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Sound for Gymnasium [message #66580]

Tue, 08 March 2011 11:33

JakeQ
Messages: 5
Registered: March 2011

Esquire

Instead of a professional theater, we are holding our year end band, guitar and choir concert in the school's gymnasium. I've been told it's going to be too hard to set up the sound. What do you think?

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Re: Sound for Gymnasium [message #67424 is a reply to message #66580]

Wed, 04 May 2011 20:36

MusicJunkie
Messages: 14
Registered: April 2011

Chancellor

Gyms are hard acoustically because they are usually so large and open. That being said, all my high school band and choir concerts were in the gymnasium. If you want to do it there you can always find a way.

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Re: Sound for Gymnasium [message #67435 is a reply to message #67424]

Thu, 05 May 2011 09:54

Wayne Parham
Messages: 18855
Registered: January 2001

Illuminati (33rd Degree)

It isn't the "large and open" that's the problem unless you don't have enough power. It's the hardness of the walls and the fact that there's nothing in there to absorb any sound (except the people). It will sound very different once people are inside and won't sound too bad but when it's empty or if there aren't many people there, it will be way too lively. Directional speakers help.

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Re: Sound for Gymnasium [message #67440 is a reply to message #67435]

Thu, 05 May 2011 10:59

audioaudio90
Messages: 623
Registered: October 2010

Illuminati (1st Degree)

Yes, it's the hard surfaces that make it sound terrible during rehearsal. We also had concerts in the gym, though, and once the entire school was packed in there, they absorbed a great deal and made it sound better.

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Re: Sound for Gymnasium [message #67623 is a reply to message #66580]

Sun, 15 May 2011 00:17

brian21
Messages: 59
Registered: January 2011

Baron

That's interesting, I remember back in high school band I also used to think it was the gym being so open that affected the sound the most. I imagine that is a common misconception. I remember my band teacher used to freak out about the sound when we would rehearse there before the concert. I wonder if she knew much about acoustics. Now that I've learned a little more, the fact that the sound absorption is the issue makes perfect sense. No wonder our actual concerts usually turned out fine.

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Re: Sound for Gymnasium [message #67884 is a reply to message #66580]

Fri, 27 May 2011 13:52

Nymeria
Messages: 508
Registered: April 2011

Illuminati (1st Degree)

We always had our concerts in the gymnasium when I was in school. It wasn't ideal, but once the audience was seated, usually the sound turned out ok.

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Re: Sound for Gymnasium [message #68146 is a reply to message #66580]

Sun, 12 June 2011 08:27

Doppler
Messages: 19
Registered: June 2011

Chancellor

In high school, events such as concerts and other performances were almost always held in the gym. I also thought that it's the space being open and large that creates a difference in the sound. I wasn't aware that it's the hard surfaces that cause reverberations.

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