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Dispersion control. Acoustic interface. Audio fidelity. To technical personnel-sound designers and engineers-these words are music to the ears. But to theatre administrators, such phrases can be a cacophony of confusion. How can theatres ensure that their audiences are getting premium sound during show performances?
At a minimum, theatre managers need to be aware of “the acoustic qualities of their theatres, the capabilities of their sound systems, and what those factors taken together make their venue appropriate for,” says sound engineer John Sibley, who is currently working on the new musical version of Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein.”
Getting the proper guidance
To ensure that they have the proper audio ammunition, Jonathan Darling, senior consultant with Kirkegaard Associates in Chicago, Ill., recommends that theatres survey the types of productions that will be performed in the venue. Rely on a sound designer or consultant to provide guidance on equipment requirements for each type of performance.
“The sound designer can ensure that every word is heard, that nothing-no nuance, no subtle inflection, no muttered syllable-is lost,” says Kai Harada, a New York-based sound designer who currently works as the sound supervisor for all productions of \"Wicked\" worldwide. Each production uses between 100 and 200 strategically placed loudspeakers.
For theatre managers who need help picking the best equipment for their facility, audio consultants stand ready to help. These consultants are “manufacturer-neutral,” says Joe Ciaudelli, director of marketing at Sennheiser USA in Old Lyme, Conn. Consultants are entrusted with providing an objective analysis of what can fit within the client’s budget. Edward Logsdon, a consultant with D.L. Adams Associates, Inc., in Denver, Colo., agrees: “It’s hard to remain unbiased when you make money selling specific product lines,” he says. After all, “we are the owner’s advocate and trainer. We help them sleep well at night.”
Identifying sound system weaknesses or poor acoustics
What factors can damage the acoustics in a theatre? “Cheap flooring, walls and carpet,” says Harada, who works primarily in large-scale musicals that require gigantic sound systems. “The more reflective the walls, floors, and ceilings are,” he says, “the more difficult it is to properly balance a sound system to work in that room.”
Darling agrees, adding that house sound engineers need to have a solid understanding of loudspeaker design and how the loudspeakers interface with the acoustics of a venue. Improper equipment selection or placement can result in annoying electronic feedback through the sound system in addition to problems understanding the audio being transmitted through the speakers.
As an audio consultant, Logsdon commonly deals with issues related to lack of sound coverage or operator error in working the equipment. To avoid these problems, Logsdon uses computer software like EASE, developed by the German firm Acoustic Design Ahnert, that simulates room acoustics using a 3-D model of the room to help him map the placement of loudspeakers. As part of his service to clients, Logsdon also provides extensive training on the equipment he designs for them.
According to Harada, another culprit of weak theatre acoustics is ambient noise-HVAC, lighting equipment, dimmer racks, the box office, the adjacent street, the parking lot outside. “As these sounds get louder, it becomes more and more challenging to ensure that the things the audience wants to hear are, in fact, being heard over the din.”
How can theatres attack their existing sound issues?
“Acousticians and engineers can work together to combat the problem,” says Harada. The issues can include fixing noisy ductwork, double-insulating auditorium doors and remotely positioning air conditioning equipment. Harada also recommends that administrators invest some time and money to place lighting dimmers and stage automation equipment in separate, acoustically isolated locations in their theatres.
Making the most of what you have: basic considerations and simple upgrades
Combining the needs of the show with the right equipment can be a challenging experience. Does the show need spot sound effects or an all-encompassing soundscape? If the venue has a thrust stage, where should the loudspeakers be placed? Is there an orchestra pit, a balcony, boxes or a loge? Will music be performed on acoustic or electronic instruments? Harada deals with questions like these, and many more, in his daily work as a sound designer.
Sound engineer Sibley reveals the basic equipment requirements for any venue: “speaker coverage to every seat; sufficient console inputs for their style of production; paging, intercom and video for crew communication; basic SFX, playback, and recording abilities; and a console suitable for their needs and appropriate to the skill levels of their operators.”
Would you like stereo playback? Surround sound? Or just even coverage across all of your seating? You might be surprised at how far your audio dollar can stretch. For example, says Ciaudelli, affixing sound-dampening material on large reflective surfaces like brick walls is a quick and inexpensive way of boosting the acoustical quality of your theatre. Kai Harada recalls a recent show in which a column in the balcony created nasty sound reflections for the several rows of seats in front of it. “After consulting with the theatre owners,” he says, “we installed a small panel of carpeted material on the column which significantly cut down on the reflections.”
If you need to replace battered old loudspeakers, “the modern generation of powered speakers comes with amplifiers built into the speaker cabinets”-providing terrific cost savings by deleting the need for separate amps, says Sibley. In addition, computer-controlled gear can simplify things as well: “A $600 PC can now take the place of racks and racks of expensive sound effects playback and recording hardware,” he adds.
In the same vein, Logsdon advises that theatre managers start the upgrade process by examining their current loudspeaker setup and its amplification quality. “Many times theatres don’t have enough loudspeakers to properly cover the seating areas,” he explains. If additional microphone inputs are needed, an economical solution is to add wireless microphones or an intercom system because wiring isn’t required for anything except the antenna. Wireless technology can also be used to expand the theatre’s intercom system.
New trends
What new audio technologies are on the horizon? “Digital, digital, digital,” says Sibley. “Digital live consoles are taking the place of their analog brethren, ushering in a new era of compactness and unprecedented capabilities and flexibility.” Speaker systems are networked together and computer-controlled, making life easier for the operator.
Things are changing in the academic arena as well. “I’m seeing many high school auditoriums using video projection with DVD and computer inputs for presentation use,” says Logsdon. In addition, he says, many theatres are installing several different types of sound systems such as performance sound, surround sound and reverberation enhancement for maximum flexibility.
Sibley urges that no matter what you install, think about future expandability. “Wire is cheap compared to the cost of labor to run it; put in as much as you can afford,” he says. Since the industry is moving to inexpensive CAT5 wiring standards for digital data, “run as much as you can to every location you can think of in a logical, easily patched manner. It will give you the infrastructure to expand easily as you grow.”
Expert advice: how to make sure patrons hear perfectly
According to Darling, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires facilities with more than about 50 fixed seats to include hearing assistance systems for their patrons. “The system to choose depends on budget and some consideration of the audience percentage that will use the devices,” he says.
Ciaudelli recommends the use of an infrared assistive listening system (ALS), which distributes sound throughout the venue via headsets, earphones or other devices. Sound designer Harada agrees; in fact, most of the theatres where he’s worked feature this type of equipment. “The system is fed a mix of a mixing console output of the show along with a microphone located somewhere in the audience,” he says.
According to Sibley, outfitting hard-of-hearing patrons with personal headsets is a cost-effective, durable and reliable way to ensure that the sounds of the show reach everyone in the audience. For theatres on a tighter budget, Sibley says, “ there are FM-based headset systems such as those made by Williams, Comtek and Phonic Ear.” Feeding these systems can be as simple as hanging a microphone above the stage of a small venue. Larger venues can place microphones around the stage and then mix the audio through a sound console.
Costs
Renovating or installing a new sound system in your theatre can vary widely in cost. Ciaudelli notes that the equipment falls into four main categories: acoustic treatment (sound-absorbing materials like diffusers and absorbers), microphones, control consoles and speakers. According to Darling, a black box theatre might spend $50,000 on a complete system renovation, while a 2,000-seat venue can spend $1 million or more.
Darling cautions that theatre administrators not confuse professional equipment for their theatre with home consumer gear, as they are two different animals. “It is common for people to equate costs between consumer and professional equipment and be very surprised by the size, cost and installation expense of professional systems,” he says. The durability and much higher output requirements of professional equipment make it much more expensive. Also, he says, “the quality of the audio infrastructure including the power supply, cabling and termination is not well understood by many. Poor installation results in good equipment sounding bad because the infrastructure is of low quality.”
Improving your theatre’s sound isn’t as difficult as it might seem. Consider the basics first; then look at costlier upgrades that can be phased in over time. This requires a master plan so the equipment and system are compatible with future additions. Logsdon notes that at a minimum theatres need to provide “good speech intelligibility, so the actors or presenters’ voices can be easily heard and understood.” And for best results, says Ciaudelli, start by improving the physical acoustics of the facility before trying to compensate by purchasing electronic equipment.
To continue the conversation on sound going, visit the DramaBiz Forum at www.dramabiz.com/forum
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©2008 DramaBiz Magazine. All Rights Reserved
©2005 Dramabiz Magazine. All Rights Reserved.