Negative sounding financial phraseology has dominated media reports for some months now, as reports of a global credit crunch have followed on from over-ambitious bank lending in the US sub-prime property market. The ripples are now being felt further afield, with initial talk of belt tightening now leading to gloomier fears of economic recession. For stadium and arena managers, it seems that investment plans will be under greater scrutiny than ever.
But for the paying public, attention to detail when it comes to the audible experience at their favourite venue can no longer come second best – especially when the ticket cost for entertainment represents a larger percentage of their remaining disposable income. What’s more, there is the increasingly tempting option of saving on a ticket price and staying at home, perhaps with a cheaper takeaway meal, enjoying the sophisticated sonic delights of 5.1 home cinema sound on a widescreen high definition plasma TV display – why bother with muddy sound when you can catch the game on your sofa instead?
So doing nothing to compete with this attractive alternative is not an option. Budget restraints may force a compromise, but it’s clear that many venues in Europe, for instance, do need to catch up with their North American counterparts and overcome some of the structural and legislative factors that have held back their development in this area. At the ‘top end’ of the market, among Premiership football clubs for example, this work has already seen results. But for other facilities, such as those in the ‘middle market’, there is plenty of ground to make up. For them, one big question is how to achieve this?
Reaching the limit
Daryl Prasad, Associate Director at Capita Symonds Acoustics, believes market emphasis has moved to improved quality of sound and a switch towards improved technology that’s better able to direct sound within a venue. “The old days of managers being simply able to exponentially increase sound volume levels are gone – environmental considerations and local authority limits on acoustic emissions in the area surrounding a venue have changed that.”
He adds that the emphasis on quality and directional sound is being achieved by methods including the use of large phase arrays that angle sound so that it’s projected onto an audience and does not create ‘spillage’ beyond a boundary. These phase arrays can also be used for in-house systems to avoid creating unwanted reflections and echoes that can typically cloud and muddy the sound quality. Cardioid, and super cardioid, sub-woofers are another method of ensuring that low frequency energy is directional and have proved especially useful at music festivals such as the recent Glastonbury event in the UK, to prevent spillage.
Daryl Prasad, who’s spent 10 years in consulting and acoustics, including previous spells with Arup Acoustics and BDP Acoustics, points out that new EU health and safety regulations relating to occupational noise came into effect for the music and entertainment sectors in the UK this April.
The EU Directive (2003/10/EC) on which the Control of Noise at Work Regulations are based allowed these sectors a two-year transitional period. Arenas and stadiums hosting concerts should check that staff are not being exposed to sound volumes beyond the stated high noise levels – namely 85 decibels (daily or weekly average exposure) – without providing hearing protection and hearing protection zones.
Clearly, then, entertainment sound control is an important issue both for venues and consumers. Capita Symonds’ team of acoustic consultants provide a full range of services relating to entertainment noise. As specialists in sound, noise monitoring, acoustics and IT solutions they have worked on venues including Chelsea FC, Hong Kong Stadium, Eircom Park, The Point in Dublin and the new Wembley national stadium.
For further information on the services which Capita Symonds Acoustics can provide, please contact Daryl Prasad or visit our website
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