Posts Tagged absorber
St. Mary Magdalen Worship Center – Kerfed panels to fit curved walls!
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Product Applications, Products, Worship Facilities on June 28, 2024
The Mary Magdalen Mission Center has an oval-shaped sanctuary that was experiencing extremely poor speech and music clarity. Their Worship services are traditional leaning (spoken word, piano and congregational singing) with the occasional contemporary music service.
Parabolic Focusing – A primary feature of the sanctuary are 4 large curved walls (two at the front and two at the rear). Concave, uniform, curved surfaces are very problematic in room acoustics. Curved surfaces “focus” sound reflections to a point, akin to a magnifying glass focusing light passing through the curved lens.
If you’ve ever stood in the center of dome, you’ve probably experienced a few interesting acoustic anomalies. First is the “whisper” effect, where sound produced near the foci of the dome/curve, is amplified, allowing a faint whisper to be heard throughout the room (and conversely, all the sound produced in the room focused to this point, causing a cacophony of reflections at the center foci) . Another is the “creep” effect, where sound produced at the edge of arc, travels along the curved surface, losing little energy until it reaches the opposite end of the arc.
Not only do the hard wall and floor surfaces of the Mary Magdalen Mission Center contribute to excessive sound buildup, but the parabolic focusing from the curved wall surfaces caused extreme comb filtering (pockets of destructive and constructive interference as a result of overlapping waves), exacerbating intelligibility issues. These conditions contribute to an acoustically uncomfortable environment in which music is hard to perform and enjoy while speech is also difficult to understand.
To significantly reduce excessive reverberation and destructive reflections, we recommended installing approx. 1200 SQFT of 2” back-scored Hi Impact Sonora Wall Panels across the rear wall surfaces. We specified kerfed/back-scored Hi Impact Sonora Wall Panels that can “bend” to fit curved surfaces and come with a high-density adder that improves acoustic performance and durability. View Sonora Panel information on our website.
https://www.acousticsfirst.com/sonora-wall-panels.htm
Reverb Predictions – Worship spaces of this size with a blend of traditional and contemporary music should have a reverb time below 1.6s. We entered the room’s dimensions and construction materials and made a prediction of reverb times before and after treatment. In addition to controlling distracting echoes and comb filtering, installing approx. 1248 SQFT of 2” Hi Impact Sonora wall panels across the rear wall reduced reverberation by approx. 35%, significantly improving speech intelligibility and music clarity.
St. Andrew by the Bay – Custom HiPer® Impact Panels to absorb and diffuse sound!
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Diffusion, Product Applications, Worship Facilities on April 10, 2024
St. Andrew by the Bay is a traditional worship facility with a focus on spoken word worship and congregational singing. The large volume and hard surfaces in this space are the physical features most at fault for excessive reverberation, comb filtering and distracting “slap” echoes (discrete sound reflections usually caused by a distant, reflective back-wall).
To correct the slap-back and curb excessive reverb without “over deadening” the space, we recommend distributing approx. 550 SQFT 1” HiPer® Impact absorber/diffuser panels throughout the rear wall areas (see attached layout). HiPer® Impact panels absorb low frequencies and diffuse high-frequencies, yielding a much more even room response. In addition to controlling bass buildup, the high-frequency scattering will help retain some “life” in the room for acoustic and choral performances.
Reverb Prediction – Historically, churches relied on an abundance of hard surfaces to propagate sound to the rear of the nave, so they benefited from very long reverb times (upwards of 4-5s). Modern sound systems allow for a much more focused sound and equitable listening environment , so these extreme reverb tails are no longer necessary and can actually degrade the experience of the congregation. Churches of this size with a sound system and traditional worship services should have a reverb time somewhere in the 1.5-2.25s range. We entered the sanctuary’s dimensions and construction materials into our acoustic calculator and made a prediction of reverb times before and after treatment.
From Lee Hartman & Sons who performed the install “Here are some photos of the finished panels at St. Andrew by the Bay. It turned out great and client is very happy. Many thanks to Cameron for the detailed layout.”
FireFlex™ Wave – Cloud or Baffle
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Product Applications, Products on June 21, 2022
It’s good to have options in ceiling treatments. Some environments have high ceilings that benefit from vertically-hanging baffles, while other environments have lower ceilings in which clouds are more appropriate. In some cases the aesthetic will dictate which product would be best – but what if there was one product that could do both?
The Fireflex™ Wave has a unique, undulating shape that adds visual interest along with acoustic absorption – but it has another feature which few materials can boast. Due to the Class 1(A) melamine foam construction, the corkscrew mounting hardware can be installed wherever it is needed – including on the edges.
By installing the hardware on the edges instead of the face, you are given the option to also hang the Waves in a vertical orientation as baffles. The wave shape works well aesthetically in either orientation – horizontal or vertical.
In rooms with a lower ceiling, the horizontal orientation of clouds provides more headroom while the undulating shape optimizes the Wave’s surface area for absorption. In larger spaces with high ceilings, you can add more absorptive surface area by hanging the Waves as baffles, and provide a more organic look than you get with flat baffles.
When overhead acoustic absorption is required, turn to Acoustics First®.
Sonora® Panels welcome congregations back “home.”
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Auditorium, Product Applications, Products, Worship Facilities on June 19, 2020
Sonora® Panels on the back walls and balcony help to make the space sound more intimate.
As people begin to head back into their places of worship, the focus on acoustics has again come to the forefront. Many have been streaming services and listening to music in their homes, where they had short reverb times and good acoustic clarity. They are experiencing a stark contrast in the large reverberant churches to which they are returning. By adding acoustic absorption in a space, you can improve clarity and reduce reflections which can fatigue the listeners.
The Sonora® Panels above are helping to break up the reflections coming from the balcony face and the rear balcony wall, improving the clarity of the voices and the music within the space. This helps to create an intimate and comfortable acoustic environment for those in attendance – and makes it feel more like home.
Sonora® Corner Bass Trap – Low Frequency Control
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Product Applications, Products, Uncategorized on April 21, 2020
Sometimes a simple solution is the best solution. That is the guiding philosophy behind our new Sonora® Corner Bass Trap. Take one 4” thick, 6-7pcf sound absorbing fiberglass panel, back bevel to fit in a corner, front bevel for a nice finished look, throw in a few corner clips for mounting, and done!
The Sonora® Corner Bass Trap was born.
This bass trap lives up to the design aesthetic and functionality of the Geometrix® Quarter Round unit, but at a lower price point with reduced weight for an easy installation. Available in widths of 24” or 18”, standard length is 4’ with custom lengths available.
The Sonora® Corner Bass Trap is a great option for studios, theaters, or any critical listening environment where broadband absorption with enhanced low frequency control is desired.
Bevelled front & rear for a clean, finished look when installed.
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