Sports Hall Acoustics

[mitchell1981]

Has anyone got any experience improving the acoustics in a large sports hall space?

 

We don't have much hall space, so we are forced to use our sports hall for assemblies, and special events. This involves setting up a PA system, and projector whenever we want to use it. The acoustics are terrible, and a lot of what is said goes unheard.

 

The two options appear to be:

 

- Improve the quality of the audio equipment. e.g. more smaller speakers in a better configuration. Had a quote for this for about £11,000 for a fully installed audio system.

 

- Get the walls covered with sound proofing, foam or boards. Seems much more expensive based on the quotes we've had, about £30,000.

 

Has anyone been successful in making a very echoey hall space usable? If so, how did you do it?

 

Thanks.

[achedgy]

For a start, i would look at an acoustic solution, i'd talk to these people https://www.woollyshepherd.co.uk/ They use shaped panels to fit with the aesthetics of the hall. It makes such a huge difference. Get that done, then look at equipment solution. 4 Speakers should be sufficient to give an even sound unless you have a very long/narrow hall, in which case directional speakers and a sound processor may be a better option

[Chris_Cook]

We've had some classrooms done over the summer and its made them much nicer places to be. I'd normally go for room treatments over sound equipment if there is a choice. Doing both sounds worthwhile if you are setting this all up daily.

 

For a sports hall, you may wan't to think about balls flying round and damaging the treatment or equipment. There are cages available for this.

 

How is the current system setup at the moment? Are the speakers in the ceiling pointing down, or on the wall? Do you have any eq or system processors?

 

Most speakers give off a cone of sound, about 30-60 degrees wide. If you can get your audience within the cone of sound, it will help a lot with the quality of sound you get. Also, if you can avoid the sound bouncing off the walls/floor/ceiling it will help. Our halls are really bad for this.

 

If there are just a few sound frequencies that are a problem, you can often cut them out as long as they aren't too critical. Anything between 500hz to 3kHz is important, but the rest of it you can pretty much eliminate for spoken voice stuff. You will need an eq or system processor for this, and you will want the ability to lock it down so it can't be fiddled with.

 

Reducing volume is also really worth it, although can be counter intuitive. Keep the volume level so its only just audible. Adding more volume will just make the echo worse.

 

If there are any other options for softening the walls, or breaking them up so they aren't just big flat surfaces will also help. Drapes and curtains over windows might be a cheaper option.

 

Unfortunately, this sort of issue is often quite expensive to put right, and going with an experienced company is normally most cost effective long term.

[Linfit]

We use our Sports Hall for exams and put down carpet - we bought it years ago and it rolls out in 10ft wide strips which cover the floor quite quickly - takes about an hour to set up.

The carpet was quite expensive (its really rubber matting with a fabric top) originally but it has lasted a long time.

It is very effective at deadening the sound and makes it possible to do MFL listening tests in there with little reverberation.

This is only really practical if you have somewhere to store the carpet though (we have it on big stands as you would get in a carpet shop in a storage container).

 

At a previous school they had large curtains which could be pulled across the walls which hid the Gym equipment stored up against them, but also had a good deadening effect - this is quicker to set up and likely cheaper as well.

 

Any solution though is likely to be quite expensive in the short term.

[sted]

my evidence is only anecdotal but 2 of the schools i support (both built to the same plans so have the same hall) have hung a load of fabric cubes from the roof (id take a photo as im in one of them now but the halls full of parents etc) but it has markedly improved the acoustics in there at least to my ear. i assume they have some sort of sound deadening material inside but i dont know and cant get to them to look they are too high

[SamanthaD]

Used to do this daily as well. Setting up a projector daily really is the best option - even if it was in a cage it's going to be a target for balls and will only last so long. Audio wise if you have curtains that partition the hall / cricket nets / anything made of fabric get them out. But I would try NOT using a PA if you can - teachers should be able to project well enough in a sports hall and as already mentioned keeping the volume as low as possible is important.

[Katy]

Not tried anything like this in our sports hall (for exams we have carpet that goes down, but we don't do MFL listening exams in there) - but Manchester Academy is (in terms of construction) basically a sports hall with a massive stage at one end, they have thick black curtains down all the walls and seems to work well with their loud and expensive equipment, would imagine it'd help with a school PA just as well though.

[mitchell1981]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

Curtains is something I hadn't considered, but I'll contact the recommended companies for advice.

 

https://panoramea.co.uk/skinnerskentacademy/?startscene=25

 

That is a link to the hall in question.

 

We currently have a portable sound trolley that we wheel out, and it attaches to two large speakers that we place either side of the hall. Not really ideal at all!

 

I wonder which such a high ceiling if baffles on the ceiling would have much effect?

 

Think I need to get an expert in!

[Andycat]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

Curtains is something I hadn't considered, but I'll contact the recommended companies for advice.

 

https://panoramea.co.uk/skinnerskentacademy/?startscene=25

 

That is a link to the hall in question.

 

We currently have a portable sound trolley that we wheel out, and it attaches to two large speakers that we place either side of the hall. Not really ideal at all!

 

I wonder which such a high ceiling if baffles on the ceiling would have much effect?

 

Think I need to get an expert in!

 

Our sports hall is possibly half as much again, we have a trolley with speakers attached, and we set it up so they face the short side, rather than lengthways. It's used everyday. Laptop, Proj, active speakers and mic all on trolley, Painted "screen" on wall. Having the speakers central and smaller helps, single point of sound. Assembly every morning and it works OK. We have another trolley, identical, that's set up in the gym every morning too, bit smaller than yours. Main Hall has everything built in. We have 4 assemblies concurrently every day (4th in a new kitted out dining block)!

 

I'll get some photos next week.

[SamanthaD]

How full is the hall when it's in "assembly" mode? Which wall are you presenting on?