Whether it's primarily for entertainment, information, or community building, an audio presentation of any sort needs to be crafted for the physical space that it's in. Different arenas are all constructed differently and how well they carry sound depends on the acoustics of the room. "Acoustics" refers to the study of sound, which applies to anything that can be heard by a human's or an animal's ear. Regarding physical spaces, it refers to the factors that affect that experience. 

What to Know About Acoustics

Basics 

Because sound travels in wavelengths, it will interact with the size of a room and how it's constructed. A room optimized for musical performances will be designed differently than one for basic conferencing. For example, certain spaces are created by reverberations, which are basically like an echo. This is good for orchestral musical performances, but it can complicate something like a dramatic play or even a speech. However, a sound engineer can create a system that can offset a room or building's inherent acoustics. 

Materials 

The porosity and composition of a material affect whether the sound will bounce or be absorbed. Something like concrete, which is dense, will cause sound waves to bounce around, or as it's known in the study of acoustics, reflect. However, if there is fabric or foam on the walls, that will help absorb the sound. If the materials are shaped in a particular way, they could also diffuse the sound and cause it to move around in various directions to help each different area of the space.

External Factors

What's going on around the room also affects the acoustics. For musicians, the acoustics should adequately block out external noises so that it doesn't change the performance that's being witnessed or recorded. While the same is true for someone doing a public speech, total sound isolation isn't a priority. However, it's always nice to ensure outside traffic or even just someone on their phone won't seep into the space. 

If you own or operate a commercial property in need of better acoustics, contact Claiborne Sharp Professional Audio. Located in Shreveport, LA, they've served churches, auditoriums, and other businesses throughout North Louisiana for more than 30 years. More than just a professional audio company, their technicians can also set up a video system as well. To learn more about their audiovisual services, visit their website or Facebook page. If you have questions or just prefer to speak to someone directly, call (318) 861-5953 today.