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Liverpool Central School District

AVL Designs Inc. first became involved with the Liverpool Central School District in 2007. We were asked to investigate echo problems in their auditorium. When someone would play a snare drum or any other percussive instrument on the stage, you could hear 7 to 12 discrete echoes that were hard to miss. It was like bang…… bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. Of course, this was a problem. The echo occurred in certain areas of the room, not every area of the room, but it was so noticeable that this defect got in the way of most musical performances.

We corrected this by testing the space and then placing specific acoustical panels on sections of ceilings and side walls, effectively eliminating those echoes. When you add absorption to a room, you lose some of the liveness. It is an inevitable trade off when getting rid of the echoes. You lose some of the reverberation.

In the process of time, we talked with the school district about other corrections that were available in the realm of electronic acoustics, which we have done successfully for other schools. After meeting with the music department, we decided to implement an electronic acoustic system in the space. Due to budget constraints, it was ceiling installation only. No side walls, no stage shell, but it was designed to allow a much more immersive sound quality for certain kinds of music.

The room was lacking low frequency response. The reverb time was around one second in the midrange, and it needed the ability to go to higher reverberation times for certain styles of music and types of theatrical performances. Once the system was installed, the school was thrilled. They were so enthused about it that they became a major proponent of this technology, sharing their experience with other schools we met with in the future.

As 2016 arrived, a major renovation was planned for the Liverpool Schools. They were enlarging the entire auditorium, refurbing the music department and adding some additional rehearsal spaces. As a result of our prior experience and success with their existing auditorium, AVL Designs Inc. was brought in along with the architect, on the early stages of this project.

Electronic Acoustics added almost everywhere.

There were a number of goals for the project, the first of which was to include electronic acoustics in many locations. It would not only be the in the auditorium and on the stage, but also in the large rehearsal rooms for orchestra, band and choral ensembles. That way the singers and musicians would be able to rehearse in environments similar to what they would experience in the auditorium.

Electronic Acoustics Explained VIDEO

So, that became the initial driving force for the acoustical design. We had to look at how to treat the main auditorium to get the reverb time low enough and flat enough that when we implement the electronic acoustics, there will not be significant problems with frequency balance and reverberation curves.

The electronic acoustics system is based on Yamaha acoustic field correction devices. It is implemented with speakers located onstage, in overhead ceilings, in under-balcony ceilings, and on sidewalls. These systems are providing reverberation as well as early reflection support for the room. The system can also add voice lift to allow for events without sound reinforcement.

Bigger auditorium, curved walls and NEW balcony.

The auditorium was being dramatically enlarged, shaped with curved walls plus adding a balcony. To deal with that condition we developed a custom absorptive diffusive wall treatment. It consists of series of wells of different depths with perforated materials and solid materials, creating a diffuse sound field within the auditorium and generating a relatively low reverberation time for the size of the room. This design criteria was also used for the music spaces to produce similar reverberation curves for their base conditions. That way, when the electronic systems are commissioned, there will be tunings for each space that will mimic each other to the degree that you can mimic a smaller space to a larger space. In addition to the electronic acoustics and physical acoustic designs for this auditorium, AVL Designs Inc. was contracted for stage rigging, theatrical and house lighting, and sound and video in the space.

Huge Speakers? Here’s why …

One of the unusual features of the room is the incorporation of Danley Jericho loudspeakers. The Jerichos look huge and indeed are huge, but they are actually a replacement for line array technology that many auditoriums would implement, at a lower cost and a higher performance level. The Jericho combines a large number of drivers in a single large enclosure, creating an output pattern and sound pressure capability similar to a 12 element tall, mid to large scale line array.

Admittedly, it looks a little odd to have boxes this big in a high school auditorium however the pattern control over the wide frequency range of the speaker allows it to cover most of the main floor as well as the balcony without the need for other devices.

*We did, however, install over and under-balcony delay fill speakers. This was primarily for potential special effects for theater use, and also to add the few frequencies that would be missing as you go by distance to the back of the room.

The audio system is being fitted with an Allen and Heath D Live console, which is a substitute for a Yamaha console originally specified. (Due to Covid issues the Yamaha console is not currently available) The D Live is a great console and will do a fantastic job for the school in the new application.

Theatrical lighting consists primarily of Electronic Theater Control products and High End systems, with some Strand and Phillips fixtures as well.

Stage rigging is a combination of Brick House counterweights and Electronic Theater Controls Prodigy hoists. The Prodigy hoists are used for onstage electrics, as well as a front of house moving head electric.

All of the music rooms are used as green rooms, so we have a combination of intercom, call lights, and video feeds to each of those spaces from the main auditorium.

Quite a few of these systems are not fully online due to product availability problems in the current post-Covid world that we are living in. We hope to get all of them online toward the end of the year. The owner is very impressed with the space currently. They will be really excited when all of the final details are worked out. The transformation from the original room to what it is now is dramatic.

Burnt Hills Ballston Lake High School Auditorium Renovations

When the Burnt Hills Ballston Lake High School made the decision to renovate their auditorium, the architect requested that AVL Designs Inc. join their team. This appeal was initiated by the owner who had been involved with another AVL Designs Inc. project at a different school. AVL had designed the performance systems which worked so well that they wanted to have us involved.

During the schematic phase, it was determined that the auditorium would have to be entirely gutted. The space would be converted to a “black box” style space with the addition of a balcony and wrap-around catwalks with lighting positions.

Room acoustics were to be managed with the use of electronic acoustic systems. For electronic acoustics to succeed, there must be very low noise in the space, and an acoustically neutral response from the room itself. AVL incorporated acoustical absorption on the roof deck and walls to control the room response.

Working along with the mechanical engineer, AVL Designs Inc. was contracted to do ductwork noise modeling. The final system is so quiet that it is inaudible.

Audio systems include an Allen & Heath Avantis Console, Danley Loudspeakers, Ashly Audio DSP and amplification, and Shure QLX D wireless systems.

Video includes projection as well as LCD screens with controls by Crestron and Blackmagic Design, and Robotic Cameras by Panasonic.

Lighting is based predominantly on products from Electronic Theater Controls, Hi End Systems, and Strand Lighting.

The electronic acoustics system is based on Yamaha AFC. Due to covid delays, the commissioning will be this fall.

Covid related product delays also forced AVL to assist in coming up with workarounds as some products will arrive 6 months or more after the facility begins to be used. Such is life these days, but workarounds are getting the job done.

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Portville Central School Auditorium’s Unique Upgrade

Portville Central School has a very active theater and music department. Their auditorium was a dated facility that did not meet the needs of this vibrant program. Essential updates were needed including the stage rigging, lighting, acoustics, audio, as well as seating.

AVL Designs Inc. was contracted by the architects, the CPL Team, to provide theater design or updates of the space. First and foremost was the addition of a full balcony. This was no small trick as the space is quite low and budgets did not support raising the roof.

The final design, unusual in nature, works very well. An empty space under the balcony structure provides an environment that is acoustically more open, even though the front edge is low. Under-balcony lighting was also a challenge and required using an atypical fixture.

Stage rigging also required unique options, as the height is quite low. Innovative rolling track wing masking, a motorized Cyc rollup system, and other features provide a far more useable stage area.

Before

A front-of-house motorized truss has been added to make lighting more accessible, as opposed to the prior dead hung pipe system. Sidewall torms have been added to light the floor in front of the stage for choral and other uses.

The room has been acoustically enhanced by raising the reverberation time and balancing the frequency response. This has been accomplished almost invisibly within the architectural design.

After

To date, the room, stage rigging, and lighting are complete. AV systems throughout the district classrooms and AV/Audio for this auditorium will be installed in the near future.

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Making University of Buffalo’s Townsend Hall Quiet

Townsend Hall on the University of Buffalo campus in Buffalo NY is a turn of the century historic building, a wood and brick construction edifice. It has charm but is not the most inviting place when it comes to making renovations.

In a recent conversion, there was a need to add air conditioning and expanded office capabilities. Unfortunately, the only place to add the mechanical system was going to have to be in an attic above executive offices.

The design scope was simple in concept: keep the HVAC quiet and provide high levels of privacy office-to-office. Execution was going to be a bit more challenging. The HVAC unit is large – 22’ X 7’- and, as such, noisy. Isolation needed to be significant to keep the HVAC from creating low frequency noise and vibration throughout the upper floor.

Our first recommendation involved vibration isolators with concrete – the structure would not support the weight.

We opted for a spring-isolated drywall ceiling system below the attic with a high CAC ACT ceiling below. We were able to support thin multilayer flooring system in the attic, with the mechanical systems floated off the floor on new steel supports. Critical path silencers and double wall duct were used to keep breakout noise under control.

Office privacy was achieved with medium STC vibration isolated walls. Combined with the floating ceiling, this is what is known as a “room within a room” concept.

Throughout the construction process many field issues arose, as is often the case with old buildings. As layers of structure were exposed, challenges to the design required issuing details to solve what would be violations of the vibration isolation. The architectural project manager was very careful to let us know as changes occurred and we were able to say ahead of problems.

Some education was needed for the contractors as we found vibration contact violations were being introduced in the construction by various trades. These problems were caught and corrected. The various contractors did not fully understand the floating ceiling and that it must float. The ceiling’s small movement damps the low frequency noise. Spring clips touching metal, drywall touching building steel etc cannot be allowed. Once apprised of these issues, they quickly corrected the conditions and turned out a good final product.

At the end of the project, we received what in our industry is the best compliment. They said commissioning tests were not going to be required because it was so quiet that everyone was happy.

More about this project @ SWBR Architects => Townsend Hall Renovations

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