Spang TV Warehouse Acoustics

David WatkinsonDavid spent six years as a professional touring musician and has two decades of experience in customer service, sales, and technical support. He specializes in projects big and small, including restaurants, churches, theaters, and industrial manufacturing jobs. 1-800-782-5742 Ext. 0118

The sound absorbing baffles installed above the Cyclorama Wall at Spang TV reduce echo and improve the room acoustics.

The Issue

Production companies like Spang TV face many challenges, including sound control, when constructing a space. The facility requires plenty of room for set creation, cyclorama walls, and room for plenty of equipment and props. Lighting is of paramount importance for acquiring high-quality images and video. For capturing accurate and clear audio, proper acoustics are equally important.

At Spang TV, sound absorbing baffles hung above the Cyclorama Wall reduce noise in the space.

The Challenge

Spang TV, a Richmond, Virginia-based commercial production company, moved into an 8,000-square-foot warehouse. The plan was to convert this space into a premier sound and film production facility. Spang TV was faced with quite an acoustical challenge with such a large space. Jordan Rodericks, the Senior Producer at Spang, called on Acoustical Solutions to help determine the appropriate approach to treating the space. The structure of this 150′ x 50′ x 21′ high room is comprised of all reflective material like concrete block, concrete floor, and metal roof decking. Upon the initial site visit, Acoustical Solutions estimated the existing reverberation time in the room to be approximately 6 seconds, which is quite reverberant and noisy. This makes it difficult to communicate efficiently on set. Additionally, for audio recording, you want the reverberation time to be as low as possible to capture the audio of your subject and not the room. Acoustical Solutions faced the challenge of providing enough material to lower the reverberation time while remaining within budget.

Spang TV installed 4' x 5' x 2 in. thick fabric wrapped acoustic panels around the perimeter wall in the main production space to absorb sound and create a dynamic space for filming.

The Solution

Spang TV wanted acoustical material to solve the problem, without being visually distracting. The project budget was also a concern. To address these issues, Acoustical Solutions recommended AlphaEnviro® PVC Sound Baffles to treat the large open ceiling truss that spans the entire room. The AlphaEnviro® PVC Sound Baffles are an exceptional choice for reducing reverberation times in large spaces. Because of their vertical suspension, they absorb sound more effectively than a material mounted flat to the ceiling. A two-sided suspended baffle has more square footage of exposed surface space, which provides more opportunities to catch and absorb the sound. Suspended materials, like baffles, also tend to have higher low-frequency response and absorption. In the lower portions of the room, a fair amount of activity takes place. This includes filming, recording, and conferencing with clients, talent, and crew. Spang TV desired a material that would be acoustically functional, yet attractive. Acoustical Solutions recommended two-inch thick AlphaSorb® Fabric Wrapped Acoustic Panels. The 2-inch thick acoustical substrate provides maximum sound control and they are available in a range of sizes, fabrics, and colors. These panels were mainly installed in the space opposite the cyclorama wall, where most of the production would take place.

Materials

(150 ea.) AlphaEnviro® PVC Sound Baffles 4′ x 2′ x 2″ thick
(10 ea.) AlphaSorb® Fabric-Wrapped Acoustic Panel 4′ x 5′ x 2″ thick in Guilford of Maine FR701 Cement Mix

The Result

The AlphaEnviro® PVC Sound Baffles and AlphaSorb® Fabric Wrapped Acoustic Panels have drastically lowered the reverberation time and improved the speech intelligibility of the space. Now the crews can effectively communicate with each other and the clients to capture the best quality film and audio. Setting up and running a production facility is complicated and requires lots of equipment and planning. Acoustical Solutions helped manage the project from start to finish and provided lasting results.

In the Customer’s Own Words

“The guys at Acoustical Solutions really killed it in the sound department. Truly, they killed the sound, dead. We searched and searched for the ideal space for our commercial production company (we make commercials and other media content) — when we found this building, we knew we had found the perfect space for shooting. Except for the sound. There’s some technical term for the amount of reverb in a room and ours was the worst, like 9 seconds of ring-out. Acoustical Solutions took care of that entirely. During the process of renovating our specialized building, we had to take a million things into consideration (and I don’t think that’s an exaggeration), but for attenuating the sound we only had to make one call. Thanks, guys, for working with us, with our budget, and designing a technical solution that works and looks cool, too!”

To learn more about how Acoustical Solutions can solve your noise control problems, use our contact form, call one of our Acoustical Sales Consultants at (800) 782-5742, or visit us on the web at acousticalsolutions.com.

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