# Gymnasium Acoustics 101



## PepAX7 (Mar 11, 2008)

You've just got the job of installing the sound system in a block walled full court gymnasium. Pull out bleacher seats.

The school principal is concerned with speech intelligibility. Echoes abound!

What's you battle plan?

Pep


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## 808sound (Nov 23, 2009)

I believe a good rule of thumb in these situations is to keep the volume as low as possible. Also the use of multiple speakers in zones pointed directly at the audience helps keep reverberation to a minimum, while giving you adequate coverage. 

If feasible getting the room acoustically treated would have the most effect on the intelligibility. Although this type of solution could get expensive. A more economic solution would be to hang heavy blankets on the walls to absorb some of reverberation. I have seen some schools get creative and embroider their logos on these blankets to make it less of an eye sore.


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## immortalgropher (Feb 16, 2010)

well...could get 4 speakers, two on corners, two in center.

That's a toughie.


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## jonathanm (Mar 24, 2010)

If the budget allowed for it, a distributed system, ceiling mounted, something like this.......


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## PepAX7 (Mar 11, 2008)

Hey.. That looks interesting. Everyone appears to be in direct sound. I hoped they're spaced to the hi-freq driver horn coverage! Otherwise, more phase anomalies and low intelligibility.

What about 4-6 folded horns strategically placed?

Also, to comment about drapes and traps.... I think that's the first and foremost problem i.e. softening those hard walls! I've seen gyms in my area using traps.. at least I think they're traps, but they use all the same depth of trap (2-3") deep. I would consider using some 6-8" deep traps to suck up those mid lows, especially when they're playin' those "house" rhythms when they score.

Pep


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## jonathanm (Mar 24, 2010)

I've also seen baffles positioned widthways across the hall, hung from the ceiling, to cut down the reverb time....


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## Soundguy1 (Dec 3, 2008)

Get the job before the building goes up and use acoustical block and and panels.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I agree with the multiple speakers from the ceiling. I work at a small University here In Edmonton and we have the same issue with sound and multiple speakers has given us the best coverage and clarity.


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## Soundguy1 (Dec 3, 2008)

Here is our gym, opposite though ours is a gym second and an auditorium first.









You can't see the clusters very well but it is LCR and delays


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## Darnstrat (Jan 9, 2010)

PepAX7 said:


> You've just got the job of installing the sound system in a block walled full court gymnasium. Pull out bleacher seats.
> 
> The school principal is concerned with speech intelligibility. Echoes abound!
> 
> ...


Solution A: Buy 2500 pairs of in-ear monitors to pass out at events.

Solution B: Go home to my studio, sub-contract gymnasium job.


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## 1Michael (Nov 2, 2006)

These people might be able to help you...http://billfitzmaurice.info/forum/


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