Where to sit when conducting room measurements

[scrubb]

Newbie here, first post. I'm learning a lot in this forum and quickly becoming an audio objectivist. Thanks!

When you're doing room measurements with Dirac or REW or whatever, where do you sit? In the listening position? Long story, small room, I've been sitting just outside the room with my laptop and run the mic cable into the room, entering between measurements to move the mic to the next position. But I started thinking that my body mass affects room acoustics and the results won't be quite right if I measure an empty room. Maybe I'm missing something here?

 

[Alexanderc]

I have always wondered this myself! I always assumed I should leave the room or at least sit off in a corner. I figured that if I was close to the mic (like sitting in the listening chair inches away) the reflections off my body would mess up the results. I could be way off though.

 

[Josq]

I also wonder... I think both thoughts are correct. Yes, your body will reflect and absorb and mess up the measurements. And yes, this is exactly what happens when you are listening.
So I guess you either should get out of the way, or you should simulate the listening situation by using a (very expensive) binaural dummy+microphone. A compromise between these two approaches is probably not good.

 

[Hipper]

This recent thread covered some of this, including my post #6:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...hout-chair-occupied-or-not.13586/#post-411592

 

[Wes]

sit in the listening chair you use, and hold the mic in your mouth