Thursday, June 19, 2014

How Acoustic Sound Panels For Churches Work

By Ina Hunt


Music and speech are both improved by a small amount of reverberation, but at higher levels it can make both seem annoying and garbled. The choir and sermon are an integral part of many services, but become meaningless when the congregation is unable to hear singing or distinguish words normally. Acoustic sound panels for churches focus amplified waves and natural vibrations, making them more meaningful and pleasant to listeners.

Although some European Gothic cathedrals are famous for their signature echoes, there is a distinct line separating reverberation from garbled, irritating noise. Echoes occur because individual waves repeatedly bounce back and forth between ceilings and walls. While some building plans include acoustic accuracy, many houses of worship today exist in structures originally intended for other uses.

Even without the advantages of computerized modeling, there have been many past attempts to correct this issue. In some churches, absorbent ash was added to pots made of clay, which were then placed near walls and in corners. This trial-and-error method took time, and ash was added or removed as needed. Other ideas included redirecting echoes by altering the interior pillars, or by incorporating grooved stone blocks.

Today, solutions range from installing carpeting in strategic areas to using high-tech electronic reverberation systems that create a variety of listening environments. Both are effective, but neither can completely solve echo or muffling problems that are actually a product of the original building design. For many structures, a mixture of methods that also emphasizes special flat baffles creates the best results.

These structures are not used to block or eliminate words or music, but rather to absorb unwanted excess, usually within a single room. Most incorporate the same basic design method, featuring an inner filling made of absorbent material, a frame, and a covering. The filling may consist of various synthetic foams or fiberglass, or may utilize newer, more environmentally friendly substances.

Their size depends the extent of the echo and distortion. Some are as small as four square feet, while others may be nearly wall-sized, and most solutions require combinations. No matter their dimensions, they allow vibrations to pass through the exterior material rather than bouncing off, and any waves that return are re-absorbed. This principle is the same one used by music studios to emphasize accuracy, and can be easily adapted to churches.

Far from appearing to be an industrial or high-tech intrusion, these structures easily blend with most modern church decors. They can mirror the patterns and colors of existing stained glass, or can tie a room together by adopting patterns or colors on existing walls and ceilings. While a plain baffle is not particularly attractive, in many cases they end up looking like a part of the intended interior design.

It is possible to precisely arrange them in the best possible positions using digital analysis, but diffusion and absorption is often best measured by the most effective tool of all, human hearing. Once the best configuration has been discovered, units can be positioned permanently. Instead of preventing certain frequency ranges or cutting down the volume, they make both speech and music sound clean and clear.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment