Free Speaker Placement & MLP optimizer plus correct Atmos position calculator (many get this wrong)

[nadrealista]

I was recently optimizing my HT set up and wanted to upgrade to on ceiling atmos speaker 5.2.4 set up. As I was doing research on line to figure out correct placement of the atmos speakers I realized that 99% of folks giving advice are wrong - in most cases you don't end up with azimuth and elevation angles you are shooting for.

So I created this python based custom optimizer that will help you with you best speaker placement based on your system, room size, room modes and SBIR, ear height, tweeter height, mlp (user provided or given by optimizer), walls on which you can place your sub(s).

here is description of its features and how you can set it up to run on your computer:

What is the Placement Optimizer?​

The Global Room and Speaker Placement Optimizer is a sophisticated command-line tool designed to help home theater enthusiasts find the ideal placement for their speakers and subwoofers within a specific room.

At its core, it's an acoustic simulator. It uses a physics-based approach called the image-source model to predict the frequency response at your listening position. It accounts for:

• Direct sound from each speaker to your ears.
• First-order reflections of the sound off your room's six surfaces (front, back, left, right, floor, and ceiling).
• Speaker Boundary Interference Response (SBIR), which are the problematic peaks and nulls caused by sound bouncing off the wall behind the speaker.
• The interaction between your main speakers and subwoofers at the crossover frequency.

The script's goal is to find the one specific layout that produces the smoothest, most balanced sound, closely matching the scientifically-preferred "Harman Curve" for in-room audio.

How to Set Up and Use the Optimizer​

Follow these steps to get the optimizer running on your Windows PC or Mac.

Step 1: Install Python​

This is a Python script, so you need Python installed on your computer.

1. Go to the official Python website: python.org/downloads/
2. Download the latest version for your operating system (Windows or macOS).
3. Run the installer. On Windows, make sure to check the box that says "Add Python to PATH" during the installation. This is a very important step.

Step 2: Download the Script​

1. Create a new folder on your computer where you'd like to keep the tool. For example, you could create a folder named TheaterOptimizer on your Desktop.
2. Unzip and save the "placement_optimization.py" file into this new folder.

Step 3: Install Required Libraries​

The script depends on a few external libraries for calculations and generating the graphical reports. You'll need to install them using Python's package installer, pip.

1. Open your command-line tool:
   • On Windows: Press the Windows key, type cmd, and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
   • On macOS: Open the "Terminal" app (you can find it in Applications -> Utilities, or search for it with Spotlight).
2. Navigate to the script's folder: Use the cd (change directory) command. For example, if you created the folder on your Desktop, you would type:
   
   cd Desktop/TheaterOptimizer
   Press Enter. Your command prompt should now show that you are inside that folder.
3. Run the installation command: Type the following command exactly as shown and press Enter:
   pip install numpy matplotlib Pillow
   This will download and install the three required libraries. You only need to do this once.

Step 4: Gather Your Room & Gear Information​

Before you run the script, you need to take a few measurements. Be as accurate as possible!

• Room Dimensions (in feet): Length, Width, and Height.
• Speaker Layout: The system you have (e.g., 5.1, 7.2.4, 2.1).
• Ear Height (in inches): Sit in your main listening chair and have someone measure the height from the floor to your ears.
• Tweeter Height (in inches): Measure the height from the floor to the center of the tweeter on your main front speakers.
• Subwoofer Wall Preference: Decide which walls you are willing to place your subwoofers on. The options are 1 for the Front wall, 2 for the Left wall, and 3 for the Right wall. You can enter a combination like 1,3.
• (Optional) Fixed Seating Position: If you cannot move your couch, measure the distance from the front wall to your ears and the distance from the left wall to your ears (both in inches).

Step 5: Run the Optimizer!​

Now you're ready to go.

1. In the same Command Prompt or Terminal window (which should still be in the script's folder), type the following command and press Enter:
   python placement_optimization.py
2. The script will start and ask you for the information you just gathered, one question at a time. Enter your measurements and press Enter after each one.
3. The optimizer will now begin its work. It will first search for the best listening area (if you didn't provide a fixed position) and then run an exhaustive search for the best gear placement. This process can take several minutes as it simulates tens of thousands of combinations.

Step 6: View Your Results​

When the script is finished, two things will happen:

1. A final summary of the optimal placement will be printed in the terminal window.
2. A detailed graphical report image named "global_summary_report.png" will be automatically opened for you. This image is saved in the same folder as the script.

This report is the main result, showing you a top-down map of your room with the best positions for all your gear, a graph of the predicted sound quality, and a table of alternative Atmos placements. Use these measurements to physically set up your system!

 

[Adahn]

Interesting tool in desperate need of a unit converter.

 

[nadrealista]

Interesting tool in desperate need of a unit converter.

feel free to improve and share


one of the issues very few understand regarding the atmos speaker placement misconceptions is described below:

say you want 45 degrees for both azimuth and elevation angle for your atmos speakers:

internet "experts" tell you it is very simple: measure your ear to ceiling distance X" then just go forward/backward X" from MLP ceiling projection then X" left and right and you will get your ceiling speakers position with 45 degrees of both elevation and azimuth , but what you end up with is actually 45 degrees azimuth and only 35 degrees of elevation:

curtesy of this poster from Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/hometheater/comments/190a7zn/lets_talk_about_atmos_placement_xx4

 

[jmdesignz2]

How do we know this doesn’t also install malware?

 

[NTK]

It is a Python script. If you know Python, you'll know exactly what the script does.

 

[nadrealista]

How do we know this doesn’t also install malware?

ask chat gpt