QRD Diffusers - Technical Overview

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e : Technical O e ie
QRD
Technical
Overview
QRD
: QRD T
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1D
| 2D
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1D
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A QRD diffuser comprises wells of different depths, causing a mixture of phase shifts that diffuse reflected sound. They are
used to control reflections in the listening environment, particularly from rear walls and first-reflection points.
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QRD-734 diff
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N-23 diff
Information on QRD diffusers is piecemeal and scattered across many sites and forums on the Internet, making it difficult
for those who would like to know more about these devices. This page provides both a stand-alone overview of QRDs and a
technical reference for the QRDude calculator.
b oofe -b ilde .com/ d.h m
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Much of the information presented here is an interpretation of the following book:

A
:T
Google books has a
,D
B T
,P
D'A
of the book, but for the full story, you will need to
Understanding the book is very much a work-in-progress, and such, the content of this page, and the capabilities of the
QRDude calculator, will change over time.
This page aims to make a contribution by:

Bringing all the information together and explaining the principles in layman's terms, using plenty of drawings.
Looking at advanced panel designs within the QRD framework
Simplifying the maths by presenting the QRDude calculator which supports standard and advanced panels
Presenting easy to understand strategies for using multiple panels
Adding some construction tips
Including a list of references
When a QRD panel is used
, the phase shifts introduced by the wells produce concentrations of energy in
given directions. The interraction of these produces a complex diffusion field that becomes increasingly difficult to model as
the number of wells is increased. The QRDude calculator shows a 'scattering' drawing to help visualise this, but doesn't
compute the actual angles.
Single panels are of use, but QRDs are meant to be used in arrays of multiple panels...
When
are used, constructive and destructive reinforcement between the reflections from each panel
produces lobes of concentrated energy at known angles.

These lobes
over those generated by the individual panels, and can be computed.
The QRD formula ensures that these lobes are of equal energy at multiples of the design frequency. These special
frequencies can be thought of as the "true diffusion" frequencies. At other frequencies, the lobes will vary in intensity. It is
this 'equal energy' aspect that is the QRD's main claim to fame.
The QRDude calculator has a L
that allows these lobes to be modelled for incoming signals at varying angles.
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The magic of the QRD design is in the formula used to determine the depths of the wells, which are chosen using Dr.
Manfred Schroeder's formula, developed in the 1970's:
=(
)^2
N ... where N equals the number of wells, and is a
. N is also referred to
as the
(Don't freak out just yet - there is a link to the QRDude calculator further down the page)
The squared portion of the equation determines the phase shift introduced by each of the wells and the mod operator keeps
the shift within the range from 0 to 360 degrees.
Raising a number to a power is known as a Q
operation. Applying the modulus operator divides a number by the
modulus and only keeps what's left over, known as the R

R
. This explains why the design is called a Q
, or QRD diffuser for short.
N7
W
16
25
36
e : The
S a da d N7
6,
a e
Optional reading - A graphical look at the mod operator
The following drawing illustrates how the mod operator keeps the phase shift from the wells within the range
0 to 360 degrees (at the design frequency).
The well depths shown in green are for an N7 diffuser if it didn't have the mod operator. The red numbers on
the left are the actual depths (well position squared)
The boundaries that are multiples of one wavelengths are shown as dark horizontal lines.
The vertical arrows (blue), show the mod operator removing the multiples, producing the standard N7 pattern
.
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(grey)
O ,
'
....
The design depth of the panel is half the wavelength of the design frequency
The design depth is divided up into the same number of segments as there are wells. When the zero-depth
position is included, this gives N+1 possible depths
Standard panels can use depths 0 to N-1
Inverse panels can use depths 1 to N
Not all depths are used (because the squared part of the equation makes the distribution non-linear)
As the number of wells increases, a higher proportion of the available depths are utilised (usually)
A panel only needs to be as deep as it's deepest well. This is known as the build depth. (does not include
thickness of backboard)
QRD
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ica Q R D
a e
The N7 panel has depths of 0 1 4 2 2 4 1 depth units

The N11 panel has depths of 0 1 4 9 5 3 3 5 9 4 1 depth units
The N13 panel has depths of 0 1 4 9 3 12 10 10 12 3 9 4 1 depth units
Note that the height of an individual depth unit is different for each of the panels
...
The build depth of the N7 panel only needs to be 4/7ths of the design depth
In terms of build depth, the N7 panel is the most economical of the standard panels, meaning it is the one you will most
often find for sale.
Some advanced panels also have good build depth savings... (there is a table in the QRDude user guide)
'O
Drawn to scale with half-width end wells (discussed in the QRDude user guide).
Notice that the build depth for the N7 is much less than that of the N5 or N11
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QRD Ch i
e e : N3 h
N37
The formula can be modified by

D
= ((
)^2 + V )
before applying the mod operator...

N ... where V is a whole number
This is equivalent to moving the well bottoms down the number of depth units specified by the constant V. When this
process causes a well to reach the full design depth, the mod operator forces it to revert to a zero-depth well. The
relationship between adjacent wells changes, meaning a new panel is born. More significantly, the build depth is often
changed.
Some configurations lead to panels that are more economical in terms of depth than the standard panel , allowing for a
shallower panel or a lower design frequency
As an example, here is the saving achievable for an N13 panel...
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S a da d N13
a e
N13+4 ad a ce d
a e
It was the desire to investigate this phenomenon that lead to the development of the QRDude calculator - see the
for much more information on this topic.
When building panels, you normally have a backboard that both supports the panel, and acts as the floor plate for the
deepst well. The overall physical depth of the panel will be the stated build depth
This becomes clearer if the panel is drawn so that the thickness of the floor plates and backboard can be seen.
The following drawing shows three different ways to build an N13+4 advanced panel.
If a pl over st rofoam core method of construction is used, the height of the cores depends on the backboard option
used. This can also be seen in the above drawing. For the third option, the core heights equal the block heights as listed
by QRDude. For the first two options, the core heights equal the listed block heights minus the floor plate thickness. These
adjustments need to be done manually.
Optional reading - Hu gens principle of diffusion
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How phase shift can "steer" a wavefront

This principle works by treating points on the surface that is reflecting the wave, as new transmitters.
A series of concentric circles can be drawn around each point, where each circle represents the peak of the
wave.
Where a delay in reflection takes place, because the signal has to travel down a well and back up, the circle
is drawn smaller
Because the panel operates using phase shifts, rather than resonances, the panel can be shallower than half
the wavelength of the design frequency.
In the next drawing, the inner circles show the position of the crests at a time when signal from the first well
has travelled one wavelength away from the point. The outer circles show the situation one cycle later. This
example is for an incoming signal at the design frequency of the panel
N
Since the panel used in this example has 7 potential depth levels, (not all used), each successive level adds
a delay of 1/7th of a wavelength at the design frequency.
With this in mind, it is convenient to draw the inner circle of the first well with a radius of 70pixels
The second well introduces a delay of 1/7th of a cycle, so it's inner circle is drawn with a radius of 60pixels.
The third well introduces a delay of 4/7ths of a cycle, so it's inner circle is drawn with a radius of 30pixels,
and so on...
The resultant wavefront shows how a wave approaching the panel from head-on will be reflected. The arrows
show the new directions.
Ref ec ed
a e i
diff
ed i
diffe e
di e c i
(N7 Q R D
a e )
As the frequency of the signal changes, the relative phase shifts between the wells also change, meaning
that the diffusion directions change.
The width of the wells determines the H

.
(HF)
, where the width represents
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This is only for the incoming signal straight-on. For other angles of incidence, the HF cutoff is decreased, falling to zero for
a signal striking from side-on.
Optional reading - Reduction in HF cutoff frequenc due to signal angle
The following drawing has three pictures, each of a signal striking one well of a QRD diffuser, with the dotted
lines indicating the direction of the incoming signal.
In the first picture, the signal is straight-on to the panel. The other two picures show the signal at an angle
The blue bar at the top of each picture represents the width occupied by half a wavelength of the incoming
signal
For a QRD panel to operate correctly, the half-wavelength of the signal travelling in the well must not be
smaller than the well width. (first picture)
When the angle of incidence is not zero, the "apparent wavelength", or more correctly, the "horizontal
component", of of the signal decreases in size. At the original HF cutoff frequency, this component of the
signal is now less than the width of the well. (second picture)
Since this violates the rule, the wavelength of the incoming wave must be increased, in other words, the HF
cutoff frequency must be decreased. (third picture)
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The amount of adjustment depends on the angle of incidence. When the angle reaches +/-90 degrees, the
HF cutoff falls to zero, meaning no diffusion.
The actual equation is: N
HF
= O
HF
( 90 -
))
P
Period width is the width occupied by the wells plus the same number of fins. It doesn't include any framing or the
additional end fin needed with a stand-alone panel.
T
, ie the period width needs
to be at least double the design depth.

If this is not the case, (ie wells too narrow), the lowest diffusion frequency will be higher than the design frequency
For most panels, QRDude sets the well width to meet this requirement.
If the well width is too small the signal is degraded by viscous losses.
It was originally thought that these losses were due to friction between the moving air and the narrow walls.
.
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Since then, it has been found that the main cause of absorption losses is due to resonant behaviour. Energy is transfered
from in-resonance wells to adjacent not-in-resonance wells. In addition, quarter-wave resonance causes absorbtion in
narrow wells. (source: C
Experimental builds have shown that wells can be made as narrow as 25mm (1 inch) for well depths up to 400mm (16
inches). (source: AES
For panels deeper than 400mm, the minimum well width should be equal to the build depth divided by 16.
The QRDude calculator uses this 2-step rule to find the viscous limit.
M
The wells should be narrow in relation to their depth.
The original Schroeder recommendation was: M
0.137
Geoffrey Martin's thesis, "A hybrid model for simulating diffused first reflections in two-dimensional acoustic environments",
repeats the Schroeder figure, and further suggests that this could be lifted to design wavelength times 0.5 (See p48 of
)
Whilst this would make the wells as wide as the design depth, which is obviously too wide, it does show that wells can be
wider than the minimum one inch limit.
Some early calculators used a fixed ratio of design wavelength times 0.25
The QRDude calculator does not currently impose a maximum well width.
P
Lower-order panels generally have their well widths defined by the period width requirement.
As the panel order (number of wells) increases, the wells can become narrower, giving improved bandwidth, until the
viscous limit is reached.
It's interesting to note that until the viscous limit is reached, panel size remains much the same for the different orders.
In practice, well widths are usually tweaked up or down slightly to give a standard panel width, for physical compatibility
with other acoustic products.
An example of this tweaking would be fitting an N13 panel into a one foot wide panel, meaning that the well widths would
be a bit under the one inch limit. The potential excessive viscous losses could be mitigated by ensuring that the panel is
not too deep. One supplier that uses this arrangement limits their panel depth to three inches.
The wells in any QRD panel have depths that are multiples of half the design wavelength divided by N (the number of wells).
.
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If the panel is asked to deal with a frequency that is the design frequency times N, something interesting happens. This
signal will have a wavelength that is 1/N of the design wavelength. For all wells, the signal will be shifted by an exact
multiple of it's wavelength. In other words, they are all in phase, so no diffusion occurs. The panel is acting as a flat plate
and just reflecting the signal.
This represents a hard upper limit to the panel. For a typical N7 panel with a design frequency of 500hz, the plate
frequency will be 3500hz.
You can stop this from being a problem by moving to higher order panels, or by increasing the design frequency
Below the design frequency,
no longer occurs, but it is generally accepted that
is available down to
below the diffusion limit.

For diffusion to occur, the wavelength of the lowest frequency diffused must be no larger than the
of the
panel.
If this rule is not met, then the lowest frequency diffused is the frequency that does fit into the period width.
This frequency is referred to as _
, and the new scattering limit becomes one octave below this.
The usable range for the panel runs from the start of the scattering range, up through the diffusion range, ending at the HF
cutoff frequency.
The QRDude U
is accessible from the 'explore' link located at the right of the frequency ranges field
on the main screen. Use it to visualise the ranges, and to see how the HF cutoff frequency changes with the angle of
incidence of the incoming signal.
For the interferrence patterns to fully develop into a diffuse field, it is recommended that the minimum seating distance be
three times the longest wavelength diffused.
This is based on the Cox and D'Antonio book (section 2.2.1). Google books has a
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For stand-alone panels, the distance is based on the lowest diffusion frequency rather than the start of the usable range
For multiple panels, the lobes screen displays a revised seating distance that a based on the frequency at which the lobes
start, provided this is within the usable range of the underlying panels. This takes into account the situation of lobes that
are energised via the scattering range of the underlying panels, as well as the effect of signal angle changing the lobe
starting frequencies.
As the number of wells is increased, the effectiveness of the diffusion increases
C ha ge
i h
- f
o nde .
Multiple panels are required for the QRD to achieve equal energy lobes (four or more panels are recommended), however as
the number of panels is increased, reinforcement leads to narrower and stronger lobes.
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N7
Va
be
HF
f
a e
a e
1, 6
Na ie
This topic is covered in the chapter entitled T
a J e
50
he i
in the book : Acoustic absorbers and diffusers:
theory, design, and application By Trevor J. Cox, Peter D'Antonio, considered to be the bible when it comes to QRD
diffusers. They advise that the excessive lobing can be offset by
via the introduction a second
style of panel, positioned as per the Barker code.
Ba
e c de
- ba e d
i f
Wikipedia
Where there is a +1 in the sequence, use your standard panel.

Where there is a -1 in the sequence, use a
, which has a different set of diffusion angles to the others
The next picture shows the lobing response from a group of like panels (light trace) versus that from a group that is
modulated with inverse panels
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C ha ge
i h
a i
- f
RPG doco
There are several possibilities for the modulating panel to be used:

An
is one that inverts the well depths. For example, with an N=7 panel, 0 becomes 7, 1
becomes 6 etc. etc. T
, and is the one you would use if you were custom treating a large
space, such as an auditorium or church. A standard inverse panel takes up the full design depth, and so will be
deeper than the normal panel, although advanced panels can overcome this limitation.
Use a panel based on a
. The panel depth most likely will be different
Use a panel based on a
. The panel depths may be able to be
matched
R
180
. This is the simplest solution, although the change in diffusion
angles is small compared to that obtained with the other approaches. The panel is equivalent to a standard
panel that has been left-shifted one well
If your panel is square,
90
, so the fins are horizontal instead of vertical. This is
the most common solution. You can also do this with a pair of half-width panels.
For the rotated panel, the amount of delay depends on the angle of the signal striking the panel. When the
signal is approaching across the fins, or from head-on, the panel will diffuse as expected. When the signal
approaches parallel to the fins, the diffuser acts more like a normal wall.
For this reason, rotated panels are of more use on end walls, than they are at the first reflection points on side
walls or roofs.
It seems that actually modulating periodic arrays is more important than which particular style you use for the second
panel.
Optional reading - Creating a Proper Inverse Panel
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An inverse panel is basically the back of a full-depth normal panel. To flip a normal panel in reality, it would
need to have been built to the full design depth, have no backboard, and have infinitely thin well bottoms.
The following drawings show the sequence of steps to derive an inverse panel, using an N7 panel as the
example.
: Standard panel. The original "free-ride" depth is shown in grey
: Flip the panel over. The "free-ride" area must be included, so it is now shown in green
: Replace the solid area with air, and the empty bit with the new panel (shown in brown).
This might be made clearer by comparing the phase shifts for normal and inverse panels...
Here is an example of using an inverse panel in a Barker sequence...
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Ba
e ce
f h e e N13
a e
a d
e I13
a e
You can even do this with 2D QRD panels (fins not shown)...
2D
a e
a ed -
ce
e d N5 2D Q R D
a e
a d h ee i
With the abundant diffusion from 2D panels, it is not likely that you would see this arrangement. A more likely situation is
shown in the next image, which uses all one type of diffuser, built assymmetrically, and rotated where the alternate panel
is required (fins not shown).
2D
a e
a ed -
i e a
e ica N5 2D Q R D
One of the major manufacturers simplifies this even further, advising that
a e
i h h ee
a ed
be used with
2D
Arrays of 2D panels look great arranged with ordered rotations rather than just random arrangements. Here are a couple of
schemes used by W
using depth-optimised inverse N7's. Check out their site for some impressive
photos! The yellow dots and black frames have been added to show the location of the zero-depth wells, highlighting the
balance between periodicity and variety.
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Sa
e 2D a a ge
- 12
a e
e ach
: For 1D QRD installations where the number of repeats is small, say four or less, the intensity of the lobes
is small enough to get away with not using modulation. If you go this way, the following process will help...
When planning our installation, divide our available width b 25mm, or one inch. This will tell ou the
highest number of wells ou can use. Divide this b four to find the number of wells per panel. Round this
off to the first prime number that is smaller than our result to find the panel order. If this turns out to be
less than seven, ou need to use less than four panels.
Diffusion lobes are created when a number of repeats of a periodic surface are placed together in a sequence.
For multiple QRD panels, the number and angle of the diffusion lobes varies with the panel order and panel width, and the
frequency and angle of incidence of the incoming wave. For a signal straight-on, there are usually three lobes at the design
frequency, and at the HF cutoff frequency there are often the same number of lobes as there are wells.
As the angle of incidence is increased, starting frequencies for each of the lobes decreases slightly for lobes on the same
side of the diffuser as the incoming signal. Lobes on the other side shift to a higher starting frequency by a larger amount.
The angle of the lobes also changes, as does their relative angular spacing. In addition, the apparent wavelength of the
signal changes as far as the wells are concerned, leading to a lowering of the HF cutoff frequency. When the angle of
incidence reaches +/-90 degrees, the HF cutoff falls to zero, meaning no diffusion.
Here's a concept drawing of some N7 lobes, which was was done to help visualise how the V3:00 of QRDude would display
it's
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See the L
1D
page for full coverage of this complex topic.
The fins are the walls between the wells, and run the full depth of the diffuser. Some cheap foam panels have the fins
missing, but this lessens the effectiveness - leave them in. They need to be as thin as possible, whilst still being rigid.
Apparently some early models used aluminium but then switched to wood, possibly due to ringing and cost. Normal
timber, MDF or plywood all work well. Maybe even laminex would be a good choice.
Fin width can be adjusted to give a panel of a particular overall size, however it should always be small in relation to the
well width
Q: H
A: It depends on the usage. Here are some examples showing the difference between period width and panel width for
different situations.
When a panel is used in a sequence of panels, the right-hand fin for the last well is formed by the left-hand fin of the next
panel. In this case, the number of fins per panel equals the number of wells, and the panel width exactly equals the period
width.
For a stand-alone panel, or for the last panel in a sequence, the missing fin has to be added.
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An exception is a stand-alone panel which is built with half-width end wells. No additional fin is required, and the panel
width is the same as the period width
A small panel that is to be used as a well insert needs no end fins because these are provided by the walls of the
surrounding well. See the "Fractal it" section further down this page for more on inserts.
Just as you had to manually add the thickness of the backboard to the build depth to get the overall physical depth, you
will need to add the thickness of any end fin to the period width to get the overall physical width of the panel
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Optional reading - How bad is it reall to leave out the fins?
Below is the drawing shown earlier, demonstrating the huygens diffusion from a panel with fins. Underneath
that is one without fins.
You can see that the location of the re-radiating centres for the wells have shifted, plus the amount of phase
shift introduced has changed. The arrows show there are different diffusion angles, and with some of the
arrows roughly parallel, the intensity of the lobes has changed. The mathethematical balance that supports
even energy lobes with multiple panels is gone. This is still a diffuser, producing shifts in both space and
time, but it is no longer a QRD diffuser.
ge
ge
diff
diff
a QRD
a e
a e
i h
i h fi
fi
: The loss of support for even energy lobes is irrelevent for stand-alone panels. Some suppliers
sell high-order panels without fins, and these are probably OK, provided they're used stand-alone.
The panel should be made of non-porus material, with all seams properly sealed, and with no cloth over the openings. This
will minimise absorption losses.
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To minimise weight, the bottom of the wells can be made using plates rather than a solid block that goes all the way to the
backboard.
D
make a dual N13 kit that uses the neat trick of placing small blocks between the plates and backboard, thus
setting the correct height and keeping the plates square.
If you are using particularly narrow fins, you could minimise resonance problems by filling the voids with expanding foam.
ci
User "Moggie" at AVSForum built a whole heap of diffusors using this method. He found that expanding foam distorted the
fins as it cured, so switched to rigid foam for the rest of the panels. Perhaps blocks to hold the fins during curing would
overcome the problem. Check out
QRD
on page12 of his Home Theater build thread. Each step of
the build has plenty of photos showing how it is done. Nice work!
Since a large part of the cost is in the fins, some savings can be had by only making them as deep as needed for each
well. Minimal backboard too...
Use some glue-saturated cloth to strengthen the back of the seams.
Sh
fi
N13
Another method is to use solid foam blocks to fill the well bottoms and face with thin timber. X
' QRD
has
plenty of photos of this style of build.

Here's a teaser shot of his magnificent N23 array...
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Xe
'
4 * N23 a a
There really are some clever people out there. The folks at S
sell a folded N=7 design to make it even thinner.
Lighter too..
de d N=7 Q R D diff
The people at RPG systems are the foremost authority on producing these diffusers in a
Their flagship product is the D
DFR-72, a 9 inch deep N7 diffusor which has a smaller diffuser inserted into the
base of each of the wells. Since the extra wells are much narrower, the HF cutoff is lifted to the top of the audible range.
The dimensions are the same as for their QRD-734 diffusor.
By mounting an array of seven diffractal diffusers in a staggered N7 pattern, quite low frequency diffusion can be achieved.
They refer to this as a DFR-73
They can even do custom installations with
for those with super deep pockets.
Soundscapes offers a similar design, presumably under licence.
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DFR -72 Diff ac a diff
e f
R PG
In cross-section....
Diff ac a diff
: Since the well inserts are at different relative heights, their diffusion patterns shouldn't reinforce to produce
the exaggerated lobing that a group of standard panels give. If this is so, no Barker-style modulation of the inserts is
needed, and they can all be the same.
The soundscapes site has a whole series of photos detailing a
QRD
These are made from MDF and would weigh a ton. They're roof mounted using steel pipe - see the whole series of pictures
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to get an idea of how much work went into this build
The panels discussed so far are referred to as 1D QRD's because the pattern runs in one direction across the panel
It is also possible to design 2D QRD's where the pattern runs across both the width and breadth of the panel. They use the
relationship:
D
= (X^2 + Y^2 )
N ... where N equals the number of wells, with X and Y being the row and column position of
the well.
N7 2D Q R D diff
e (ba e d
he i
a h ) - Ph
a e f
hi
DIY b ild
Lower-order 2D panels require fins, as shown in the above picture. As the order is increased, the complexity of the reflected
signal allows the fins to be omitted. Whilst the exact mathematical purity of the device is lost, the scattering is still
effecive.
A fi
D
.
N23 2D Q R D diff
e . Side a d f
- hif e d
ce
e he
a e
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Standard inverse panels all have one well that is the full design depth, producing a phase shift of 360 degrees. When the
panel is used to modulate a sequence of normal panels in a Barker-style" sequence, this well balances the shift from the
zero-deth well of the normal (non-inverse) panel.
An inverse panel is a QRD panel in its own right, and can be used as a stand-alone panel, or in a non-modulated sequence
if so desired. Under these circumstances, the full depth well can be replaced by a zero-depth well. (trading 360 degrees of
shift for zero degrees of shift)
Advantages
The entire bottom layer can be dispensed wth, giving a shallower build, or a lower design frequency.
Higher order 2D inverse panels are often built without fins - the lone zero-depth well ensures that the panel is
mounted at the correct depth.
The build depth of the normal and optimised inverse 2D panels is the same, meaning the choice can be made on
aesthetics alone
Modulation is common for 1D panels, but virtually never used for 2D panels, so the method is more applicable to 2D
panels. Here is a comparison of the style of inverse 2D panels available.
e N7 2D
a e
a ed
The centre panel is the mathematically correct panel. This is what would be required to use Barker-style
modulation with normal panels (seldom used, if ever).
The panel on the right is a finless inverse, which, whilst not a correct QRD panel, produces good diffusion if the
order is large enough (say N13 or higher).
The panel on the left is the depth-optimised inverse. This is the style of panel available from commercial
suppliers. The QRDude calculator supports all three styles
The FRG
from RPG, uses the depth-optimisation method.
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FR G O
iff
R PG
a e a
The
. W he
ice
i g
de
i
i
e
-
a e
, he ad ice i
e a a d
ee he f ll c een image a d a
ie
mall e ie
a i
f i
from the same company adds an extra row and column to centre the pattern. Such a panel is
no longer prime, and cannot be modulated, but certainly looks fine - a case of aesthetics vs performance. Given that RPG
are the world's leading designers of QRD's, you would have to say that this is all OK...
R PG
difie d O
iff
Building QRD diffusers can be a massive amount of work. If you are not that into DIY, and have the funds, purchasing these
products is the way to go. The following companies have made a great contribution to the understanding of QRD diffusers.
RPG has been generous in publishing much of their research material. For us Aussies, their distributor is
A
Both GIK A
and R
have representatives who donate much of their time to helping out on
various discussion forums

The D
N13
is an affordable way into the field if a 3 inch deep diffuser meets your needs
27/30
3/4/12
QRD diff
If you are intending to use the resources presented here to produce diffusers for sale, note that some of the features
detailed are patented by RPG, (Examples would be the half-width end wells, and of course, the Diffractal ). It would be
good insurance to contact them via the above link to check on their licensing requirements. There's no point in giving the
lawyers a free lunch!
The QRDude calculator

This free software can be used to design standard and inverse 1D and 2D QRD panels, plus the advanced 1D panels.
Q R D de
c ee
e ic
e d)
QRD
References
A
(G
:T
, D
B T
, P
D'A
The bible when it comes to QRD panels

.
28/30
3/4/12
QRD diff
:T
,T
TJ C
,S
An overview of diffusers, with some guidelines for designing and implementing QRDs
E
A :
Another RPG hosted pdf, containing overviews on huygens and mandlebrot, plus the drawing of how
modulation can decrease lobing.
M
RPG
QRD
Covers fin widths and comparisons between QRDs and PRDs

M
B F. A
,K
CP
(G
Note indicating importance of well dividers

D
2005 Thesis by Naziema Joeman, showing how number of diffraction lobes increases with frequency 1.6Mb
pdf
G
QRD
Long discussion during which this page and the QRDude calculator were developed
G
QRD
Another long discussion during which QRDude continued to evolve and was used to help design Xenon's N23
QRD panels
S
QRD
The simplest QRD calculator

-
Audio calculator for QRD panels and 2D PRD panels

RPG P
RPG portfolio of commercial installations showing what diffusion products they use for particular locations
E
QRD
Video allowing you to hear how different types of diffusers change the sound in a room
E
QRD
Ethan from RealTraps and Bryan from GIK talk about QRD's vs Polys
V
Good info on QRD diffusers - you will need to translate from Dutch (use Google toolbar as images have
hotlink protection)
S
Comprehensive acoustics forum
P
Brief mention of alternate depth sequences (Advanced panels)

A
Talking about placement of QRD panels
W
.
QRD
)
29/30
3/4/12
QRD diff
Source of some of the graphs

AES
Summary only - mentions practical limit of 1 inch width and 16 inches deep for wells
V
N23
Narrated in Spanish, but subtitled

DIY F
Several different QRD panels built by forum contributors
B
Small QRD panels made with solid blocks for well bottoms
I
D.M
- 2006
Nothing to do with QRD's, but gives an insight into the life of their inventor
T
'
Trevor is a Professor of Acoustic Engineering at Salford University, UK, and is the co-author of the book
listed at the start of these references.
LED BiColo Panel Ligh Q ali B il Affo dable12 12 LED Came a Ba e

Wall Aco
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page 25 h Oc obe 2010
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30/30

QRD Diffusers - Technical Overview

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b oofe -b ilde .com/ d.h m

Much of the information presented here is an interpretation of the following book:

Google books has a

This page aims to make a contribution by:

When a QRD panel is used

, the phase shifts introduced by the wells produce concentrations of energy in

produces lobes of concentrated energy at known angles.

over those generated by the individual panels, and can be computed.

b oofe -b ilde .com/ d.h m

N ... where N equals the number of wells, and is a

Raising a number to a power is known as a Q

operation. Applying the modulus operator divides a number by the

modulus and only keeps what's left over, known as the R

. This explains why the design is called a Q

, or QRD diffuser for short.

Optional reading - A graphical look at the mod operator

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The N7 panel has depths of 0 1 4 2 2 4 1 depth units

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The formula can be modified by

before applying the mod operator...

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Optional reading - Hu gens principle of diffusion

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How phase shift can "steer" a wavefront

The width of the wells determines the H

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, where the width represents

Optional reading - Reduction in HF cutoff frequenc due to signal angle

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The actual equation is: N

, ie the period width needs

to be at least double the design depth.

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Below the design frequency,

no longer occurs, but it is generally accepted that

below the diffusion limit.

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As the number of wells is increased, the effectiveness of the diffusion increases

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This topic is covered in the chapter entitled T

in the book : Acoustic absorbers and diffusers:

via the introduction a second

style of panel, positioned as per the Barker code.

Where there is a +1 in the sequence, use your standard panel.

, which has a different set of diffusion angles to the others

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There are several possibilities for the modulating panel to be used:

becomes 6 etc. etc. T

. The panel depth most likely will be different

Use a panel based on a

. The panel depths may be able to be

. This is the simplest solution, although the change in diffusion

, so the fins are horizontal instead of vertical. This is

Optional reading - Creating a Proper Inverse Panel

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: Standard panel. The original "free-ride" depth is shown in grey

Here is an example of using an inverse panel in a Barker sequence...

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