Auchterderran St Fothads Church in Fife were delighted to open their new hall back in 2009, which provided a fantastic resource for the Church and the wider community. However, it had recently become apparent that the poor acoustics of the hall were causing problems for the wide range of activities that took place within.
Myra Donaldson, of the Church Hall committee, contacted acoustic specialists Sound Reduction Systems (SRS) for their advice on how the problem could be solved. Myra was able to supply SRS with the measurements of the hall along with some photographs of the interior, focussing on the ceiling and walls at high level. From this information, SRS were able to acoustically model the space and predict exactly how much absorption would be necessary to treat the hall and also provide an optional layout design as to where the panels might be installed.
The reverberation time before treatment was calculated to be 3.84 seconds – essentially much too reverberant for a multi-purpose hall of this nature to be used comfortably. Taking into account, costs, practicality and design, the SRS Technical department specified 50sqm of their high performance, Class A rated, Sonata Vario absorbers to be installed across the ceiling and on one back wall.
SRS sent their specialist installer to site to fit the panels at a time convenient for the Church Hall. After the installation a spokesperson from the hall commented:
“There are various community groups using our hall and the general impression was that it was very difficult to hear clearly, especially in a large group, due to the echoes reverberating around the room. When you walk into the hall now you can immediately hear the difference. There is a sense of calm”
The hall committee went even further to assess the success of the Sonata treatment by asking the various groups who used the hall for their feedback, which was overwhelmingly positive – see some of the quotes below:
"Great improvement! At Sunday morning teas I can now have a good conversation with my friends, without any echoes."
"There is a dramatic improvement. I attend Zumba and the sound is so much clearer."
"Marked improvement. I used to find it difficult to hear the instructor at my Tai Chi class but now I can hear every word even at the back of the class."
SRS are specialists in solving the acoustic problems of large community and school halls, and all of their professional advice, specifications and quotes are free of charge. Their modelling software allows them to send quotes and design layouts to customers in hours, giving them an extremely an accurate idea of the treatment required and the costs involved.
If you have a reverberant hall, office or classroom and you would like to discuss the possible solutions and costs using Sonata panels, please feel free to get in touch on 01204 380074 or visit www.soundreduction.co.uk where you can view a gallery of our work, read the testimonials of customers and download the product literature.
