FEATURE ACOUSTICS AND ROOM TREATMENTS
how to test your own room using a laptop and an omnidirectional mic,” comments Dave Shevyn, general manager, GIK Acoustics Europe. “Five years ago this wasn’t really
possible, so companies could only advise by visiting the site or based upon room modes. Now it is possible for customers to send us EQ files and we can advise based exactly on what is happening in the room.” Embracing new technological
advances and taking them one step further, companies like GIK Acoustics are now utilising 3D rendering software that allows them to construct a customer’s room in three dimensions, complete with all of the studio’s individual nuances, so that they can then demonstrate exactly where and how their products will work to properly treat the space.
IT’S THE SOUND THAT COUNTS As the recording industry moves away from large-scale facilities and into smaller, sometimes home-based studios, it’s clear there is a growing concern over acoustic quality. The current trends towards using higher-density foam, temporary and multipurpose booths, and digital room correction and analysis software is a clear indication that, in the end, it’s still the sound that matters, and producers, engineers, and musicians are willing to invest in whatever options will give them the best result.
www.gikacoustics.co.uk www.ikmultimedia.com www.isoacoustics.com www.primacoustics.com www.studiospares.com
HOUSE The Big Picture
BBC NEW BROADCASTING
GLASS,WHETHER in the form of a window or otherwise, can often be one of the hardest materials for acoustic engineers to work with, especially if sound isolation is a major concern. Andy Munro of Munro Acoustics explains how they overcame such issues while constructing the all-glass studios at BBC New Broadcasting House. Andy Munro: “The BBC project came from an in-house investigation called The ‘Production House of the Future’. Munro Acoustics was selected to come up with ideas for a studio without walls and a much more open environment for broadcasters to work in. We built several studios for the World Service that had walls made entirely of glass. The acoustic treatment was placed on a ‘dead’ wall and the geometry was designed so that all the reflections ended up at the wall.
“When New Broadcast House
www.audiomedia.com
was built the huge open plan spaces were absolutely crying out for glass walled studios, so the building could see itself and everyone could see into the studios. “It’s a simple enough idea but making good isolated rooms that are fully floated and with a reverberation time of 0.2s is easier said than done. Fortunately we had enough time to define the design and build a fully working prototype before ordering enough glass for 30 studios! “The final results have been a revelation for all concerned and I do believe that we have turned a corner in terms of how large-scale audio rooms can be designed. Every single component was made off-site and the basic studio shells were put up at the rate of one a week and all 30 rooms were built and tested over a six-month period.”
www.munro.co.uk
October 2013 31
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