Installation Services
Before we became known as “the studio guys,” Professional Audio Design, Inc. (PAD) began providing installation services for restaurants, educational facilities, retail businesses (such as the multi-national clothier, Urban Outfitters), and facilities of all types and sizes.
For proper acoustic performance, not only must the physical properties of the venue be taken into account and compensated for, but also how that space will respond when filled with people.
PAD Installation services:
- Live sound venues
- Corporate environments: conference centers and training facilities
- Education and government facilities
- House of Worship
- Retail & Restaurant
- Boardroom
- EDU
- Noise & Vibration Control
The PAD approach to fixed installation
Some spaces, despite being meeting places where clarity in communication is essential, are built, outfitted, and decorated with a traditional image and function in mind, with sound treated as an afterthought. Other scenarios simply involve making due with an existing structure and shoehorning in everything else—once again with sound being treated as the last five yards in the last down (that will probably be our only football metaphor ever). If experience has taught us anything, it’s that there are no cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all solutions. It’s not simply a matter of specifying equipment and running cables through an existing facility. If sound reproduction is going to be effective, it has to take into account both the needs of the facility and how that sound is received by attendees, which in turn serves the needs of the objectives of the facility—especially since sound intelligibility is always a key factor in any business, venue, or house of worship.
House of Worship, Retail & Restaurant, Boardroom and other fixed installations—Acoustics
In a house of worship, boardroom, courthouse, lecture hall, or other fixed installation, speech intelligibility is of paramount importance regardless of attendee’s listening position. Any large reverberant space with numerous reflective surfaces poses specific problems for clarity. However, the purpose of the space must dictate treatment. For example, a house of worship requires intelligibility across its length and width, regardless of listening position.
On the other hand, in a restaurant with similar design elements, i.e. high ceilings and lots of reflective surfaces, the need for vocal intelligibility is not across the entire facility, rather, in the near-field, while the overall din of conversations at each table must be controlled. Unlike the house of worship, you don’t want someone at the opposite end of the structure hearing what’s said at the bar across the room as though they were sitting at the table (it happens).
Choosing Appropriate Equipment
In certain situations, such as houses of worship, equipment is often supplied by local retail salesmen who tend to sell what they know, or whatever gives them the largest commission—regardless of whether it’s right for the application. For example, houses of worship are often sold PA systems that might work for local rock bands but may be overly complicated for the task of providing sanctuary sound, where a simple self-powered zone mixer will do.
In a large restaurant or multi-room venue that requires complicated speaker arrays and remote volume control, the solution may be a constant-voltage zone mixer to simplify speaker wiring, onboard DSP processing, network control and security lockout, music playback, and a mic for announcements. There are other factors to take into account, such as the possibility of using existing network wiring for audio transmission, which passes along savings to the client as opposed to using heavy and expensive copper cabling. Then there’s the issue of selecting appropriate speakers, something PAD is eminently qualified for as the manufacturer and integrator of Augspurger Monitors.
To ensure a successful installation, a holistic approach must be taken so that acoustics, equipment, and customer experience are in perfect sync, rather than catch as catch can. This is the essence of PAD’s methodology: In every facility we design and integrate, whether it’s a recording studio, retail enterprise, or live sound venue, we see ourselves as a manufacturer tasked with the goal of building a perfectly integrated unit that satisfies client and audience—and we’re always there to provide service after the sale.
Live Sound Venues
For proper acoustic performance, not only must the physical properties of the venue be taken into account and compensated for, but also how that space will respond when filled with people. Additionally, the proper sound reinforcement equipment must be chosen to provide the optimal performer/audience experience. With a background as both performing musicians and acousticians, Pro Audio Design will enable you to achieve the optimal sound your venue is capable of.
Tell us about your project
Let us help you design and build your dream studio or venue. Our experts will provide you with the best professional advise.