDT.

What self-help resources are available for DARDT creation and mix room design?

Room Design & Calibration Knowledge Base

DARDT Quick Start Video Series

Dolby Atmos Music + Home Entertainment Technical Guidelines

Self-Paced Dolby Atmos Mix Room Design and DARDT Training

Room Design & Calibration Forum