Why You Need an Acoustic Engineer for Your Studio, Venue, or Business

The acoustics of a room can make or break the experience inside. If you’ve ever been inside a cathedral, you’ve witnessed how crisp the sounds are and how choral voices float through the air yet the initial sound resonates for many seconds.  On the flip side, we’ve all been in restaurants that were so loud that we couldn’t hear what our friends were saying. A space like that could have used the help of an acoustic engineer.

If you’re a musician with a recording studio, or if you’re building a theater or venue, you’ll also need optimal acoustics for musical purposes. As an acoustic engineer based in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and beyond, we’ll share what acoustic treatments achieve and how they will improve your establishment’s sound. Learn more below!

SEE ALSO: Why Serious Musicians Should Partner with an Acoustic Designer

Why Treat Acoustics?

Depending on the dimensions of a room and materials of the walls and floor, every room will sound different. Some places have too much echo; others let sound travel to other rooms, and some sound uncomfortably ‘dead.’ Acoustic treatments ensure that the sound inside a place is balanced, crisp, and is not overpowering. This can be achieved in several ways, but all methods are one of two things: absorption and diffusion.  There is also isolation which is critical to keep unwanted sound out of a space! 

Absorption

To absorb sound frequencies that cause echo, slaps, and distortion, we’ll install absorption treatments on the walls and ceiling. Absorption treatments don’t have to be unsightly or distracting from your décor. In fact, acoustic panels can be disguised as works of art, and bass traps are available in any color, print, and texture. Bass traps are often placed in the corners of the room to absorb lower frequencies, sometimes made of foam or rigid fiberglass. Porous absorbers need to be spaced away from the wall, but resonant absorbers (which use a tuned vibrating panel) can be mounted closer to the wall. 

Acoustic panels are similar to bass traps but are less thick and are placed against the wall to lessen flutter echoes. We’ll also explore adding lightweight panels to the ceiling to reduce natural reverberation, especially in rooms with high ceilings. Vocal recordings will now sound rich and warm, and live performances won’t overwhelm the space. 

Diffusion

Diffusion is the scattering of sound energy across your room, reducing the sense of localization so that sound waves don’t get stuck in one area. Diffusers will evenly reflect sound waves in all directions and will fix the deadened sound that occurs with too much absorption in a room. Diffuser panels are often made of wood with geometric shapes and angles. If you’ve ever seen ridged wooden paneling on walls and ceilings, those are diffusers. Their two-dimensional scattering widens the soundscape and will make your room sound much larger without echo obtaining a natural sound in the room. 

A professional acoustic engineer will know how to properly treat your space with absorption and diffusion panels and will arrange furniture and speakers for optimal acoustics.  They will also solve any issues with isolation or lack thereof.

To partner with an acoustic engineer in Fort Lauderdale, FL, contact Frangioni Media here. We look forward to working with you!