How do you make sure an audience can hear what you’re putting out there? What if they’re in a huge, cavernous arena or stadium? Or a ballroom? Or an outdoor venue?
Each of these spaces requires different sound design, and our crack audio squad does it all, including at a couple of particularly exciting events in January.
Our hometown Ohio State University Buckeyes kicked off 2015 by dominating the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans AND the College Football Playoff National Championship in Dallas. (You probably already knew that.)
We were thrilled to be part of the action, producing two events at each game: the fan-focused Buckeye Bash and the President’s Pre-Game event, which was staged in a combination indoor-outdoor space – a particularly challenging venue for good sound.
It’s times like these that try audio techs’ souls.
Getting the sound just right – not just loud – requires careful planning, a top-notch team, and the best tools in the industry. We bring all of that to every job.
Meyer sound equipment and technology is the best, and it’s all we use. In the planning stage, we utilize a software program they developed that helps us measure the dimensions of the room, the size of the audience, and other elements that affect sound quality.
Once the equipment is in place, we bring out the Source Independent Measurement (SIM) device to measure the ‘frequency response’ in the room.
“Basically, the SIM compares what it is hearing to what it should be hearing,” said Audio Department Manager Chris Andrus. “It does a great job of telling us whether we’ve gotten it right.
“And it’s a lot more accurate than sending one of the guys out into the seats to listen and say, ‘Yeah, it sounds pretty good,’” he laughed.
Every audio tech at Bartha receives ongoing training on the Meyer technology we’ve invested in, including the SIM. After all, the best machine in the world isn’t worth the box it came in if the tech can’t operate it properly.
Just added to the mix: a new line array speaker system called the LYON. This unit is great for remote shows because it’s smaller, lighter, and easier to fly (hang from ceilings or rafters).
“Plus, it sounds amazing,” Andrus said, adding that it’s particularly effective for large format shows – like those arenas and stadiums we mentioned earlier
With great technology and solid training, our audio team can make sure your message gets out there – no matter where ‘there’ is.
