HPUMC contacted Commercial Acoustics to initially provide acoustic testing for the space. The worship area had 25′ ceilings with standard ACT, and during the remodel, they replaced carpet with LVT floors (common issue with current redesigns). Even with plush seating, the reverb continued to be excessive.
When to Use Acoustical Diffusers
Hyde Park United Methodist Church was in the process of converting their activity center into a secondary worship space, which would host a more alternative service than the main church. The newly remodeled Harnish Activity Center would host a band, consisting of electric guitar, bass guitar, electric keyboard, drums and 5 microphones, playing during services. Since the space was originally designed as an activity center, it wasn’t acoustically fit to host the new band, or even just to have the pastor speaking through a microphone.
Read More: When Acoustic Diffusers Are Needed
The new design incorporated integrated lighting and projector displays, and a rear booth for mixing and control. As seen in the picture above, the new speaker design consisted of side fill speakers, along with a suspended set of main speaker arrays and subwoofer in the center.
Determining Amount of Acoustic Treatment in a Space
Once our acoustic consultant calculated the existing reverb time in the space, he used Sabin’s formula to determine the amount of absorption required to reach the target reverb time for a worship space. For a contemporary worship space with a band, acoustic treatment would require both sound absorbing panels and acoustic sound diffusers to reach the target reverb time.
As we’ve discussed in the past, a common mistake is to overtreat the reverberation in a space, which can creating the feeling of singing alone. This is why it’s important to have an acoustic consultant or other acoustic specialist advise you on how much acoustic treatment your space will require.
Benefits of Acoustic Treatment with Acoustical Diffusers and Sound Absorbing Panels
Our team installed 33 total 4’x4’x2″ sound absorbing wall panels and 26 total 4’x4′ acoustic barrel diffusers. The combination of this amount of sound absorption for higher frequencies and sound diffusion for lower frequencies resulted in a acoustically comfortable space for the pastor, band and congregation. Once complete, the worship center could comfortably host an audience or congregation of between 200-300 people when full.
If you have acoustical issues in your worship space, contact Commercial Acoustics for more information. Our firm specializes in furnishing and installing acoustic wall panels and other acoustical room components.
