Soundproofing a Multipurpose Room
A multipurpose room, such as a gymnasium or meeting hall is often subjected to a high volume of noise. Because of the size, this general-purpose room is often a magnet for unwanted sound reflections. Finding a way to cut down on the reverberation while complying with building and fire codes takes careful consideration.
Controlling the reverberation time in a multi purpose room should result in background noise that subsides while normal conversational tones return to the room. With a soundproofed multipurpose room, acoustics should be perfect for speech clarity, blending harmonic musical tones, and making the room comfortable for large groups of people.
One way to address the issue is through the installation of a series of wall or ceiling mounted acoustical panels or wall coverings that results in the reflecting sounds produced within the room collapsing reverberation time.
Your ultimate goal isn’t to deaden your room, or even dampen it really, but simply to control the sound being produced within it. What you should try to aim for is a room that will accurately portray the spoken word, maintain the quality of musical tones and disperse sound throughout the room.
One example of how a multipurpose room was designed to do just this would be the Bound Brook High School, a building that needed to deliver good acoustics to every seat in the facility.
With the installation of NetWell Fabric Panels applied to the back and sidewalls of the facility, the sound waves reflected around the room and the panels captured and converted the unwanted energy, delivering a reverb time of under 2.0 seconds. As a result, the original sounds produced became clearer as the background noise died off. The acoustics in the room are now under control, delivering quality speech and music evenly throughout the room.
The sound treatment for the multipurpose room is dependent on the design of the room and the need. Other sound treatments that can and have been used in multipurpose rooms include: Suspended Ceiling Clouds, which can convert the sound energy into kinetic energy and deliver a controlled sound environment back into the room; QBS Blankets that trap energy and noise; VET Baffles, Pyramids Plus Foam panels made from class A fire rated melamine foam; Strike Panels, Wedge Foam Panels, dB-Block, NetLag and FabricBloc Panels.
There is no one ‘cure all’ fix for improving acoustics in your multipurpose room, but if you want a space that can be used for nearly any event you have space for, making sure the sound is of utmost quality will be well worth the investment.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/soundproofing-a-multipurpose-room-314778.html
About the Author
Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of ceiling tiles, acoustic products, soundproofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. For more information, please visit www.eSoundproof.com. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.