Dynamic Range & Headroom YAMAHA Sound ReisforceMent Handbook Page 35 4.2 Headroom 4.2.1 Defini n ‘The average electronic line level in the concert sound system just de- scribed in Section 4.1 is +4 dBu (1.23 volts), corresponding to an average sound level of 110 dB SPL at the microphone. This average level is usually called the nominal program level. The difference between the nominal and the highest (peak) levels ina program is the headroom. Given the levels at the microphone, iet's calculate the headroom required for the coneert sound system previously described. Once again, the headroom is always expressed in just plain dB since it merely describes a ratio, not an abso- lute level; 20 dB is the headroom, not 20 dB SPL. Similarly, the electrical headroom is 20 dB, as calculated here: Headroom, (Peak Level) - (Nominal Level) 424A dBu ~ (+4 dBu) 204aB Again, 20 dB is the headroom, not 20 dBu. Provided the amplifier is operated just below its clipping level at ‘maximum peaks of 250 watts, and at, nominal levels of 2.5 watts, then it also ‘operates with 20 dB of headroom. How do we know that? Calculate it, as explained in Section 3. B= 10 log (P, + P,) = 10 log (250 = 2.5 watts) 0 Tog (100) 0° 2 =204B Figure 4-1 illustrates headroom and dynamic range in a typical sound system, both in acoustical and electri- cal terms. The S/N Ratio shown in this illustration refers to Signal-To-Noise Ratio, which represents the difference between the nominal level and the noise floor. It is shown so you can see how this specification is related to dynamic range and headroom. There is, however, one tricky aspect to the relationship between S/N, headroom and dynamic range: you can't always add the S/N ratio to the headrcom and come up with the dynamic range. AuoIo SIGNAL (Bu) 125 +20 Hs 0 ‘SOUND LeveL aT ‘THE MICROPHONE “e5s) 120 — 115 110 — 105 — 100 — 95 — 90 — 85 — poe MAXIMUM SOUND LEVEL (THRESHOLD OF PAIN) (APPROX. 1200 SPL "o0aB Average SPL ‘cuppwNa pom 24 wows ae ‘SN tynamle Ratlo “Kenge 70 — "on a 85 — ante "hang 60 — 55 80 6 40 Ss 30 — 25 — an. eee eeGiones “ro aes ies 20 ee ee Figure 4-1. Dynamic range and headroomThe last statement seems to contra- dict our definitions — but not if you read between the lines. You see, dy- namic range is the difference between the loudest and quietest portions of the rogram signal. The program may be a sine wave, voice, or some musically recognizable signal. Such program signals can often he audibly distin- guished even when their level several dB below the noise floor of the sound system! After all, noise is pretty much a random, wideband signal, whereas program is structured and, relatively speaking, a narrow band signal. ‘The S/N Ratio, on the other hand, begins at the noise floor and goes to some arbitrary nominal level. If this is added to the headroom, which goes from that nominal level to the maxi- ‘mum level, the number of dB can be less than the dynamic range... ifone allows the possibility of a recognizable signal which is below the noise floor. ‘The problem is how to decide how many dB below the noise floor the program may be distinguishing. It depends a lot upon the specific program, the nature of the n the listener. It's a safer bet, and eminently easier to measure, to go with our original assumption that the dynamic range begins at the noise floor... even if itis not techni accurate all the time, and 4.2.2 Why Headroom is Important Headroom, as a specification, tells us something about the ability of the sound system to handle loud program peaks. Given two sound systems that both operate at the same nominal level, the system with the greater headroom will be able to handle louder peaks before distorting or destroying itself. Headroom requirements change with the nature of the program material and the purpose for which the sound system is operated. ‘A sound system intended for paging ina Joud factory environment may need to have a very high nominal sound level (to overcome machinery noise), but it need not have more than. a few dB of headroom... perhaps 6 dB. at most. This is because all itis doing is reproducing speech, or warning sounds, and they can be controlled to remain within a very narrow sound level range. In fact, if the paging system operates at'110 dB SPL nomi nal level, 6 dB of headroom would yield peaks of 116 dB SPL. This is only a few AB below the threshold of pain. If the 20 dB of headroom found in the concert system previously described were applied here, peaks would reach 130 dB SPL, and the workers would probably file a class action lawsuit for hearing damage after the first few paging announcements, On the other hand, a sound system intended to reinforce a symphony orchestra concert may need to have more than 20 dB of headroom. This is because the average level of the orches- tra may be very low... say 90 4B, but on loud peaks a given tympani or plucked violin string, or some other instrument may indeed teach 120 dB SPL (if only momentarily). That represents 30 dB headroom, If the sound system is capable of only 20 dB of headroom, those brief peaks will be distorted. Perhaps this would be acceptable in a dense, loud rock concert, but a classi- cally trained ear may recognize even this momentary distortion as sounding unnatural, and the sound system may well be rejected by the performers, conductor, and/or audience. Does this mean that more power amplifiers and speakers are needed for a symphony concert than for a rock concert? Not at all, The same amount of equipment, or probably less, will suffice and ean be set up to provide the extra 10 dB of headroom, Remember, 10 4B is the equivalent of 10 times more power, so how can you get 10 dB more headroom from the same system? Well, if you read care- fully, youl see we described exactly the same peak SPL requirement... 120 dB in this case. We simply need more headroom, If we're not going to turn up the maximum level, we can reduce the nominal level... which is exactly what has been done. We went from 100 dB SPL to 90 dB SPL nomi- nal, which gave us the extra 10 dB of headroom. Actually, we would un- doubtedly have an extraordinarily good sound system with a peak capability of just 117 dB SPL for the orchestra (27 dB headroom), so we could get rid of half the power amps and speakers (8 dBis half the power). Section 4 YAMAHA Sound RelvlonceMent Handbook Page 36