Today's Lesson

Acoustically reflective surfaces are any such surface that sound waves physically bounce off of when they come in contact with them, which can create some acoustic challenges in a live sound environment where a PA system is involved. In general, it is rare to find rooms that are acoustically dead or heavily damped. On the contrary, it is rather common to find very reverberant venues featuring large acoustically reflective surfaces that will project unwanted first reflections towards the audience and compromise the sound quality. 

• Before setting up your PA system, pay attention to the direction and the type of wall surfaces the loudspeakers will be facing.
• Try to avoid large bay windows, glass surfaces, walls with stones or tiles, concrete surfaces, etc.
• Instead, try to set the PA system so that it faces walls that have furniture like shelves, sofas, chairs, or curtains, and draping, etc. 

The aim is to try to minimize (or partially absorb) the energy of the first reflections bouncing off the wall(s) directly opposite to the PA system. By placing your loudspeakers strategically in your venue, you can naturally achieve a better more intelligible sound.

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