They design their room with HTM.

Yann modelled the room in the software and let HTM predict the expected acoustic behaviour, then went to check those predictions with a measurement microphone, using REW. It was that comparison, made on an already-finished room, that convinced him of the tool's reliability.

“On my previous room, I took all my REW curves and compared them with the RT60 values predicted by HTM, band by band. The differences were minimal, well within what I would expect with a measurement mic. I also liked the cable-length calculation.”Yann

Today, Yann is building a dedicated room, this time with concrete walls: a very different acoustic context from his previous room, and stricter design constraints. He was able to use HTM and compare the results against manual measurements.

Home Theater Maestro · room modelling

Before the build was even finished, HTM let him:

• easily model his room in 3D, with the real constraints of the site (concrete walls, final dimensions);
• anticipate the room's acoustic behaviour before the first treatment was installed;
• confirm his RT60 values, found again later during the first REW measurements once the room was built;
• save time in the design of the project, by settling certain choices before they were set in concrete, quite literally.

Yann also highlights a very useful feature: the projector-position simulation. It let him check the placement of the unit and the resulting image size before installation, rather than discovering it afterwards with a tape measure and the zoom control.

“The projector simulation: it let me check the placement and the image size before I had even installed anything.”Yann

For Yann, HTM's value lies less in a promise of perfection than in its consistency: what the software announces before the work is what he then finds at the microphone. Enough to move forward on a project as demanding as a concrete room with a little less uncertainty.

I've been using a room fitted with a professional cinema loudspeaker system for several years, in a 7.1 array configuration.

Before diving into an upgrade to Dolby Atmos, I wanted to know whether that transformation was really achievable without starting over. My room is under the roof slopes, and the array layout includes two side speakers.

With HTM, I was able to quickly simulate several upgrade scenarios and see very concretely the benefits, but also the constraints of each option.

One of the points I cared about most was reusing my side-array speaker. Thanks to the simulations, I could see that its current position, slightly forward on the side, could potentially suit a Wide Atmos role, provided it was repositioned correctly.

Home Theater Maestro · Atmos upgrade study

This study let me know precisely what I could keep, what had to be changed, and what limits the geometry of my room imposed.

“Instead of moving forward blindly, I could make a decision backed by a real technical validation before starting the work.”Steven

Today, I know exactly which direction to take. All that is left is to get started and upgrade my room to Dolby Atmos.

To evolve his room, Jérôme used HTM to work out the optimal position of his new centre speaker relative to his listening position. The simulations let him quickly validate the best compromise before installing.

He also used the REW measurement import to compare the software's simulations with the real measurements of his room. The first-reflection analysis was particularly useful for designing the treatment: he could place absorption panels only where they were actually needed, without making the room excessively dead.

Home Theater Maestro · measured decay + RT60

The result: the RT60 predictions turned out to be very close to the measurements obtained after the acoustic panels were installed.

“My advice: take several REW measurements and average them, to smooth out the variations tied to the measurement positions. Under those conditions, the correlation between HTM's predictions and the final measurements is really convincing.”Jérôme

A mathematician and cinema enthusiast, Marco wanted to model his room — with its unusual geometry — to better understand its acoustic behaviour. He used the free-form polygon feature to reproduce the room: despite its atypical layout, he did the modelling himself and quickly obtained a usable representation.

Home Theater Maestro · polygonal room footprint

He then explored the Diagnostic tab: RT60 predictions, room modes, identified acoustic issues. “It's quite impressive to see your room analysed this way: HTM reveals many phenomena you don't necessarily perceive by ear.”

“HTM is especially valuable for anyone who wants to go beyond simple speaker placement and really understand what's happening acoustically in their room.”Marco

Marco also used HTM to consider an upgrade to Atmos: the model helped him visualise his room's constraints, notably its limited height, and start assessing feasibility. “I spent several hours modelling and analysing my room, across several sessions. Time flies once you start exploring the possibilities.”

Coming from the live and events world, Nicolas now works as a mastering engineer. While renewing his monitoring system, he wanted to optimise his studio's acoustics with a rational approach, ahead of the validation measurements.

HTM let him quickly model the room and assess the impact of different treatment options. The first-reflection analysis was decisive in identifying the zones where adding panels brought a real benefit, without over-treating. The RT60 prediction served as a decision aid, to anticipate the room's behaviour after treatment and validate his choices upfront.

Home Theater Maestro · first reflections

A striking point: HTM anticipated an SBIR phenomenon around 160 Hz, which Nicolas indeed found during his measurements, and then corrected with his DSP processor to finalise his system's response.

“The REW measurement import is one of HTM's strengths: comparing the model's predictions with in-situ measurements lets you quickly check the consistency of the results and fine-tune the final adjustments. Beyond simulation, HTM brings a real working methodology.”Nicolas, mastering engineer