On Thu, Aug 24, 2023 at 1:27 PM Heitzso via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
_______________________________________________I agree that acoustic treatment is optimum, but also acknowledge it may not be practical.
My going splat on this topic ...
Weogo's thick theater curtain suggestion helps and may be cost effective.
It has the advantage of working along the lines of what you are already thinking (curtains/fabric)
and, I assume, might be acceptable to the dance hall's owners.
(Bill Porter ... if you see this ... what are your thoughts on Clarkston's curtains?)
The gym mats idea is one I hadn't heard before.
I assume leaning them at an angle helps diffuse the sound up away from dancers.
There are numerous DIY sound panel projects on YouTube.
Here's one analysis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwaZhT_CrYI
Also, a quick search came up with DIY sound panels costing $7 to $30 each.
Of course, those are mid-sized (not large) panels that would go into a
normal house room and not a gym. BUT, every bit helps. The Sautee gym
has sound panels on the far wall and fabric (not super thick, but fabric) on other walls.
Putting sound panels on the far wall will help with main PA bounce back.
Putting sound panels behind the musicians helps with musician monitor bounce back.
These can be artistic with a little effort and add to the overall visual space.
Your sound system setup can help ... a lot. Lower frequencies are not directional
but higher frequencies are (more) directional. Sautee gym uses 4 "J" line array (hung high)
speakers per side with the speaker targeting the back wall set to just catch a tall person's ears
standing at the back wall. That's $25K worth of sound gear and installation that's
not likely viable, besides being permanently installed.
Another route, my GO-TO, is multiple quality speakers with delays.
Theory is quality gives clarity (at volume if necessary) and multiple w/ delays
gives (more) even sound coverage with least sound energy going into the room
since not trying to push clear sound all the way to the rear from the front.
Most recently I've happily run sound in a typical mid-sized basketball gym box
(happy meaning caller and music clear, dancers not struggling to hear, weekend loud)
for an anniversary celebration day of dancing with:
2 RCF NX L24As for front of hall mains (30 degree vertical pattern, slight bias down)
1 RCF TT 12" sub-woofer to one side by one of the mains
1 RCF TT 051A front center fill (fill space left by mains to some 20' out, not loud at all)
2 RCF TT 10A iis down hall side fills on delays (70 degrees vertical coverage)
I've had good results using this setup in several gyms.
In theory, the front of hall mains are barely audible in the back of the hall w/o side fills.
In theory side fills just fill the back area.
Bill Porter, in Atlanta, has rigged (in the past, don't know his current fav setup)
2 front of halls, 2 mid-hall side fills, 2 back of hall corners pointing up hall.
Theory says phase issues should be a problem but in practice this rig works
to minimize overall sound energy bouncing around. (of course using delays
off a Mackie DL16s and a click track to set delays).
Hi,
This is a compelling and interesting problem for a sound and music nerd such as myself. We had a similar problem and I'm pleased with our solution.
To aid a comparison of challenges, our home dance space consisted of four hard walls of both windows and mirrors, a faux-wood floor, and apx. 12' ceilings with mild acoustical treatment in the ceiling. The space is about the size of a regulation basketball court. We had significant and long echos, reverbs and sound wave cancellations that made it difficult to hear and enjoy the caller, music and, well, chatting between dances.
Raising acoustical (sound absorbing) curtains and/or installing sound baffles and panels are standard ways to resolve this issue but this wasn't an option for us since we may not make permanent modifications in the space. We also have to set-up and break-down quickly: 30 minutes for each. Of course we have a very limited budget.
We solved our problem extremely well by placing (leaning) large z-fold gymnastics mats along the side walls and back wall. The solution was relatively low cost and extremely effective. As a bonus, tumbling mats come in a wide range of colors, so they can be a bit decorative if not exactly high-class, like curtains. However, unlike curtains, they stand up on their own, so we avoid the cost of a hanging system. They are compact, though heavy, simple to store and transport, and hard to damage.
Here are some links, including to sound absorbing curtain systems in case that is better for your dance.
I hope you find a good solution. I personally have concluded that it's crucial for a dance space to have adequate acoustical treatment.
Rob
Organizer, Musician, Novice Caller
Dancing Bears Contra
Conway, AR- - - - - - - - - - - -
Robert Matson
On Thu, Aug 24, 2023 at 9:19 AM Sarah Lee via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Hi Chrissy,_______________________________________________
I don’t know about the sound dampening part, but for schools we use this to make any curtains fire retardant, maybe it could help you treat the curtains you find-
On Aug 24, 2023, at 7:07 AM, Chrissy Fowler via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
I am hoping some of you will have suggestions and recommendations for me. (including where else to send this query) Note that I'm also trying to figure out how to sign up for the Trad Sound SharedWeight list.
My question:
Where would you buy decent quality fire resistant window curtains to dampen sound and improve acoustics? (What vendors do you recommend?)
Back story:
Our first Friday dance series moved to a new venue when we started up again in November 2022. The hall is visually appealing, with a high ceiling made of tin, large windows on three sides of the hall, gorgeous hardwood floor, and incredibly welcoming venue owners. But it has VERY "live" acoustics, which are really challenging.
The venue owners removed the curtains when they got their windows replaced. For several months, they've been looking for fire resistant window curtains for the large windows on all sides of the hall. We'd love for those curtains to also be really good at dampening sound (thus improving acoustics.)
My internet searches are inconclusive so far. I'd love to have some suggestions for reputable sources that will serve our needs, offer a well-made window curtain product that's functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Thanks for any suggestions or advice!
Cheers,ChrissyBelfast Flying ShoesBelfast ME
_______________________________________________
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