How Acoustic Treatments Will Reduce Echo and Reverb in Your Space

Have you ever been in a restaurant, trying to listen to your companion tell a story across from you, but were unable to make out a single word? The clatter of plates and lively conversations throughout the restaurant drowned out your friend’s words, leaving you both a little frustrated.

Whichever restaurant that was, they could have used the help of an acoustic consultant. We often take acoustics for granted, but all public spaces require special attention to sound just right. If you’re a business owner, you may have realized that your building is also a difficult space for acoustics. Whether you operate a house of worship, a music venue, theater, recording studio, or restaurant, an acoustic consultant can help you achieve a balanced level of noise.

If you’re looking for help with acoustics in Collier County, FL, and beyond, discover what an acoustic consultant can do for you below.

 

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What Does an Acoustic Consultant Do?

Every room’s acoustics are different and depend on the dimensions and materials of the walls and floor. A room with thick concrete walls will sound vastly different from one with single-layer plasterboard walls, for example. An acoustic consultant will know how to control noises, echoes, and reverberations, so your building sounds its best.

At Frangioni Media with David Frangioni, we install absorption materials on the walls or ceiling to ‘soak up’ sound energy, and place diffusion structures (often made out of woof) to scatter sound across the room. The location of these treatments is important, and our acoustic consultant will draft a design specific to your business.

 

Theaters, Venues & Auditoriums

For the best experience at your theater, the audience needs to hear the performance clearly without distractions. One common issue for auditoriums is an echo. If you clap your hands and hear two distinct sounds, our consultant will locate the surface that the sound is reflecting and will absorb, block, or reorient it. If the room is too noisy during performances, an acoustic canopy on the ceiling can reduce the height of the room to reflect sound energy down to the audience. Your venue will likely need soundproofing treatments, too, so that loud music won’t disturb neighbors and cause complaints.

 

Condos, Offices, and Mixed-Use Developments

Offices and apartment buildings don’t need to project sound like a venue, but rather maintain privacy with soundproofing. Residents of your building will not stay for long if they’re always hearing the neighbor’s noises, and offices need to maintain a quiet atmosphere and soundproofed areas for confidentiality. In a mixed-use building that includes a gym, bar, or restaurant adjacent to offices and apartments, you’ll need an acoustic consultant to help control sound so that each unit stays separate.

 

Houses of Worship

Churches and houses of worship require unique acoustical requirements. When music is an essential piece of service, your acoustic consultant needs to ensure treatments will address low and high frequencies. High ceilings often found in churches will create excessive reverberation, which sounds lovely for choral music or an organ, but makes it difficult to hear speech. Absorptive and diffusion surfaces will help bring the reverberation time to an acceptable level so that everyone can listen to the service comfortably.

 

Ready to partner with an acoustic consultant for your business? Fill out our online form here to get started. We’ll be in touch soon!