Sound Solutions

Science and art combine to solve common acoustical problems.

by Jeff Szymanski, P.E.

"Ears that hear and eyes that seethe Lord has made them both" (Proverbs 20:12).
Unfortunately, too many houses of worship were designed only for the "eyes that
see," neglecting the "ears that hear." Because of this, acoustical problemsproblems
that affect how well the message is heard and understoodare common.
The best way to avoid acoustical problems is by properly addressing acoustics during
the design phase of a building. But if it's too late for that, be assured that many
existing facilities can enjoy improved acoustics. A good place to start is with an
understanding of common problems, and learning the terms used by consultants in
the acoustics world. This knowledge will help you select and work with professional
consultants who combine the science of acoustics and the art of their experiences to
achieve better sound.
One of the most important factors that both directly and indirectly affects how the
room "sounds" is style of worship. Most churches fall into one of three broad
categories of worship styleeach style requiring different acoustical characteristics.
The first style is liturgical, or ritualistic, with much emphasis on organ and choral
music. This style sounds best in a very reverberant room.
The second style is a blend of organ and piano music, modern choral ensembles, and
possibly some contemporary instruments. There is equal emphasis on music and the
spoken word. This style requires some amount of acoustical life, and creates an
enveloping atmosphere.
In the third style, organ and piano music are often replaced with a full band, playing
predominantly contemporary musical selections. There is heavy emphasis on the
spoken word, or perhaps equal emphasis on speech and music. This style requires a
well-controlled acoustical environment.
Each of these worship styles should be addressed individually, with different
acoustical considerations. To complicate matters, many churches now offer both
traditional and contemporary style services in the same space, requiring even more
consideration.

Metrics Matter
Regardless of style, the first enemy of good acoustics is noise. Noise is unwanted
sound. Sources of noise include air conditioning, fans, lighting, highway traffic, air
traffic, trains, and footfall noise. All of these should be minimized. There are several
methods used to quantify noise, the most common is a Noise Criteria (NC) rating.
Generally, the noise level for a worship space should not exceed NC 40 to NC 45. The
best way to get noise under control is with the help of a qualified acoustical
consultant.
One of the key differences required for each worship style is in the amount of
reverberation in the room. Reverberation is measured by reverberation time (RT), a
number (actually, a set of numbers) that helps quantify the acoustical properties of a

room. In basic terms, RT describes how long echoes last, and is measured in
seconds.
Most acoustical professionals agree that a mid-range RT of 1.0 to 3.5 seconds is
desirable for a house of worship. The space should not be too "dead," indicated by RT
values below 1.0. For example, a large, traditional space can exceed an RT of 3.0
seconds with few complaints, but special attention to sound system design will be
required. At the other extreme, contemporary worship venues rarely exceed RT of
1.5 seconds.
Speech intelligibility refers to the ability to clearly hear and understand what's being
said. Several different metrics are used, ranging from articulation indices, which use
word lists read to listeners who then give it a score, to the most current, called the
Speech Transmissibility (or Transmission) Index, or STI. STI uses a noise signal
source modulated according to very well developed algorithms that simulate speech,
and is measured on a scale of 0.0 to 1.0. It's pretty straightforward: a higher STI is
better.
Noise and RT both affect speech intelligibility. The quality of direct sound (from the
speaker or loudspeakers) affect it as well, but our focus is on the acoustical side of
things, not the reinforcement side.
Noise, RT, and direct signal quality also affect musical clarity (how well music is
understood in terms of lyrics, melody, harmony, and so on) and envelopment (feeling
like a participant in the musical celebration as opposed to simply observing it). There
are metrics for musical clarity, called "C factors," that measure the amount of useful
versus detrimental sound energy based on studies of what makes music "sound
good."
These metrics are used as a guide in design, and as tools for diagnosing and solving
acoustical problems. Having a "good" set of acoustical parameters is not a guarantee
of acoustical success, but it represents a good place to start.

Parallel Problems
If you've read anything about acoustics, you've probably been exposed to the "no
parallel surfaces" approach to design. What you may not have read is that there are
good ways and bad ways to avoid parallel walls. For example, you might conclude
that if parallel is bad, then round must be perfect. Alas, that is not so. Round is bad
for acoustics in the same way that square is bad for wheels. It simply doesn't work
for acoustics.
With parallel walls, you might experience a "flutter echo" problem, which is easy to
hear. Clap your hands and listen for the "keh-keh-keh" sound that follows. In lieu of
suggesting a complete teardown and rebuild of the offending surfaces, acoustical
panels can reduce the flutter echo problem. There are three basic types of panels,
each with a specific purpose, and the solution to your acoustical problems may
require one, two, or all three types of panels.
Absorbers are panels designed to absorb sound energy. These are typically high
density fiberglass or other fibers in a cloth-covered frame. Absorbers make the room

more "dead" acoustically, which may be desirable. Other rooms may need to be
made more "alive" acoustically, requiring different types of panels.
Redirectors are sound reflectors that break up parallel surfaces. Sometimes they are
described in corporate literature as "diffusors" even though they do not provide
acoustical diffusion in the strict sense. Redirectors can actually be as simple as
angled sheets of plywood mounted to the wall (painted to match the walls, of
course). Prefabricated redirectors in the form of convex half-barrels and pyramidlooking panels are also popular.
Diffusors are more complex surfaces than redirectors. Some are designed using very
rigorous math that (literally) takes a Ph.D. to figure out. Some are less complex in
their design, but just as complex in their appearance. They redirect sound energy
more accurately than simply using an angled panel. Sound is distributed much more
evenly in the space, giving a great sense of "warmth" (envelopment) to the room,
but not making it too "dead."
In the case of flutter echoesor any build up of reflections (reverberation, echoes)
any of the above three types of treatment can help. While this article is not meant to
be used as a design guide, here are some very general rules-of-thumb:
To reduce RT, some form of absorption is almost always required. The minimum that
is usually installed in a typical large worship space is around 10 percent of the wall
and ceiling area.
To reduce RT, but not make the room more "dead," diffusion and absorption are
usually used together. Again, the 10 percent rule of thumb will typically holdbut
that is only a minimum.
If RT is fine, but there are some "strange things" going on with flutter echoes, or
other anomalies, then diffusion or redirection can often be used in strategic wall or
ceiling locations to help "move" the sound away from problem areas.
Keep in mind that a good acoustical consultant will consider sound absorbed by
people in the room and sound diffusion from decorative surfaces, and will calculate
the exact number, size, thickness, and placement of the appropriate types of panels.

Fixing the Fix

"Misappropriation of treatments" sounds like a financial problem, but it refers to the
incorrect application of acoustical treatments. If your current or planned worship
space has all of the following characteristics, you have a misappropriation of
acoustical treatments: 1) acoustical ceiling tiles; 2) hard surface walls such as
gypsum board (drywall) or concrete; 3) carpeted floor; 4) two or more parallel walls.
A worship center with these characteristics will have acoustical problems.
The sum of these four characteristics will equal a huge flutter echo situationone
that could seriously affect speech intelligibility. The RT usually isn't "bad." But the
acoustical anomalies are, in many cases, atrocious!
A redistribution of treatment is usually the best remedy. For example, some of the
ceiling tiles (usually at least 25 percent) are replaced with hard (gypsum board) or

diffusive tiles. Then, some absorptive and/or redirecting panels are added to the
parallel walls.
Another misappropriation of treatments is the application of too many highfrequency absorbers. Carpet, curtains, some lower-cost ceiling tiles, and very thin
(typically half-inch or less) acoustical panels absorb high frequencies very well, but
not lower frequencies.
To illustrate why this is bad, consider that spoken consonants are high-frequency
sounds. If there is too much high-frequency absorption, speech sounds about as
clear as the following sentence: _o__o_a___ a_e i__o__a__! The consonants have
been removed, leaving only the vowels. This contributes to poor speech intelligibility,
often described as "muddy," like talking with your hand over your mouth.
Here's the same sentence with only the consonants: C_ns_n_nts _r_ _mp_rt_nt! I
hope you agree this is much easier to comprehend. You can see how important the
high-frequency consonant sounds are to speech intelligibility.
While reflections often help create the sense of "envelopment" in a worship space,
sound reflecting off the face of a balcony is more often a problem. If the balcony face
is a hard surface and parallel to the walls, or angled down, then there will likely be
"hot spots" in some of the "good seats" on the floor. Sometimes, you can sit as far
forward as the third or fourth row and the sound will seem as if it's coming from
behind. The balcony face can be treated with acoustical panels to absorb, redirect
(up or to the sides), or diffuse sound to make noticeable improvements in acoustics.

Importance of Expert Help

Whether your problems involve trying to control noise, achieve a better distribution
of sound, or improve speech intelligibility, a good, professional acoustical consultant
can diagnose these problems and recommend solutions. Prior to actually hiring him
or her, you will likely shop around to find the best person for the job.
There are several ways to find acoustical consultants. Check the official website of
the National Council of Acoustical Consultants: www.ncac.com. They have a directory
of all member organizations, searchable by geographical area. Don't be shy about
hiring out of townyou may have to in order to get several competing bids. They
also have a section called "How to Select an Expert," which is highly recommended.
Another organization that can help is the Acoustical Society of America at
www.acoustics.org. This site has a more comprehensive list of consultants, including
firms that are not NCAC members.
If you have an existing facility, ask for a referral from the company that sold and
installed your sound system. Just ask aroundchances are someone in your
community (another church, perhaps) has used an acoustical consultant and can give
you a great referral.
Resist the urge to save the consulting fee by trying to solve an acoustical problem on
your own. Hiring a qualified expert is the surest way to save your money. The
economics of this are easy. You can spend tens of thousands of dollars on acoustical
Band-Aids that may not even work for your particular situation. A professional will

cost only a fraction of your tens of thousands and give you recommendations that
are solutionsnot Band-Aids.
Acoustics must be considered an integral part of any design for new or existing
worship space. The acoustics of a space should be as important as, or even more
important than, lighting, heating and cooling, seat cushions, or any other design
factors that affect comfort. Keep in mind that poor acoustics will affect attendance.
And remember: most people who come to worship with you have the gifts of sight
and hearing.
Jeff Szymanski is the chief engineer for a major acoustical services company.
Copyright 2004 by the author or Christianity Today, Inc./Your Church magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Your Church.
March/April 2004, Vol. 50, No. 2, Page 62

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