BS 6840-9

BRITISH STANDARD BS 6840-9:
1987
IEC 268-9:
1977
Sound system
equipment
Part 9: Methods for specifying and
measuring the characteristics of
artificial reverberation, time delay and
frequency shift equipment
[IEC title: Sound system equipment Part 9: Artificial

reverberation, time delay and frequency shift equipment]
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UDC [621.396 + 681.84]:621.395.61:621.317.6
Copyright British Standards Institution

Provided by IHS under license with BSI
No reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS Not for Resale
BS 6840-9:1987
Committees responsible for this

British Standard
The preparation of this British Standard was entrusted by the Electronic

Equipment Standards Committee (EEL/-) to Technical Committee EEL/32,
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upon which the following bodies were represented:
Association of British Theatre Technicians

Association of Sound and Communications Engineers Limited
Audio Engineering Society
British Educational Equipment Association
British Kinematograph, Sound and Television Society
British Radio and Electronic Equipment Manufacturers Association
British Telecommunications plc
Cable Television Association of Great Britain
Consumer Standards Advisory Committee of BSI
Consumers Association
Federation of British Audio
Independent Television Companies Association
Institution of Electronic and Radio Engineers
Radio Electrical and Television Retailers Association
Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal National Institute for the Deaf
Society of Cable Television Engineers
Training and Educational Systems Testing Bureau
This British Standard, having

been prepared under the
direction of the Electronic
Equipment Standards
Committee, was published
under the authority of the
Board of BSI and comes into
effect on Amendments issued since publication
30 November 1987
BSI 07-1999
Amd. No. Date of issue Comments
The following BSI references

relate to the work on this
standard:
Committee reference EEL/32
Draft for comment 75/26725 DC
ISBN 0 580 16222 2

BS 6840-9:1987
Contents
Page
Committees responsible Inside front cover
National foreword iii
1 Scope 1
2 Object 1
3 Conditions 1
3.1 Conditions for specifications 1
3.2 Rated conditions and normal working conditions 1
3.3 Other conditions 1
4 General 1
4.1 General 1
4.2 General characterization of the devices 1
4.3 Comparison between characteristics of the devices and those of
the amplifier 1
Section 1. Artificial reverberation equipment
5 General 2
5.1 Definition of reverberation 2
5.2 Object 2
5.3 General characteristics 2
5.4 Special characteristics 2
6 Reverberation time 2
6.1 Characteristic to be specified 2
7 Various kinds of reverberation time 2
7.1 Initial reverberation time 2
7.2 Ultimate reverberation time 2
7.3 Method of measurement 3
8 Linearity 3
9 Frequency response 3
10 Initial time delay 3
11 Additional characteristics 3
11.1 General 3
11.2 Ambient acoustical noise 3
11.3 Safe life expectancy 4
Section 2. Time delay devices
12 General 4
12.1 Types of devices 4
12.3 Special characteristics 4
13 Delay time 4
14 Echo 4
14.1 General 4
15 Echo time 4
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Page
16 Ambient acoustical noise 4
17 Safe life expectancy 4
Section 3. Frequency shift devices
18 General 5
18.2 Special characteristic 5
Publications referred to Inside back cover
ii BSI 07-1999
BS 6840-9:1987
National foreword
This British Standard has been prepared under the direction of the Electronic
Equipment Standards Committee and is identical with Publication 268-9:1977
Sound system equipment Part 9 Artificial reverberation, time delay and
frequency shift equipment published by the International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC). The text of this Part of BS 6840 is unchanged from the text of
BS 5428-8 which is now withdrawn.
All Parts and Sections of BS 5428 will be published as Parts of BS 6840 in order
to achieve consistency of numbering between the corresponding Parts of the
IEC Publication and the British Standard.
BS 6840 consists of the following Parts:
Part 1: Methods for specifying and measuring general characteristics used
for equipment performance (Supersedes part of BS 5428-1);
Part 2: Specification for general terms and calculation methods (Supersedes
part of BS 5428-1)1);
Part 3: Methods for specifying and measuring the characteristics of sound
system amplifiers (Supersedes BS 5428-2)1);
Part 4: Methods for specifying and measuring the characteristics of
microphones (Previously BS 5428-3);
loudspeakers (Supersedes BS 5428-11 and BS 5428-11:Supplement 1)1);
Part 6: Methods for specifying and measuring the characteristics of auxiliary
passive elements (Previously BS 5428-4);
headphones and headsets (New)1);
automatic gain control devices (Previously BS 5428-7);
Part 9: Methods for specifying and measuring the characteristics of artificial
reverberation, time delay and frequency shift equipment (Previously
BS 5428-8);
Part 10: Specification for programme level meters (Supersedes BS 5428-9)1);
Part 11: Specification for application of connectors for the interconnection of
sound system components (Supersedes BS 5428-5.2)1);
Part 12: Specification for application of connectors for broadcast and similar
use (Supersedes BS 5428-5.3)1);
Part 13: Guide for listening tests on loudspeakers (New);
Part 14: Guide for circular and elliptical loudspeakers: outer frame
diameters and mounting dimensions (Previously BS 5428-5.1);
Part 15: Specification for matching values for the interconnection of sound
system components (Supersedes BS 5428-10)1);
Part 16: Guide to the RASTI method for the objective rating of speech
intelligibility in auditoria (New)1).
1)
In preparation.
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BSI 07-1999
iii
BS 6840-9:1987
Terminology and conventions. The text of the international standard has

been approved as suitable for publication as a British Standard without
deviation. Some terminology and certain conventions are not identical with those
used in British Standards; attention is drawn especially to the following.
Cross-references
International standard Corresponding British Standard
IEC 225:1966 BS 2475:1964 Specification for octave and one-third
octave band-pass filters
(Technically equivalent)
IEC 268-1:1985 BS 6840 Sound system equipment
Part 1:1987 Methods for specifying and measuring
general characteristics used for equipment performance
(Identical)
BS 5428 Methods for specifying and measuring the
characteristics of sound system equipment
IEC 268-3:1969 Part 2:1979 Amplifiersa
(Technically equivalent)
IEC 268-5:1972 Part 11:1977 Loudspeakersa
(Identical)
ISO 140-1960 BS 2750 Methods of measurement of sound insulation
in buildings and of building elements
(Separately published Parts are identical)
a
These Parts of BS 5428 will be withdrawn when revisions of IEC 268-3 and IEC 268-5 are
published and implemented as Parts of BS 6840.
IEC 94-4, referred to in the text as being in preparation, has now been published
as IEC 94-4:1986, and BS 6288-4 is in preparation as a British Standard identical
to it.
A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a
contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.
Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity
from legal obligations.
Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i to iv,
pages 1 to 6, an inside back cover and a back cover.
This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had
amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on the
inside front cover.
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iv BSI 07-1999
BS 6840-9:1987
1 Scope 3.3 Other conditions

This standard applies to devices intended to give Reference is made to IEC Publication 268-3,
reverberation, time delay and frequency shift to Sub-clause 3.3: Other conditions [changing the term
signals of an acoustical origin. It covers the types of amplifier to device].
devices commonly employed to achieve special
effects in sound recording, broadcasting and 4 General
public-address systems. 4.1 General
2 Object Reference is made to IEC Publication 268-3,

Section 1: General, with the addition of the
This standard provides details of the special Sub-clauses 4.2 and 4.3 as follows.
characteristics and corresponding methods of
4.2 General characterization of the devices
measurement to be used for artificial reverberation,
time delay and frequency shift equipment. For the Generally, the devices are characterized by electric
purposes of this standard, the equipment is input and output links coupling an intermediate
considered to be an amplifier that has been designed link which introduces the special characteristic for
for a special purpose. Reference should therefore be the kind of device, either a particular transient
made to IEC Publication 268-3, Sound System response, a time delay or a frequency shift.
Equipment, Part 3: Sound System Amplifiers. The intermediate link may be of various natures.
Because of the large variety of principles on which The principles most commonly used are:
this equipment is based, this standard is not a) For artificial reverberation
complete. Specifications not covered by this
standard should be the subject of agreement Excitation of waves in a bounded medium
between the manufacturer and the user. and pick-up at different locations, sometimes
combined with electric feedback.
In general, the methods of measurement given are
those which are considered to be the most directly b) For time delay
related to the characteristics. However, this does Transit-time between record and play-back
not exclude the use of other methods which will give of a magnetic tape, disk or drum.
equivalent results. Transit-time of a free propagating wave in a
medium.
3 Conditions Transit-time of a signal in an analogue or
3.1 Conditions for specifications digital electric network.
Reference is made to IEC Publication 268, c) For frequency shift
Part 1: General, as concerns: Modulation of the signal on a
units and system of measurement; high-frequency carrier wave and demodulation
frequencies of measurement; of one of the sidebands by means of a frequency
which is slightly different from the original
quantities to be specified and their accuracy; carrier frequency.
marking and symbols for marking;
4.3 Comparison between characteristics of the
ambient conditions; devices and those of the amplifier
filters, networks and measuring instruments Because the devices considered have electric or
for noise specification and measurement; electronic input and output characteristics similar
individual specification and type specification; to those of amplifiers, their methods of
graphical presentation of data; measurement will be similar to those for sound
system amplifiers.
scales for graphical presentation of data;
For both time delay and frequency shift devices, the
personnel safety and prevention of spread of
output signal will represent the input signal in the
fire.
same way as for an amplifier, with the exception of
3.2 Rated conditions and normal working the time delay and the frequency shift respectively.
conditions Therefore all the characteristics and the methods of
Reference is made to IEC Publication 268-3, measurement listed for sound system amplifiers
Sub-clause 3.2: Rated conditions and normal also apply to time delay and frequency shift devices.
working conditions [changing the term amplifier
to device].
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BS 6840-9:1987
For these devices, the object of this standard is 5.4 Special characteristics
limited to standards for the two special 5.4.1 Reverberation time as a function of frequency
characteristics time delay and frequency shift (ISO 140).
respectively and their methods of measurement.
5.4.2 Characteristics of decay linearity of the output
It should be borne in mind, however, that the level as a function of time, following the transient
intermediate link may introduce a kind of distortion corresponding to a stop at the input. The level shall
which is not common to an amplifier, e.g.: be expressed in decibels.
wow and flutter and modulation noise for 5.4.3 Frequency response.
magnetic tape delay;
5.4.4 Sensitivity to ambient noise.
non-linear distortion components other than
those listed for amplifiers in 5.4.5 Initial decay time as a function of frequency.
modulation/demodulation frequency shift links. 5.4.6 Additional characteristics.
For artificial reverberation devices, the particular
transient behaviour of the intermediate link not 6 Reverberation time
only introduces special characteristics particular to 6.1 Characteristic to be specified
this kind of device but, moreover, influences other If the decay of the signal fits an exponential law, the
characteristics e.g. frequency response to such reverberation time is that time for the sound
an extent that the methods of measurement for pressure level or the output signal level to decrease
these characteristics have to be matched to the by 60 dB after the input signal has been stopped.
particular behaviour. Therefore, for this kind of
NOTE The decay curve of the signal level may be represented
device this standard covers also the modifications by values of the decay rate. The relation between reverberation
required with respect to the methods of time and the decay rate is
measurement for amplifiers.
T = 60
------
For the characteristics to be specified and the D
relevant methods of measurement, reference is where:
made to IEC Publication 268-3. D = decay rate in decibels per second
T = reverberation time in seconds
Section 1. Artificial reverberation Often the decay curve is not a straight line; it is then possible
to represent it by two different values of decay rate, i.e. initial
equipment decay rate and final decay rate.
5 General 7 Various kinds of reverberation time

5.1 Definition of reverberation 7.1 Initial reverberation time
In room acoustics, this is the phenomenon that 7.1.1 Characteristic to be specified
sound energy persists in a room after the sound
source has been stopped. When the signal decay does not fit an exponential
law, the initial reverberation time is evaluated from
For artificial reverberation devices, reverberation
the average slope of the curve of pressure level or
refers to the analogue electrical phenomenon that
output signal level versus time for the first 15 dB
the output signal persists after the input signal has
decay below the initial signal level.
been stopped.
7.2 Ultimate reverberation time
5.2 Object
7.2.1 Characteristic to be specified
The object of this device is to produce a signal in
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order to generate effects similar to those of When the signal decay does not fit an exponential
reverberation in a room with given acoustical law, the ultimate reverberation time is evaluated
characteristics. from the average slope of the curve of pressure level
or output signal level versus time for levels
5.3 General characteristics
comprised between 15 dB and 40 dB below the
For steady-state conditions, the most suitable test initial signal level.
shall be chosen from the ones specified for sound
system amplifiers (IEC Publication 268-3), for
professional tape recorders (IEC Publication 94-4,
in preparation) and for loudspeakers
(IEC Publication 268-5, Part 5: Loudspeakers) in
which the signal used is pink noise.
2 BSI 07-1999
BS 6840-9:1987
7.3 Method of measurement The measurement result shall be given as a graph

It is deduced from the record of the output voltage for a number of positions of the tone-controls, if any,
level of the device, terminated with its rated adequately covering the range of variation to be
impedance, when the input signal is pink noise in attained by the controls, including the positions for
octave or third-octave band (with filters described in rated conditions.
IEC Publication 225, Octave, Half-octave and
Third-octave Band Filters Intended for the Analysis 10 Initial time delay
of Sound and Vibrations) abruptly switched off. The 10.1 Characteristic to be specified
average slope is deduced from the record of the
The minimum delay time with which the device can
output voltage level decay and from this the various
operate (insertion time delay).
reverberation times are calculated.
10.2 Method of measurement
This measurement shall be made for each octave or
third-octave band included in the frequency range The measurement of the initial time delay shall be
specified by the manufacturer. made with the device under normal working
The various reverberation times shall be specified conditions and according to one of the methods given
for different positions of the regulator, if any, and in Sub-clause 13.2.
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for different frequency responses if a choice is If the device is equipped with a feed-back circuit to
possible. generate the reverberation, this circuit should be
NOTE Artificial reverberation devices generally introduce a disabled or the feed-back reduced to zero.
delay time of the start of the output signal with respect to the NOTE 1 For a multi-channel device in which the output signals
input, additional to the reverberation phenomenon. This delay of the different channels are combined, the time of each channel
time may be varied with frequency, either continuously or step by should be measured previous to the mixing, if possible.
step for consecutive frequency bands. NOTE 2 If the device allows the initial time delay to be varied,
the measurement should be repeated for different values or at
8 Linearity least for its minimum and maximum values.
8.1 Characteristic to be specified 11 Additional characteristics

For each frequency band, the maximum plus or 11.1 General
minus deviations of the decay level curve (expressed
in decibels) from an approximating linear curve for Taking into account the large variety of principles
a decay of 30 dB. on which the devices are based, particular
specifications may be required, for instance
The octave/third-octave bands and the range of
concerning wow, flutter and modulation noise, for
levels used shall be stated in the results as well as
devices using magnetic recording as an
the writing speed of the level recorder.
intermediate, and concerning the behaviour of an
echo room as a function of relative humidity. Useful
9 Frequency response guidance concerning methods of measurement
9.1 Characteristic to be specified might be found in other IEC publications, for
Variation, as function of the frequency, of the ratio instance those on magnetic tape recording (under
of the output voltage to the source e.m.f., expressed consideration by IEC Sub-Committee 60A).
in decibels, relative to the value of this ratio at a As far as the methods of measurement standardized
specified frequency, under normal working by the IEC are not applicable to a particular kind of
conditions. device, the methods of measurement used shall be
9.2 Method of measurement explicitly stated and subject to agreement between
manufacturer and user.
The frequency response is determined by applying a
white noise source and a set of IEC octave or 11.2 Ambient acoustical noise
third-octave band filters producing constant voltage Reverberation devices may be highly sensitive to
to the input of the device, and reading or recording ambient acoustical noise; therefore, a measurement
its output voltage. of the output signal should be made without any
NOTE When devices with appreciable frequency correction are electrical input signal to determine the value of the
considered, it is essential to adjust the input signal so as to noise signal.
maintain the linear relation between input and output.
Any reading less than 10 dB above the noise
The measurement shall be made with the device background level should be rejected.
under normal working conditions.
The electrical noise output level relative to a given
ambient noise level should be stated.
BSI 07-1999
3
BS 6840-9:1987
11.3 Safe life expectation 13.2 Method of measurement

The safe life expectation of the tape loop or disks in For some devices (for instance the ones with many
magnetic devices shall be stated by the magnetic heads at different distances), the delay
manufacturer. time does not depend on the frequency: in these
Section 2. Time delay devices cases, its value should be determined for a single
frequency for different positions of the delay time
12 General controls, if any.
If the delay time is realized by means of electric
The purpose of these devices is to introduce a delay active or passive networks, it is necessary to
time, which may or may not be a function of the
measure it as a function of frequency for different
frequency, between the input and the output
positions of the delay time control.
signals. They are essentially used:
A direct oscillographic method may be used
a) to supply loudspeakers placed at different
employing tone bursts applied to the input, signals
distances from the listener, to compensate for the being supplied from the input and from the output
time of propagation of the sound, so that at every respectively to two traces of an oscillograph, of
listening point the same sound signal arrives
which the time scale is calibrated.
simultaneously (within a given approximation)
from the various loudspeakers; Another method employs phase difference
measurements, and is based on the relation: delay
b) to produce determined effects in sound
time = d /2 df. An approximate evaluation for some
recording when it is necessary to have an echo at kinds of circuit can be obtained from the
a given time delay with respect to the signal that determination of the frequencies at which the
generates it.
output signal is in phase and successively in phase
12.1 Types of devices opposition with respect to the input (this method
Fundamentally there are two types of devices: can be realized in a very simple way, applying the
input and output signals respectively to the
a) those that introduce a pure delay; in this case
vertical deflection and horizontal deflection
the output signal has the same form as the input
inputs of a cathode ray tube).
signal;
b) those which also introduce various distortions 14 Echo
according to the required effect.
14.1 General
12.2 General characteristics
Signal occurring at the output having an amplitude
For steady-state conditions, the general and time delay such that it is perceived distinctly
characteristics should be in accordance with IEC from a first output signal produced by the same
Publication 268-3 [only for a) of Sub-clause 12.1]. input signal.
12.3 Special characteristics
12.3.1 The delay time as a function of frequency. 15 Echo time
12.3.2 Sensitivity to ambient conditions. 15.1 Characteristic to be specified
12.3.3 Life expectancy [only for a) of Time interval between the beginning of the first
Sub-clause 12.1]. signal and the beginning of the first perceptible
echo.
13 Delay time NOTE There is no substantial physical difference between
delayed signal and echo: the only distinction depends on the time
13.1 Characteristic to be specified interval and is related to the purpose of the intended effect.
For an input signal, which is f (t) and a correlated
output signal which is f (t ), is the delay time. 16 Ambient acoustical noise
The delay time is the time between a discontinuity See Sub-clause 11.2.
of the input signal and the corresponding
discontinuity of the output signal. 17 Safe life expectancy
See Sub-clause 11.3.
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4 BSI 07-1999
BS 6840-9:1987
Section 3. Frequency shift devices 18.3 Characteristic to be specified

Difference between the frequency f1 of a sinusoidal
18 General input signal and the frequency f2 of the
One of the purposes of these devices is to avoid or to corresponding output signal. It is expressed as a
attenuate feedback effects between microphone and frequency difference f2 f1.
loudspeaker in public-address systems. 18.4 Method of measurement
18.1 General characteristics For these devices, the output frequency should be
For steady-state conditions, the general determined as a function of the input frequency, for
characteristics shall be in accordance with steady-state conditions.
IEC Publication 268-3. This measurement should be repeated at different
18.2 Special characteristic frequencies included in the frequency range
specified by the manufacturer.
18.2.1 Frequency shift.
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6
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BS 6840-9:1987
Publications referred to
See national foreword.
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BSI 07-1999
BS 6840-9:
1987
IEC 268-9: BSI British Standards Institution
1977
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British Standards. It presents the UK view on standards in Europe and at the
international level. It is incorporated by Royal Charter.
Revisions
British Standards are updated by amendment or revision. Users of

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BRITISH STANDARD BS 6840-9:

[IEC title: Sound system equipment Part 9: Artificial

UDC [621.396 + 681.84]:621.395.61:621.317.6

Copyright British Standards Institution

Committees responsible for this

The preparation of this British Standard was entrusted by the Electronic

upon which the following bodies were represented:

Association of British Theatre Technicians

This British Standard, having

The following BSI references

ISBN 0 580 16222 2

Copyright British Standards Institution

Terminology and conventions. The text of the international standard has

1 Scope 3.3 Other conditions

2 Object Reference is made to IEC Publication 268-3,

5 General 7 Various kinds of reverberation time

7.3 Method of measurement The measurement result shall be given as a graph

8.1 Characteristic to be specified 11 Additional characteristics

11.3 Safe life expectation 13.2 Method of measurement

Section 3. Frequency shift devices 18.3 Characteristic to be specified

Copyright British Standards Institution

See national foreword.

British Standards are updated by amendment or revision. Users of

In response to orders for international standards, it is BSI policy to supply the

BSI provides a wide range of information on national, European and

Subscribing members of BSI are kept up to date with standards developments

of these and other benefits contact Membership Administration.

If permission is granted, the terms may include royalty payments or a licensing

Copyright British Standards Institution

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