Things to Consider When Designing an Acoustic Theatre

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• Deepak Panda

When properly designed, an acoustic theatre provides guests with a unique and memorable experience. Regardless of the event or where someone sits, everything sounds incredibly clear. If you’re planning this kind of endeavor, you’ll need to make several key decisions. As an example, you want to select the right studio acoustic treatment.

For any theatre acoustic design, no matter how small or large the facility, the goal is to achieve a perfect balance of reflection and absorption. As a result, every guest can clearly hear and fully understand the words spoken. The right design even enhances the sound of musical instruments.

Executing an Amazing Studio Acoustic Design

To design a theatre that stands out from others, consider the following recommendations:

• Reverberation Time – This is the amount of time necessary for sound within a space to diminish over a specific dynamic range. So, as part of your theatre acoustic design, strive for 1.0 to 1.3 seconds. Keep in mind that if you plan to host musical performances, this could go higher.
• Absorptive Materials – When choosing a studio acoustic treatment, you’ll need to consider options for various surfaces. Seating is one example. Now, once installed, the seats will automatically decrease the reverberation time. However, there’s a good chance you’ll still need to utilize absorptive materials to achieve the optimal effect.
• Stage Area – When planning your studio acoustic design, you’ll focus on different areas. These include the lobby, the theatre itself, and the stage. For this, you want to achieve the same reverberation time for the interior theatre and the stage. Considering the ceiling height of most stages is taller than the house, this is another area where you’ll likely need to add absorptive materials. Expert designers usually suggest putting this material on the back wall and perhaps one or both side walls.
• Back Wall Reflections – Especially for the back wall of the state, you’ll need the right type of studio acoustic treatment to control reflection. The lack of absorptive material doesn’t compromise the audience’s experience. However, it can create a “slapping” sound, referred to as “slap back,” that’s disruptive to the performers. Keep in mind that if your design includes using a concave back wall, the proper treatment becomes even more critical.
• Theatre Balconies – The balconies are another area that commonly has “slap back.” So, this, too, would require the appropriate absorptive material application.
• Flutter Echoes – When formulating a plan for your studio acoustic design, don’t forget about parallel reflective surfaces. If they’re not properly treated, a ricochet sound, also called “flutter echoes,” bounces between the surfaces. This diminishes the sound quality for both the audience and performers.
• Theatre Capacity – Unfortunately, some people forget about capacity when planning a theatre acoustic design. This is important because a full theatre is naturally more absorptive compared to one that’s half-filled.

A Reputable Source to Help with Your Studio Acoustic Design

To design your theatre in a way that ensures a positive experience for everyone, we can help. A leading source for theatre acoustic design in Canada, will address everything mentioned plus more. Give us a call today for details on our services.

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