Gymatorium Sound System Design

[Phil Lewandowski]

Hi all!
(Posted this on the LAB as well since I don't know who hangs out where these days.)

Getting ready to do an install at the school where I work. See attached pictures in each direction of a pretty typical, but decently treated, gymatorium.
It is about 100'x80'. Stage is on the shorter side. Small bleachers along the long side.
Pretty high and pitched ceiling with decent sound treatment.

With the 100' length I'm worried about decently even volume, coverage, and intelligibility.
I've thought about properly rigging from the ceiling 6-8 point source boxes throughout the space for a distributed system, or even a line array since we have a pretty high ceiling. Also am wondering about solutions from Danley.
Main challenges are the space is used for a *wide variety* of events: auction fundraisers, concerts, plays, sports, etc.

Any suggested general system designs that seem to be good places to start with in a gymatorium type space?
(We have a decent budget but I'm always interested in "bang-to-buck" options.)

Thanks!

 

[Ben Lawrence]

I think the bottom line is to hire someone who does this day in and day out to give you the best solution.
That being said. From my experience in these reverberant spaces less cabs is often better. When you start adding speakers everywhere stuff gets messy real quick. Some of the better systems I have heard have just been a center cluster.
Anyhow Im not sure why am responding to a Varsity question. Most these topics are out of my league.

 

[Rob Timmerman]

The biggest challenge here is that what's appropriate for events using the stage is probably not appropriate for events using the bleachers or main floor. And this challenge comes from wanting the sound source to be in front of the listener, and not way off to the side. Speakers at the stage will draw focus towards the stage, even when that's not what you want (e.g. sports), and a distributed system or a center cluster will draw focus up or to the center of the room (which is more appropriate for sports), even if you want the focus to be the stage.

From a design perspective, I'd start by figuring out where it's realistic to put speakers (from a structural and wiring perspective), then go to where you want the speakers (from a localization and acoustical perspective), then start looking at what speakers make sense. And unless you are looking at long lines (several feet), a line array is going to behave very similarly to a point-source box, so no real benefit there.

A final note is to put some thought into what the user interface is for the system - my experience is that even capable installed systems often don't get used to their full potential because users don't understand how to use the system, or there's no good way to patch into the system for an event.

 

[Phil Lewandowski]

The biggest challenge here is that what's appropriate for events using the stage is probably not appropriate for events using the bleachers or main floor. And this challenge comes from wanting the sound source to be in front of the listener, and not way off to the side. Speakers at the stage will draw focus towards the stage, even when that's not what you want (e.g. sports), and a distributed system or a center cluster will draw focus up or to the center of the room (which is more appropriate for sports), even if you want the focus to be the stage.

Exactly. As I kept thinking through what system I would use for this space, I kept thinking, well, depends what type of event it is.
I have a decent amount of experience doing installs and mid-sized jobs, but they are usually for a single type of show. Not something that is used for several *very different* types of events. And I'm definitely a "buy once, cry once" type fo person, so wanted to think it through.

I'm leaning towards "multiple systems" that can be live or not depending what preset is chosen based on the event. E.g., main speakers at the stage for concerts and plays, down-firing "distributed" speakers throughout the gym when you have tables through the entire space where even audio, especially speech, is a priority. And then a few speakers to cover just the bleachers for sporting events. Select your preset, and away you go!

At least that's my thought right now...

 

[Carl Klinkenborg]

If the budget permits, your multiple system approach should be a winner. The calculation of the most important 'critical distance' (that imaginary line where direct and reverberant sound levels become equal) is quite beyond me, but I know it to be, well, critical in this installation! Distributed ceiling-mounted speakers would a good option for general sound reinforcement, but a 'gig' system at one end of a hall like this is always going to sound pretty shabby at the other. Length-wise, what percentage of the hall would be filled in the latter scenario?
I was involved in a sound reinforcement system in Westminster Abbey (UK) and the slim vertically-mounted column speakers employed multiple drivers phased to direct the sound downwards so as to reduce excitation of the reverberant space. Whilst you don't have the ceiling height of a cathedral (!) you do have better acoustic control, when directivity of the gig system less important but is only going to help matters in favour of arrays by pushing the critical distance further from the stage.